There are only a handful of brands in the beauty industry that can boast a truly legendary heritage, and Estée Lauder, loved equally by starlets and the average woman for decades, is undoubtedly at the tip top of the list. I can remember swiping on my grandmother’s Estée Lauder lipstick as a five-year-old, marveling at the transformative power of makeup… and years later, I count the brand’s Advanced Night Repair serum and Automatic Brow Pencil as absolute must-haves on my makeup table. I was honored to stop by The Estée Edit to share my fave spots in Austin last month, as well as team up for this video on my favorite foundation… so I thought it would be fun to turn the tables and shine the light on a few of the stylish women who are keeping Estée Lauder’s legacy alive, while making sure the brand stays firmly rooted in 2015. We interviewed three of those inspiring female figures: Lindsay, Alexandra, and Karen, to find out how they bring their own versions of modern glamour to the office while staying true to Estée’s mantra that “beauty is an attitude.” Click through to see how all three gorgeous gals balance style with the busyness of working in the beauty industry.
*photos by Belathée
Pictured from left to right: Alexandra Hardyment, Karen Chang and Lindsay Legates
Alexandra is the Director of Global Marketing for AERIN Beauty, a collection that has expanded globally in just three years since its initial launch. Karen is the Web Designer for all digital content for esteelauder.com, and Lindsay is the head of Makeup Marketing for North America.
All three cite NYC as a constant source of inspiration.
Karen: New York City is like a giant interactive LookBook–I grew up here, so ever since I was a little girl I get most of my inspiration from just living and breathing the spirit of the city and admiring the simplicity of street style.
As the in-house designer for all of the site’s digital content, Karen’s goal is “to continuously evolve and flourish the brand’s presence in today’s digital space.”
Karen: I joined the company at just the right moment! I started working here in November, so I was attending holiday parties and gallery openings which really helped me break the ice and grow closer to my team.
How do you describe your signature style?
Karen: I’m a minimalist. I wear black and white almost all the time, but when the weather starts warming up, I tend to lighten up my palette with more subtle prints and colors.
Three items you can’t live without this spring:
Karen: Midi skirts, linen graphic prints and my feet really cannot live without my Birksenstocks.
Alexandra: Floral print dresses, a trench coat and sunglasses.
Describe your signature style.
Alexandra: Classic and feminine. I tend to gravitate towards dresses in pretty colors or prints over pants. While I like classic silhouettes, I try to mix it up by adding an unexpected detail.
What are your wardrobe staples for work?
Alexandra: Dresses, a comfortable pair of heels and a fitted blazer or jacket.
What’s your favorite beauty product and why?
Alexandra: Right now, it’s a tie. AERIN Rose Lip Conditioner is always in my makeup bag and on my desk. It’s a great product for chapped lips and the perfect nude shade.
I’m also in love with AERIN Rose de Grasse–it’s the fragrance I wore on my wedding day this past October.
What is your favorite moment from working at Estée Lauder?
Alexandra: There have been many in the past 8 years, but one of my favorites was one of the earliest. My first few months at Estée Lauder I helped coordinate the national sales meeting in Laguna Beach. Every Estée Lauder executive was there, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow, who was one of our models at the time. The energy and passion in the room was amazing and I knew it was the type of company I wanted to be a part of. Launching the AERIN Beauty brand at Saks Fifth Avenue was also a very special moment.
What is your role at Estée Lauder?
Lindsay: In a nutshell, I work on all of the elements that go into launching a makeup product in the US for the Estée Lauder brand.
What is your favorite moment from working at Estée Lauder?
Lindsay: Launching Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick — it was the first lipstick to launch in over 10 years and truly represents the brand’s modern style and glamour. Our Beauty Advisors were engaged through an Instagram challenge that we had created to encourage wearing different lipstick shades at counters all across the country. The passion and excitement that was ignited in these women to showcase a lipstick was truly inspiring and supports one of my favorite quotes from Estée Lauder that “beauty is an attitude.”
What’s your favorite beauty product, and why?
Lindsay: Advanced Night Repair. It is truly the one product my skin cannot live without–I call it my ‘Greek Windex’! In addition to my daily regimen, I use it for so many of my skin needs…even mixing it in my makeup for the perfect application.
What is a typical workday like for you?
Lots of meetings! I am always on the go since the marketing team partners with a vast number of departments within the company. The best meeting involve our product development teams and makeup artists where we develop shade lineups for upcoming product launches. My desk is always covered in lipsticks or eyeshadows, and I leave my arm fully marked up in different color swatches!
What inspires your style?
Street style in the City! I can’t tell you how many people I stop on a daily basis and ask them what they are wearing…and what lipstick!
Also, my mom. She is the most stylish person I know and lucky for me, we are the same size. She is always checking my suitcase for items that might have slipped in during my trips back home to Atlanta.
How do you describe your signature style?
Boho chic, feminine yet structured–even with more professional work attire required. I try to let my laid back style come through.
What are your favorite places to shop?
I absolutely love Zara, and they are just about as regular in New York City as Starbucks, which can be a good and bad thing! Other than that, I usually order all my clothes online through Shopbop, but when I am in the mood to shop, I head to Soho to Aritzia, & Other Stories, TOPSHOP and Reformation.
Thanks to you lovely ladies for showing us around the glamorous Estée Lauder HQ, and giving us a peek into your business savvy and personal style!
