Helena Rubinstein cosmetics

"Nothing contributes to beauty like work" - can you believe it? But for Elena Rubinstein, this was the motto of life. “A woman is a tornado” - this is how her friends and acquaintances called her. At the beginning of the twentieth century, she created the beauty industry with her hard work, striving for perfection, she never stopped at what she had achieved and came to tremendous success - she became the Empress of Beauty ...

Elena was born in Krakow to a Jewish family on December 25, 1870 (or 1872). The girl was named Chaja (she later changed her name). The family had many children, besides her there were eight more children. At the age of 18, Elena leaves home without the permission of her parents. Naturally, it hurt the whole family. But at the age of 18, not having enough baggage of everyday experience, but at the same time an indomitable desire to accomplish something significant, few people try to take the place of their parents, and act only in accordance with their mind. Moreover, did not the parents themselves sow in it the grain that bore the subsequent fruits?

Elena's father taught her the basics of doing business - the family lived in austerity, besides, Elena took the same determination and toughness of character from Elena's father. And her mother taught her to take care of herself, her face, attaching great importance to this in a woman's life. "Beauty is the power that allows women to choose their own destiny." Apart from a Jewish school, she had no education. It would seem that the parents taught everything that is required in later life, but ... Having combined all the educational principles of the parents, Elena leaves for Australia. Without a profession, without knowledge of the language, without money, the girl turned out to be in a foreign country. She had to work hard, but all this was not what she dreamed of. Elena worked both on the farm and as a handyman in a small shop. “I wanted to show the whole world and my family what I am capable of,” she later recalled.

As you know, Australia has a dry and hot climate, and this has a bad effect on the skin, especially facial skin... And from this it follows that the manufacture and sale of creams is what will help to find success. She recalled her father's business lessons. Having borrowed $ 1,500, Elena opens a shop where she starts selling face cream. Elena worked tirelessly. And soon she already had a chain of stores, and even a small factory for the production of creams.

Only this was not enough for her. Elena leaves for London and opens a beauty salon there. She worked 18 hours a day, and soon things were going great.

She moves to Paris. And already in 1911, Elena Rubinstein opened her own cosmetic factory, where she began to produce natural pigments, and also developed special packaging and designer labels. But not everything can be attributed to her personal merits, if only because among her friends were such as Renoir (Pierre-Auguste Renoir), Pablo Picasso, Degas (Edgar Degas), Chagall (Marc Chagall ), Salvador Dali, and among the clients of the Countess and Duchess, actresses and ballerinas who helped her and did advertising.

Elena was a passionate nature, and conquered many peaks in her young years, but every time she had to choose a job or feelings for those closest to her in the first place, she chose a job. It was the passion for work, absorbing her all to the end, that did not give her the opportunity to see what else is worth enjoying in life, who to cherish and whether it is worth sacrificing everything to her ambitions. Apparently she rarely thought about it. Her first husband was Edward Titus, a Polish American who was fascinated by her.He was engaged in journalism, loved literature and was the complete opposite of Helene, but sought to win her heart. They got married and Elena gave birth to two sons. Most women change with the birth of children - mother's love, how can it be replaced by something. But it turned out that this was not for Helen.
The First World War began, the whole family moved to America, where Elena opened beauty salons. It is here that she creates the beauty industry, begins the production of cosmetics. She was so busy with her business that she simply did not have time for a family, and this led to a divorce. In the future, her life was devoted only to work, all feelings and relationships with loved ones were reduced only in favor of her business. She became rich, famous, lived in luxury, which she always aspired to, was domineering, confident.

Looking at her photographs of those years, one involuntarily thinks about the strength of her character, about the strength that suppresses everyone…. Yes, the power and strength of this woman was indeed something impossible. She demanded the obedience of all who were with her. These were her numerous lovers, who quickly changed, without feeling from her the warmth and tenderness that a woman can give. These are her sisters, who worked with her as branch directors, and felt the extreme toughness of her character, and sometimes even cruelty. But is it only lovers and sisters? ... You say, in the lives of many people relationships with loved ones do not develop, and you will be right. Let us recall the words of Leo Tolstoy, with which his novel "Anna Karenina" begins - "All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." But Elena, as it were, tried to avoid deep attachments, since her work, her business was put in the forefront.

Helena Rubinstein cosmetics

It resembles the flight of a meteorite, which burns everything and everyone in its path. A woman is a fire, a woman is a tornado, a strong personality and ambitious, confident and domineering, who has never looked back - “A beautiful fairy tale is always better than the truth! Never look back.
It's useless. Nobody likes to remember reality ... "
This is probably why Salvador Dali immortalized her in the image of a Prometheus woman chained to a rock.

Helena Rubinstein cream

Work was her life, she controlled the manufacture of cosmetic products. Her strict economy, in which her father once kept the entire family, has turned into something fantastic. She saved on everything, not only on the wages of her subordinates, but also tried to reduce costs for herself - she bought discounted clothes, never dined in a restaurant. And this is with her income? But in return, Elena allowed herself to create luxury around her: she bought paintings, antiques, jewelry, real estate, traveled all over the world. And she was always lonely.

It has been 110 years since her Valaze cream appeared and made her famous and rich. She was one of the first kings and queens of cosmetics to focus not only on creams, but also on thorough facial skin care, while applying facial cleansing with steam. It was facial care, not makeup, that Elena Rubinstein put in first place. She was the first to classify skin by type (dry, normal, oily) and used makeup removers. Around this time, 110 years ago, she opened her first boutique in Melbourne.

In 1912, Helena Rubinstein offers massage services for the first time, which shocks Paris, and therefore the whole world.

Lipstick Helena Rubinstein

Then he opens beauty salons in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington and Hollywood. In parallel with Helene Rubinstein, her rival Elizabeth Arden, opening her salons in America, began to release new products for skin care. They advised women to visit salons regularly, starting with deep cleansing of the skin. Elena and Elizabeth remained rivals all their lives, which contributed to the development of the cosmetics industry. And each of them attributed to themselves the discovery of waterproof mascara.Elena Rubinstein launches and launches a moisturizing face cream, toning powder and the first mechanical mascara applicator. She was one of the first to open a line of men's cosmetics. Elena Rubinstein was extraordinarily talented in the field of business and her ideas were inexhaustible. She has developed a system of beauty sanatoriums, she came up with the idea of ​​advising clients in skin care stores. Rubinstein created evening courses for all working women, where there were no secrets to personal care. And finally, "Ultra Feminine" appeared - it was the first cosmetic product approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as a drug.

What was her House of Beauty? Perhaps this was the prototype of modern SPA. At that time, it was her unique work, where modern diagnostic devices were used that could determine the level of metabolism, where there were various showers and baths, ultraviolet sessions were used, manicure and pedicure could be done, there were also hairdressing services, as well as rest rooms. where vegetable dishes and juices were offered. In general, everything that is recommended today by modern cosmetologists for modern women. And then a visitor could buy a ticket for $ 100-150 in order to get into the caring hands of doctors, nurses and masseurs within eight hours. When makeup was applied at the end of all procedures, the light in front of the dressing table was turned on, creating the illusion of day or evening light. And besides that, they offered advice and recommendations on skin care and proper make-up. At the end of all this, which happened like in a dream, the clients were presented with gifts - they were offered samples of lipstick, powder, and shadows.

Foundation Helena Rubinstein

In business, she was extraordinarily talented. When in America large department stores offered Helen to sell her products, at first she did not agree. Then, after thinking well, she agreed, but on her own terms. The store can get the right to distribute her cosmetics if it makes a wholesale order for $ 10,000 or more, and besides that, Elena will train consultants. And also interesting are the percentages that Rubinstein offered: 40% in cash from the retail price of each product sold, 5% for each product advertisement and 10% for each sale for sellers, which was an incentive for the latter.

Perfume Helena Rubinstein

And in 1928, Helen Rubinstein sold her firm to Lehman Brothers for $ 7.3 million. At that moment, the company was the leader in the investment business. Apparently her business instinct prompted a big change for her. The stock market crisis burst out. Rubinstein began to buy shares falling in price. But most importantly, she begins to undermine the authority of Lehman Brothers - she writes letters to other shareholders of the company, forcing them to worry and resent the fact that the company is not competent in the affairs of the company. And how things are going with the sales of products, she was informed by the owners of the stores, with whom she had previously established relations. And so, after some time, Rubinstein returns his company, but already for less than one million dollars. Then it increases the production of creams and opens new salons, but already in Europe - Rome and Vienna.

But that's not all. When she divorced Titus, without hesitation, at the age of 68 she married the Georgian prince Archil Gurieli-Chkonia. The prince was more than 20 years younger than her, but he had a title. And Rubinstein became Princess Gurieli. What is this all for? Yes, she used the noble surname, like many other things, for her business. Did everyone who walked next to her through life, directly or indirectly, become a toy that she used as long as they were needed ??? Really? One way or another, but thanks to this, she managed to attract a male audience, and a wealthy one. The fact is that soon Rubinstein opened salons and stores, as well as a line of cosmetics specifically for the male audience. And the business was successful again. And at least in gratitude for this, it would be necessary to go to the prince's funeral when he died in 1955. But, unfortunately, this did not happen, and the whole state of the prince passed to his widow ...

Despite the war years, the Rubinstein empire flourished, and by 1956, income had increased to 23 million (after the war, the income was almost half that).

Carcasses helena rubinstein

Elena Rubinstein, like a real businessman, understood the power of advertising. She presented herself in the world as a lady of high society, because it was not in vain that she acquired the title, invited journalists to her palaces, knowing that all this would arouse even greater interest in her.

Madame Rubinstein, as she was called, in her 90 years continued to work, and even personally supervised the production of creams, and also expanded the boundaries of her empire. In the possession of her empire there were factories, laboratories, flower plantations, beauty salons in many countries of the world, and the number of subordinates reached 32 thousand. The empire's revenues surpassed the figure of $ 150 million ...

Today the quality of the Helena Rubinstein brand is confirmed by the leading European cosmetic institutes. The Helena Rubinstein brand belongs to the L'Oreal concern, and its cosmetics meet the latest trends in the world of beauty and fashion.

Helena Rubinstein products are designed for women of all ages, because Helena Rubinstein lived a long life (up to 95 years), and did not stop creating, creating new cosmetics, establishing production for customers of all ages. Therefore, the Helena Rubinstein brand is also known for anti-aging lines that restore the skin: Collagenist, Prodigy, FaceSculptor.
Today, the Helena Rubinstein brand belongs to L'Or? Al, although its founder is not enough for the true prosperity of Helena Rubinstein.