J’adore: Aerin Lauder
“Beauty is in my blood,” says Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of Estée. After two decades rising in the empire, she’s branching out with her own eponymous label. And while Aerin is envisioning a lifestyle brand encompassing everything from tabletop items to jewelry (set to launch next spring), she is, after all, still a Lauder, so beauty comes first, starting with seven makeup pieces called the Aerin Essentials, out this month. “It’s a very focused collection of must-haves,” she says. “I really wanted this to be mistake-proof.” Lauder’s quite the perfectionist when it comes to her life in general, so we asked her to share a few of her favorite things.
GRACIE WALLPAPER “This is from Estée’s archive [right, bottom]. It was very much her signature, and it was one of the first elements of sophistication and style I remember being exposed to as a child. She had it in the hallways of her New York apartment and in the dining room in Palm Beach. I always thought the idea of being surrounded by birds and trees and flowers was just magical—it felt like you were in a forest. I have it in my dressing room in New York, and it’s the inspiration behind the blue-gray of the Aerin brand color.”
PILATES WITH LIZ REDINGER “I’m not a yoga person, but I just love the way Pilates makes me feel—the way it tones, strengthens, and relaxes at the same time. Gwyneth Paltrow first turned me on to it five summers ago through her trainer, and now Liz comes to me three times a week in New York or on Long Island.”
TRACIE MARTYN FACIALS “Immediately your skin looks better, more luminous, tighter. I only go before special events, when I’m feeling run-down, or after a trip.”
FRED LEIGHTON CHARM BRACELET “I had a charm bracelet when I was a little girl but eventually outgrew it. I found one at Fred Leighton with a few old coins on it; there’s also a heart and a flower. It’s a child’s charm bracelet for adults.”
LANVIN JACKETS “The whole fall 2012 collection was so feminine—especially the jackets with the fitted peplums.”
CLIFFORD ROSS PHOTOGRAPHS “Clifford does beautiful photos of the ocean; he takes many of them at the end of my street on Long Island. They’re usually really big shots of waves crashing.”
AERIN ESSENTIALS PRETTY BRONZE ILLUMINATING POWDER “I’ve always liked bronzer and the sun-kissed look it can give you when your skin is tired and pale. This one is all-purpose and goes on so smoothly. And it smells fantastic: It’s got this flower infusion of peony, meadowfoam, and rose.”
AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKE MIX “I have to say—there’s nothing I enjoy more than making pancakes and waffles with my kids on the weekends. It’s easy and foolproof.”
Lauder: styled by Lindsey Frugier; photography assistant: Francis Poon; Lauder wears Stella McCartney embroidered top, wool trousers, and pumps. Her own vintage bracelet.
