Cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein was born on December 25, 1872, in the Kazimierz district of Krakow in Poland.
She was the oldest of eight daughters to shopkeeper Horace – Naftoli Hertz Rubinstein and Gitte (Gitel) Shaindel Rubinstein née Silberfeld.
Helena's mother took a unique approach with raising her daughters: She told them they would wield influence in the world through the powers of beauty and love. To this end, her mother even made her own beauty creams.
Helena Rubenstein was diminutive at 4 ft. 10 in. (147 cm) with a milky complexion thanks to her mother's face creams.
She attended medical school in Cracow for two years. She liked the lab work but was averse to being in a hospital and in the 1890s Rubenstein moved from her native Poland to live with her uncle in Australia.
Helena brought along to Australia a dozen bottles of her mother’s face cream, made from combinations of herbs, almonds and Carpathian fir tree extract.
She started selling her own face creams based on her mother's recipe. Costing ten pence and selling for six shillings, the creams were a huge success with regional women.
Rubenstein opened the country's first beauty salon in Melbourne's fashionable Collins Street in 1902. Sydney followed a few years later.
In 1905 she headed to Europe to study advances in skin treatments. Rubenstein studied with European dermatologists and opened further salons in London (1908) and Paris (1912).
When World War I began, Rubenstein emigrated to New York and launched an international business empire.
"Madame" set cosmetic trends, introducing waterproof mascara, foundation make-up, and all- day spa treatments. She borrowed the idea of color-shaded eyes from the French stage. Rubeinstein stressed the scientific preparation of her products and instruction of clients in their use.
 |
| Polish-American cosmetics industrialist Helena Rubinstein (1870-1965) |
She was the oldest of eight daughters to shopkeeper Horace – Naftoli Hertz Rubinstein and Gitte (Gitel) Shaindel Rubinstein née Silberfeld.
Helena's mother took a unique approach with raising her daughters: She told them they would wield influence in the world through the powers of beauty and love. To this end, her mother even made her own beauty creams.
 |
| Helena Rubinstein's birth house (green) in Kraków. By Zygmunt Put Zetpe0202 |
Helena Rubenstein was diminutive at 4 ft. 10 in. (147 cm) with a milky complexion thanks to her mother's face creams.
She attended medical school in Cracow for two years. She liked the lab work but was averse to being in a hospital and in the 1890s Rubenstein moved from her native Poland to live with her uncle in Australia.
Helena brought along to Australia a dozen bottles of her mother’s face cream, made from combinations of herbs, almonds and Carpathian fir tree extract.
She started selling her own face creams based on her mother's recipe. Costing ten pence and selling for six shillings, the creams were a huge success with regional women.
Rubenstein opened the country's first beauty salon in Melbourne's fashionable Collins Street in 1902. Sydney followed a few years later.
In 1905 she headed to Europe to study advances in skin treatments. Rubenstein studied with European dermatologists and opened further salons in London (1908) and Paris (1912).
 |
| Helena Rubinstein by Paul César Helleu (1908) |
When World War I began, Rubenstein emigrated to New York and launched an international business empire.
"Madame" set cosmetic trends, introducing waterproof mascara, foundation make-up, and all- day spa treatments. She borrowed the idea of color-shaded eyes from the French stage. Rubeinstein stressed the scientific preparation of her products and instruction of clients in their use.
Rubenstein's success was spiced by a 50-year feud with arch-rival Elizabeth Arden.
She created the Helena Rubinstein Foundation in 1953 to fund organizations for children's health.
Her many other philanthropies included the endowment of a contemporary art museum in Tel Avivv, Israel.
A lifelong advocate for healthy living and self-care, Rubinstein died in New York City on April 1, 1965, at age 94.
A year later, her autobiography, My Life for Beauty, was published.
Sources Biography, Europress Family Encyclopedia 1999
She created the Helena Rubinstein Foundation in 1953 to fund organizations for children's health.
Her many other philanthropies included the endowment of a contemporary art museum in Tel Avivv, Israel.
 |
| Helena Rubinstein 1959 Tel Aviv Museum of Art |
A lifelong advocate for healthy living and self-care, Rubinstein died in New York City on April 1, 1965, at age 94.
A year later, her autobiography, My Life for Beauty, was published.
Sources Biography, Europress Family Encyclopedia 1999
No comments:
Post a Comment