Helena Rubinstein

• Born: December 25, 1870
• Birthplace: Kraków, Poland, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Poland)
• Died: April 1, 1965
• Place of death: New York, New York

Polish-born business executive and entrepreneur

In the early twentieth century, at a time when makeup was generally worn only on stage, Rubinstein founded a cosmetics industry that became world renowned. Her salesmanship, beauty tips, and business acumen created a flourishing enterprise.

Area of achievement: Business

Early Life

Helena Rubinstein (HEH-leh-nah REW-bihn-stin) was born to Naftali Herz, an egg merchant, and Augusta Gitte. Rubinstein lived in a Jewish household in Kraków, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire but now in Poland. The oldest of eight daughters, Rubinstein and her sisters were introduced to the world of beauty by their mother, who applied Dr. Jacob Lykusky’s special cream to the girls’ faces each night. Rubinstein attended Kraków public schools and the University of Kraków, and then she worked in her father’s shop. She briefly attended medical school and learned that she enjoyed conducting laboratory experiments but did not like dealing with sick people.

As a young woman, Rubinstein refused her father’s marital arrangements for her, which triggered a feud with her parents. In 1891, she immigrated to Coleraine, Australia, where her uncle, Louis Silberfield, and her cousin lived on a sheep ranch. While living in the harsh environment there, Rubinstein realized that her special cold cream kept her face smooth and youthful. She shared her cream with several Australian women and realized there was a market for the product. Women would gladly buy the special facial cream in hopes of enhancing their complexions. Rubinstein contacted Lykusky and imported the special cream. Meanwhile, Rubinstein was hired as a clerk for a local pharmacy, where she learned new business skills. She soon began peddling her cream at the shop. Realizing that she could no longer reside with her uncle, Rubinstein moved to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and became the governess for the children of Lord Lamington. After Rubinstein offered some of her cream to the local ladies, demand for the cream and for other beauty treatments spread.

Life’s Work

Rubinstein opened a beauty salon in Melbourne, Australia, in 1902, initiated a second one in Sydney, and also started a factory. Her services included manufacturing products, sales, and lessons in the proper use of cosmetics. Six years after opening her first beauty salon, Rubinstein left the Melbourne shop in the hands of her sister Ceska and the Sydney shop under the guidance of her sister Manka. Rubinstein then began the next part of her venture in London. She opened an exclusive salon that made cosmetic products more desirable. In 1908, Rubinstein married Polish American journalist Edward William Titus, who provided her with valuable insight on advertising products and researching information.

Rubinstein gave birth to Roy Valentine on December 12, 1909, and to her second son, Horace Gustave, on April 23, 1912. In 1912, the family was living in Paris, where Rubinstein opened her third store and another factory. By 1915, Rubinstein and her family had immigrated to Greenwich, Connecticut. Soon Rubinstein was training other women to run salons in Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and other cities across the United States and in other countries. Rubinstein also marketed her products on shelves in several different department stores. Marital problems resulted in Rubinstein selling two-thirds of her U.S. business division for $7.3 million to the Lehman brothers in 1928. The brothers’ business practices and the 1929 stock market crash caused the company’s earnings to plummet and allowed Rubinstein to buy back controlling interest in the company for $1.5 million.

The 1930’s brought expansion to Rubinstein’s company and continued rivalry with competitor Elizabeth Arden’s company. In 1936, Rubinstein published The Art of Feminine Beauty and also This Way to Beauty. She divorced Titus in November, 1937, and married Prince Archil Gourielli-Tchkonia of Georgia, Russia, in June, 1938. Her second marriage brought new acquaintances with wealthy and titled people. Her third book, Food for Beauty, was published in 1938. Gourielli-Tchkonia and Rubinstein opened a men’s salon in New York.

During World War II, Rubinstein closed most of her European salons and opened new ones in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. She also volunteered as a makeup artist in Hollywood and created cosmetic products for military personnel who had been disfigured in the war. After the war ended, Rubinstein rebuilt her European business and expanded into Asia. In 1953, Rubinstein founded the Helena Rubinstein Foundation. She was widowed in December, 1955, and became an official representative of the cosmetics industry at the American National Exhibition in Moscow in 1959. Her biography, My Life for Beauty, was published in 1965. Rubinstein died of natural causes at the age of ninety-four in New York City on April 1, 1965.

Significance

Rubinstein’s entrepreneurial talents led to the creation of an enormous beauty empire and made her one of the wealthiest women in the world. Her vast wealth helped to support her love of collecting paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and beauty books. Her philanthropy included the creation of the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv. Through her foundation she created a support system for health and medical research, provided funding for the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, and granted scholarships to Israeli students. She is often quoted as saying, “There are no ugly women, only lazy ones.”

Bibliography

Langley, Wanda. Business Leaders: The Faces Behind Beauty. Greensboro, N.C.: M. Reynolds, 2009. Discusses the cosmetics industry, beauty, and culture. Includes information on Rubinstein as a leader.

Slesin, Suzanne. Over the Top: Helena Rubinstein—Extraordinary Style, Beauty, Art, Fashion, Design. New York: Pointed Leaf Press, 2003. Lavishly illustrated book on Rubinstein and her various interests.

Woodhead, Lindy. War Paint: Madame Helena Rubinstein and Miss Elizabeth Arden: Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2003. Rubinstein and Arden were entrepreneurs in the beauty industry; they established similar businesses in New York City.