Helena Rubinstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helena Rubinstein
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| Born |
Chaja Rubinstein
December 25, 1872 Kraków, Poland
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| Died | April 1, 1965 (aged 92) Manhattan, New York City
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| Nationality | Polish |
| Other names | Princess Gourielli, Madame Helena Rubinstein, Chaja Rubinstein |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein Incorporated cosmetics company |
| Spouse(s) |
Edward William Titus
(m. 1908; div. 1938)Prince Artchil Gourielli-Tchkonia
(m. 1938; died 1955) |
Helena Rubinstein was born Chaja Rubinstein on December 25, 1872. She became a famous businesswoman, art collector, and generous helper of others (philanthropist). She was born in Kraków, Poland, and later became an American citizen.
Helena Rubinstein started her own cosmetics company, Helena Rubinstein Incorporated. This company became so successful that it made her one of the richest women in the world. She was known for her smart business ideas and for helping people through her wealth.
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Helena's Early Life
Helena Rubinstein was the oldest of eight daughters. Her parents, Augusta and Horace Rubinstein, were Polish Jews. Her father owned a shop in Kraków, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. Helena had a famous cousin, the philosopher Martin Buber.
Moving to Australia and Starting a Business
Helena decided not to have an arranged marriage. So, in 1896, she moved from Poland to Australia. She arrived with no money and knew very little English. However, people noticed her stylish clothes and clear skin. Soon, ladies in the town wanted to buy the beauty creams she had brought with her.
Helena saw a chance to start her own business. She began making her own beauty cream. A key ingredient was lanolin, a natural oil from sheep's wool. Australia had millions of sheep, especially in the Western Victoria region. Helena worked to make the lanolin smell better by adding things like lavender and pine bark.
After some time, Helena opened her first salon in Melbourne. She called her cream "Crème Valaze." She sold it for a good price, and it became very popular. Helena became known for "diagnosing" skin types and suggesting the right treatments. She made beauty feel like a science.
Her business grew quickly. Within five years, her Australian salons made enough money for her to open a salon in London. This was one of the world's first big cosmetics companies. Helena's company was very successful. She later used her wealth to support education, art, and health.
In 1908, Helena's sister, Ceska, took over the Melbourne shop. Helena then moved to London with a lot of money to expand her business around the world.
Life in London and Paris
In 1908, Helena married Edward William Titus, an American journalist. They had two sons, Roy Valentine Titus and Horace Titus. Later, they moved to Paris, where Helena opened another salon in 1912. Her husband helped with advertising her products.
Expanding to the United States
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When World War I started, Helena and her family moved to New York City. In 1915, she opened a cosmetics salon there. This was the start of many salons across the United States. Helena was very good at selling her products in America, even with strong competitors.
One of her biggest rivals was Elizabeth Arden. Both women were very smart about marketing. They used fancy packaging, had beauticians in nice uniforms, and got famous people to support their products. They also made their products seem very special and scientific. Their rivalry lasted for their whole lives. Helena once said about Elizabeth Arden, "With her packaging and my product, we could have ruled the world."
Helena started making and selling her products wholesale in 1917. Her "Day of Beauty" events at her salons were very popular.
In 1928, she sold her American business to a company called Lehman Brothers for $7.3 million. But when the Great Depression hit, the stock became almost worthless. Helena bought it back for less than $1 million. She then built the company's value back up to $100 million. She opened salons in many US cities.
Her spa at 715 Fifth Avenue in New York City was very fancy. It had a restaurant, a gym, and even rugs designed by the famous painter Joan Miró. Helena also asked artist Salvador Dalí to design a powder compact and paint her portrait. Other artists like Graham Sutherland and Marie Laurencin also painted her.
Second Marriage and Philanthropy
After her divorce, Helena married Prince Artchil Gourielli-Tchkonia in 1938. He was 23 years younger than her. Helena was very keen on the marriage, and she even named a line of men's cosmetics after him. Some people thought the marriage was also a smart marketing move, as it allowed her to be called "Helena Princess Gourielli."
Helena was careful with money in some ways, like bringing her own lunch to work. But she loved to buy expensive clothes, valuable art, and beautiful furniture. She used her wealth to help others. She created the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. In 1957, she started a traveling art scholarship in Australia. In 1953, she set up the Helena Rubinstein Foundation. This foundation gave money to groups focused on health, medical research, and helping people recover.
In 1959, Helena represented the US cosmetics industry at an exhibition in Moscow. Her employees called her "Madame." She stayed very active in her company throughout her life, even when she was sick. She also hired many of her relatives to work for the company.
Death and Lasting Impact
Helena Rubinstein passed away on April 1, 1965, from natural causes. She was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in New York. Some of her amazing art collection and furniture were sold at an auction in 1966.
One of Helena's famous sayings was: "There are no ugly women, only lazy ones." Her beauty salons were known for mixing fashion, art, and modern styles. A documentary film called The Powder & the Glory (2009) tells the story of her rivalry with Elizabeth Arden.
Helena was very good at publicity and advertising. She was one of the first self-made female millionaires. She knew how to make people want her products, sometimes by making them worry about their skin. She also used "pseudo-science" in her marketing, often wearing a lab coat in ads, even though she only had a short training in skin care. She understood that if a product wasn't selling well, raising the price could make it seem more valuable.
In 1973, the Helena Rubinstein, Inc. company was sold to Colgate-Palmolive. Today, it is owned by L'Oréal.
The L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science are also known as the Helena Rubinstein Women in Science Awards. This shows her lasting impact on supporting women in science.
The Helena Rubinstein Foundation gave almost $130 million to different organizations over six decades. Most of this money went to education, arts, and community groups in New York City. The foundation also supported children's TV shows for WNET, a PBS channel in New York.
The Jewish Museum in Manhattan had an exhibition called "Helena Rubinstein: Beauty Is Power." It was the first museum show dedicated to her life and work.
Supporting the Arts
Helena Rubinstein was a big supporter of art. She gave a special prize called the Rubinstein Mural Prize in 1958. She also funded the Helena Rubinstein Scholarship for artists like Frank Hodgkinson and Charles Blackman.
The Helena Rubinstein Portrait Prize was an annual award of £300 for Australian artists who painted portraits.
See also
- History of cosmetics
- List of Polish people § Business
