Estée Lauder, the daughter of American immigrants, cooked up skin creams in a New York kitchen with her chemist uncle and went on to build an empire. She died on Saturday at age 97. Her sales techniques set the groundwork for the luxury cosmetics industry. Prescriptives, Clinique, Origins, and Aramis…they are all part of Estée Lauder. M.A.C., Bobbi Brown Essentials and Tommy Hilfiger fragrances are also under the Lauder umbrella. Estée Lauder’s drive, ambition, and salesmanship are legendary in the cosmetics industry. She reportedly studied department store entrances to track which side most women went to upon entering and positioned her cosmetic counters accordingly. She gave us the now ubiquitous “gift with purchase” that fills women’s bathrooms with cute little cosmetic bags stuffed with lipsticks and eyeshadows that don’t always match our coloring. The N.Y. Times called her “the last great independent titan of the cosmetics industry.” Her children and grandchildren now head the companies she created. (N.Y. Times obituary)