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Helena Rubinstein: The Woman Who Invented Beauty
"This vivid account pops with fascinating detail and reads like fiction. Wonderfully, it isn't."—Elle
She understood women. She understood beauty. And she started a revolution.
Helena Rubinstein was born into a poor Polish family at the end of the nineteenth century; by the time of her death in 1965 she had built a cosmetics empire that spanned the world.
Her scientific approach to beauty was an instant sensation. Women couldn't get enough of her innovative advice on skincare, and her beauty products were constantly sold out.
This is her amazing life story.
Michèle Fitoussi is a journalist and author.
She understood women. She understood beauty. And she started a revolution.
Helena Rubinstein was born into a poor Polish family at the end of the nineteenth century; by the time of her death in 1965 she had built a cosmetics empire that spanned the world.
Her scientific approach to beauty was an instant sensation. Women couldn't get enough of her innovative advice on skincare, and her beauty products were constantly sold out.
This is her amazing life story.
Michèle Fitoussi is a journalist and author.
404 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2010
14 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 30, 2023
Helena Rubenstein is known as a precursor in beauty products, as well as precursor in collecting primitive art, which at her time is viewed as ugly, and simply primitive. She is a woman way ahead of her time.
In 1896, at 24, Helena Rubenstein leaves Poland for Australia as she wants to be independent. She doesn’t want to marry and be subordinate to a man. After a confrontation with her father and with help of her aunt she boards a ship in Genoa to seek her freedom.
The freedom comes at high price. For almost the first three years, she cries her eyes out as she feels that she put herself in some kind of jungle and misses the civilized world. But she can’t go back and be looked upon as a failure.
There comes a day when she is asked how she keeps her skin so white. She is full of advice, not missing a beat to introduce her mom’s cream. After receiving the formula from her mom, she experiments with mixing the cream to get the right texture.
Her adventure takes her from one place to another in Australia where her path crosses with men who give her tips on marketing.
With a beauty product in her hand and marketing gear in another, she takes off very quickly, not able to sustain the demand at first.
After conquering the cities of Australia, she quickly sets new goals to conquer London, Paris, and New York.
She is larger than life. Despite her petite figure, she enjoys large pieces of jewelry. With each argument with her husband, her collection of jewelry grows rapidly.
She is a phenomenal business woman, but her paternal instincts lag far behind. She isn’t someone who could sit still in one place.
Written like no other biography, with liveliness of flamboyant character of Helena and sense of humor.
In 1896, at 24, Helena Rubenstein leaves Poland for Australia as she wants to be independent. She doesn’t want to marry and be subordinate to a man. After a confrontation with her father and with help of her aunt she boards a ship in Genoa to seek her freedom.
The freedom comes at high price. For almost the first three years, she cries her eyes out as she feels that she put herself in some kind of jungle and misses the civilized world. But she can’t go back and be looked upon as a failure.
There comes a day when she is asked how she keeps her skin so white. She is full of advice, not missing a beat to introduce her mom’s cream. After receiving the formula from her mom, she experiments with mixing the cream to get the right texture.
Her adventure takes her from one place to another in Australia where her path crosses with men who give her tips on marketing.
With a beauty product in her hand and marketing gear in another, she takes off very quickly, not able to sustain the demand at first.
After conquering the cities of Australia, she quickly sets new goals to conquer London, Paris, and New York.
She is larger than life. Despite her petite figure, she enjoys large pieces of jewelry. With each argument with her husband, her collection of jewelry grows rapidly.
She is a phenomenal business woman, but her paternal instincts lag far behind. She isn’t someone who could sit still in one place.
Written like no other biography, with liveliness of flamboyant character of Helena and sense of humor.
November 5, 2013
As a beauty journalist myself, I receive press releases daily about products that are 'groundbreaking', 'revolutionary' and 'breakthrough'. Suffice to say, very few of them are. Oh, to be a journalist in the days of Helena Rubinstein! Mascara on a wand? That's her. Skin tackled by 'type'? Her too. Anti-ageing skincare? And again. I'm sure that some of her inventions would be disputed by her contemporaries, but her contribution to the beauty industry can't be and her life remains an inspiration. Born into a poor Jewish family in Poland in the 1870s, she went on to become one of the richest women on the planet with her own global company employing over 32,000 staff - all through that apparently frivolous world of beauty and all in an era when women were expected to marry who their parents told them to, stay home and be grateful.
I'd agree with other reviewers that this book isn't brilliant - every chapter seems to begin with the same synopsis; she was old, but looked younger. Something went wrong so she went travelling and worked really hard and bought some fabulous couture and had a portrait painted.
Still, nothing can stand in the way of the fact that Helena's story is fascinating and this book is as much a potted history of women's attitudes to beauty, art, fashion and architecture as much as anything else.
Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in beauty - and can we get a tv series of the story too, please??
I'd agree with other reviewers that this book isn't brilliant - every chapter seems to begin with the same synopsis; she was old, but looked younger. Something went wrong so she went travelling and worked really hard and bought some fabulous couture and had a portrait painted.
Still, nothing can stand in the way of the fact that Helena's story is fascinating and this book is as much a potted history of women's attitudes to beauty, art, fashion and architecture as much as anything else.
Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in beauty - and can we get a tv series of the story too, please??
June 9, 2019
"Madame" clearly has a very interesting story, which made this book a fun read. My problems with the book stemmed from the beginning, however, when the author made the conscious choice of presenting Helena's story as derived from HER imagination, which is understandable, but not my preference. I found myself wondering throughout my entire time with this book what was fact and what was fiction. For example, the author speculates about how Helena felt at specific moments throughout the first section of the book. I was not a fan of this personally because I read biographies to obtain facts, rather than the author's interpretation of the person's life.
Also, I felt that the editing was a little sloppy, because there were cases where certain quotes were repeated two or three times throughout the book, sometimes only pages from each other-- and they were not presented in a new context, it genuinely seemed like an editorial blip.
Additionally, the ending was incredibly anticlimactic, and I think a lot more could have been done to highlight the prestige of "Madame" at the time of her death, perhaps by wrapping up with a quote from someone close to her (such as O'Higgins).
These are really my only problems with this book-- I purchased it after a particularly interesting exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris on Helena, and read it throughout the rest of my travels in France. It was fun, interesting, inspiring, and I felt like I really got a glimpse of who Helena may have been as a person-- what motivated her, what made her feel successful, guilty, happy, inspired, etc. I didn't find it cumbersome and boring like I do most biographies, so hats off to Fitoussi for her ability to delineate the history of Helena in such a way that was enlightening and fascinating.
Also, I felt that the editing was a little sloppy, because there were cases where certain quotes were repeated two or three times throughout the book, sometimes only pages from each other-- and they were not presented in a new context, it genuinely seemed like an editorial blip.
Additionally, the ending was incredibly anticlimactic, and I think a lot more could have been done to highlight the prestige of "Madame" at the time of her death, perhaps by wrapping up with a quote from someone close to her (such as O'Higgins).
These are really my only problems with this book-- I purchased it after a particularly interesting exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Art and History in Paris on Helena, and read it throughout the rest of my travels in France. It was fun, interesting, inspiring, and I felt like I really got a glimpse of who Helena may have been as a person-- what motivated her, what made her feel successful, guilty, happy, inspired, etc. I didn't find it cumbersome and boring like I do most biographies, so hats off to Fitoussi for her ability to delineate the history of Helena in such a way that was enlightening and fascinating.
December 15, 2021
Must read
February 22, 2023
A fascinating insight in to how a global industry grew from a kitchen sink enterprise driven by the remarkable Helena Rubinstein .
June 14, 2014
Before reading this book, I had never heard of Helena Rubinstein. After reading this book, it's kind of crazy that she isn't more well known today. Rubinstein was one of the first women skincare and make-up entrepreneurs. In her heyday, she was so famous that she even made it into Dali's surrealist artworks. She was also the first person to really use science in all of her skincare products. Not only that but she was incredibly driven and wasn't afraid to travel all over the world in order to make and sell her products. By the time she was old, she had a pretty hefty empire. Whether you know of her now or not, this is a great story of a very driven woman.
One of the things that I most appreciated about this book was just how driven Helena was. Being born in the late 1800s, entrepreneurship was still very much a man's game but she knew that if she put her mind to it, she could go far. Confidence is an amazing power as this book shows. Helena grew up in a poor, large family in Poland where she just wanted to get out of there. Her travels took her to various places like Australia and Europe where she tried to sell her wares. She started out with barely anything and there were so many points along the way where she could have given up if she had wanted to but she kept going. She is a great lesson in tackling things head on. Her story was really inspiring from that standpoint.
The book was well written. Even though this is non-fiction, it often read like fiction, especially when it was talking about Helena's travels. It was translated from French and I thought that the translation was very good and not choppy at all. Being a make-up and skincare junkie, I definitely think this book will appeal to all of my fellow make-up and skincare junkies too!
One of the things that I most appreciated about this book was just how driven Helena was. Being born in the late 1800s, entrepreneurship was still very much a man's game but she knew that if she put her mind to it, she could go far. Confidence is an amazing power as this book shows. Helena grew up in a poor, large family in Poland where she just wanted to get out of there. Her travels took her to various places like Australia and Europe where she tried to sell her wares. She started out with barely anything and there were so many points along the way where she could have given up if she had wanted to but she kept going. She is a great lesson in tackling things head on. Her story was really inspiring from that standpoint.
The book was well written. Even though this is non-fiction, it often read like fiction, especially when it was talking about Helena's travels. It was translated from French and I thought that the translation was very good and not choppy at all. Being a make-up and skincare junkie, I definitely think this book will appeal to all of my fellow make-up and skincare junkies too!
October 17, 2015
Worshipful, inspirational and possibly fantastical.
This is a tribute, indeed, to a genuinely amazing person who wrapped the world around her little finger and championed women's rights during the times around the world when women were receiving the right to vote.
There is a feel of the fantastic, and it is clear that the author has written quite lovingly of Helena Rubinstein. Overall a good read.
**eARC netgalley**
This is a tribute, indeed, to a genuinely amazing person who wrapped the world around her little finger and championed women's rights during the times around the world when women were receiving the right to vote.
There is a feel of the fantastic, and it is clear that the author has written quite lovingly of Helena Rubinstein. Overall a good read.
**eARC netgalley**
March 9, 2013
It is hard to tell whether it is a problem of poor translation into Polish (by Krystyna Sławińska)or it's the original itself, but the Polish version is written like a wikipedia article, and a bad one.
January 4, 2013
Factual yet beautifully written, a real pleasure to read.
December 4, 2016
This non-fiction novel falls in the following sub-categories: Biography, Women, Self-made successful business people, Cosmetic Industry, the Rich and Famous. The author wrote a complete and detailed biography of Mrs. Helena Rubinstein (1872-1965), one of the richest woman of the world in her time, was a self made businesswoman who "invented" modern beauty and a major player in the Cosmetic Industry. When I picked up this book in June, I had no idea who was Helena Rubinstein and never heard of her and her products before. The author wrote everything about the entire life of Mrs. Rubinstein from birth to death, her business life, her personal and social life, the good and the bad, the nice and ugly truth, the truths and the lies. The author didn't forget anything. The woman lived a very rich life in every possible meaning you can give to the word "rich". After reading the biography, I ended up with mixed and contradicting feelings about the woman. I found most interesting the first few chapters of this novel, which are about Helena's native country (Poland), childhood life, family, and early beginnings in Australia. However, when I read the rest of the novel, I felt like reading a very long boring article about "the Rich and Famous" of a People Magazine and reading an article about "History of the Cosmetic industry". That's why I rated the book only 4 stars and was about to rate it 3 stars. If you devour People magazine, you will love this book. This self-made business woman's career could be an inspiration to today's woman and man alike.
December 2, 2017
'Helena Rubinstein: The Woman Who Invented Beauty' by Michele Fitoussi was an engrossing, detailed account of the life of the woman who was at the forefront of the women's beauty and makeup industry. It is a fascinating read, certainly not a hagiography, as my lasting impression is of an egotistical, self-absorbed, authoritarian bully and a distant mother, whose main attribute was a determination to succeed. Obsessed with money (even when she was a billionaire), at the height of the 1930s depression when money was scarce she instructed her sales girls: 'You have got to look right down into their pockets and get that last nickel from them'. And if something didn't sell... then reduce the quantity in the jar and inflate the price so it seemed exclusive. But it was interesting to read of her rise from poverty and where she got her start (in an isolated town in Australia not far from where I lived), her business acumen, the famous people she hobnobbed with, from Ernest Hemingway, Jean Coctau, Picasso... and her rivals Elizabeth Arden, Charles Revson and Estee Lauder. Business always came before pleasure, love and family and that came back to haunt her in her later years. An exhausting but thoroughly captivating story. How much is true is left up to us to decide as Rubinstein was a spin doctor of the highest order. But an interesting insight into women's attitude to beauty over the years.
October 31, 2022
Helena nasceu na Cracóvia em 1872. Com 24 anos saiu da sua cidade com destino à Austrália.
Viajou sonhando com a promessa de uma vida melhor ao lados de alguns parentes que moravam naquele país. Na mala, poucas roupas e 12 potes de creme hidratante. Sua mãe acreditava que hidratar a pele era fundamental para a beleza da mulher e ensinava isso para suas filhas. Era um ritual diário.
Na Austrália nada deu certo. Depois de passar por mil dificuldades resolveu investir no que sabia fazer: o creme hidratante. E assim, nasceu a marca de cosméticos, mundialmente famosa, Helena Rubinstein.
Uma mulher incrível, trabalhadora, perfeccionista, visionária e apreciadora das artes.
O livro é muito extenso mas valeu a pena porque apresenta um panorama histórico da mesma época em que ela ia ganhando espaço na sua área. Duas guerras mundiais e a grande depressão econômica nos EUA na década de 30.
Ela trabalhou até o final da vida com a mesma energia de sempre. Quando morreu, aos 93 anos, tinha 14 fábricas de cosméticos, vendia em mais de 30 países e contava com 32 mil funcionários.
Trabalhou para a beleza e para ensinar a arte de se cuidar para as mulheres.
Viajou sonhando com a promessa de uma vida melhor ao lados de alguns parentes que moravam naquele país. Na mala, poucas roupas e 12 potes de creme hidratante. Sua mãe acreditava que hidratar a pele era fundamental para a beleza da mulher e ensinava isso para suas filhas. Era um ritual diário.
Na Austrália nada deu certo. Depois de passar por mil dificuldades resolveu investir no que sabia fazer: o creme hidratante. E assim, nasceu a marca de cosméticos, mundialmente famosa, Helena Rubinstein.
Uma mulher incrível, trabalhadora, perfeccionista, visionária e apreciadora das artes.
O livro é muito extenso mas valeu a pena porque apresenta um panorama histórico da mesma época em que ela ia ganhando espaço na sua área. Duas guerras mundiais e a grande depressão econômica nos EUA na década de 30.
Ela trabalhou até o final da vida com a mesma energia de sempre. Quando morreu, aos 93 anos, tinha 14 fábricas de cosméticos, vendia em mais de 30 países e contava com 32 mil funcionários.
Trabalhou para a beleza e para ensinar a arte de se cuidar para as mulheres.
February 4, 2024
За мой срам, не бях чувала за Хелена Рубинщайн, най-вероятно , защото Лореал не е тръбяла,че е правоприемник на нейната империя.
Наистина ми е невъзможно да разбера , как една мъничка жена и то по време, когато жените изобщо не са били допускани почти никъде, освен в домовете си като готвачки и чистачки, да стигне такива колосални върхове. Беше ми любопитно да чета за всичките й успехи , за безкрайната й жизненост и неуморност. Може би, някои неща ми досадиха, но наистина съм впечатлена.
Наистина ми е невъзможно да разбера , как една мъничка жена и то по време, когато жените изобщо не са били допускани почти никъде, освен в домовете си като готвачки и чистачки, да стигне такива колосални върхове. Беше ми любопитно да чета за всичките й успехи , за безкрайната й жизненост и неуморност. Може би, някои неща ми досадиха, но наистина съм впечатлена.
March 10, 2019
Me gustó muchísimo, es una buena biografía y un excelente ejemplo de lo que el trabajo duro y dedicación pueden lograr. Aunque no te interesen tanto los cosméticos, es una biografía que ilustra como funciona el mundo del maquillaje actual.
Tiene una gran enseñanza.
Tiene una gran enseñanza.
August 5, 2018
Ciekawa historia ciekawej kobiety. Przyjemna lektura budowania imperium kosmetycznego. Warto przeczytać.
April 24, 2019
Why didn't I know anything about Helena Rubinstein, an amazing entrepreneur and businesswoman.
February 7, 2020
Interesting dive into Rubinsteins Live. But unfortunately not always chronically and sometimes confusing in which state of her life. More novel than biography.
March 19, 2023
Helena Rubinstein was a fabulose women.A beauty Queen ,a vizionare .Is a must read biografy .
June 4, 2025
piekna biografia
March 7, 2013
Helena Rubinstein was an incredible character! This book is a fascinating insight into the life of one of the worlds first true successful business woman. Helena was very different to most women of her generation. Born in the 1870′s an era when women were expected to marry and settle down. Helena wanted more than just to become another statistic of her time.
Helena was from Poland and was brought up in what she considered a boring town, with an unambitious family who could not understand why Helena would not tow the line and get married! When her parents agreed to let her go to Australia and work for her uncle, her new life in the colony, although at first a struggle, became the turning point of her life. Australia sure proved to be the land of opportunity for Helena.
When reading this biography, one can’t help but admire Helena. She was a woman so focused on fulfilling her dream of creating the first true beauty business, which ended up eventually going global. I was so inspired by her story. I as a business owner gained the realisation from Helena’s story that if you remain focused and know what you want to achieve, you can do almost anything. Helena was a workaholic in a glamorous world. Where she succeeded in business, but not so well as a mother and wife.
Review by Karina from THE BOOK SHUTTLE
April 25, 2021
Czytałam tę książkę ze trzy miesiące, można by więc przypuszczać, że jest nudna lub z innego powodu nieudana, jednak nic bardziej mylnego – to doskonale napisana biografia, bez dłużyzn, choć z wieloma szczegółami. Opowiada nie tylko historię życia silnej duchem pracoholiczki (i tyranki?) – Heleny Rubinstein, ale też pięknie pokazuje czasy, w jakich żyła i to, jak rozwijała się branża kosmetyczna. Kto mógł przypuszczać, że największą rywalką Heleny w zdobywaniu kosmetycznego świata była akurat Elizabeth Arden? Czy wiecie, że Max Factor to polski Żyd Maksymilian Faktorowicz? Jak to możliwe, że biedna żydowska dziewczyna z (teraz już) krakowskiego Kazimierza stworzyła kosmetyczne imperium? Wszystkiego dowiecie się z książki Fitoussi. To opowieść nie tylko o świecie kosmetyków – autorka przybliżyła również kulisy powstania wielkich domów modowych, pokazała, jak elita radziła sobie w czasie drugiej wojny... mamy tu wiele wątków, ale wszystkie skupiają się wokół niezwykle barwnej postaci, jaką była Helena.
Rubinstein: kobieta sukcesu, nieumiejąca kochać matka, żona wydzielająca kolejnym mężom niezbyt wysokie kieszonkowe, a wreszcie dystyngowana starsza pani, która – opływając w luksusach – dożyła ponad dziewięćdziesiątki w dobrym zdrowiu i z czystym umysłem. Warto ją poznać.
Rubinstein: kobieta sukcesu, nieumiejąca kochać matka, żona wydzielająca kolejnym mężom niezbyt wysokie kieszonkowe, a wreszcie dystyngowana starsza pani, która – opływając w luksusach – dożyła ponad dziewięćdziesiątki w dobrym zdrowiu i z czystym umysłem. Warto ją poznać.
January 1, 2017
История потрясающей женщины, борца и трудоголика, создавшей огромную империю. Повествование временами интересно, когда дело касается описания её деловой хватки, чутья к искусству, тех событий, которые происходили в это время. А в остальных случаях историю Рубинштейн могли бы написать лучше.
July 31, 2011
Bien qu'Helena Rubinstein n'apparaissent pas particulièrement sympathique, cette bio reste un beau témoignage d'une self-made woman, dans la lignée d'une Gabrielle Chanel.
August 14, 2011
I created the book listig for Goodreads and if you read in French, throughly recommend it.
It was a a great find from a Parisian bookstall!
It was a a great find from a Parisian bookstall!
March 17, 2013
Absolute pleasure to read. What a woman! The drive, the personality. Thank God I didn't have to work for her!
April 2, 2013
An amazing book about a truly awesome woman. Full review here: http://theselittlewords.com/2013/04/0...
July 19, 2013
Very well written, I love biographies, so that kind of books are what I'm looking for to read:)
March 31, 2014
A great read and worth the time. What a fascinating woman
March 7, 2015
Amazing story, inspiring. A must read for any woman who has a dream :-)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews