Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a wonderful day.

When I moved out of my parents' house I settled in coastal Virginia.  I had saved a thousand dollars and thought it was a million.  I got a tiny apartment on the Chesapeake Bay.  I mean, on the bay...walk out the door and onto the beach.  If you've never lived on a huge body of water with a pretty sandy beach, you're missing out.  Do it while you're young, as you age the storms, traffic and frankly, the sand that travels into every ounce of carpet and every part of your body, becomes highly annoying. I found a job, making barely $12,000 a year and was convinced I was six months from becoming CEO.  One of the first purchases I made with my new "grand" lifestyle was a piece of high-end makeup.  An item, just one, I couldn't afford it but it was certainly necessary for someone in my elevated position. I went to a department store and bought a blush, an Estee Lauder blush.  It came in a beautiful cream color compact with a raised gold square in the middle with an etched scripted E.  I can hear the snickering out there, but that blush became such a symbol of my independence that I kept it for years.  If you watch the movie Home Alone, the mom pulls out the same compact while on the plane.  Now anyone who has a TV show has a cosmetics line, but back in the day, there were classics and Estee Lauder was among the best.

I recently read Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen.  This is the story of Estee Lauder as she tries to sell the creams she makes in the kitchen of her apartment.  She dreams of becoming a major player in the beauty industry and is determined to become the best. The story, told from the perspective of her best friend, Gloria, is endearing.  We learn that Gloria has a secret past which she wrestles with as it threatens to ruin her life.  Meanwhile, Estee has secrets of her own.  The story progresses as the women grow as people and in their careers, following Estee from selling one cream in the corner of hair salons to icon.  Gloria goes from being on the verge of being homeless to an executive in cosmetics buying for Saks Fifth Avenue. Each woman struggles to learn what happiness and success means to them.

This story is well written and rich with character development.  While historic fiction, it is far from a history textbook moving quickly telling its evolving story. In addition, it gives us a peek behind the scenes of the beauty industry and how it is very competitive.  If you've ever been at the makeup counter and received a "gift with purchase" or had a consultation, you need to read this book.  If you've ever gotten mascara in your eye, read this book. If you love lipstick, read...oh heck just read the book if you like makeup.  If you aren't a cosmetics enthusiast know that this is a good and interesting story with characters you will care about.

I wonder if I need to try Estee Lauder's wrinkle products...no comments necessary!