When Aerin Lauder was 5, she would peek inside her grandmother's vanity. This was no ordinary vanity, mind you. It was the dressing table belonging to legendary cosmetics queen Estee Lauder. "There was one drawer filled with only lipsticks. Another had only blushes. It was just full of stuff," Aerin, 33, says, opening her eyes wide. "I guess I grew up with a warped perception of a makeup table."
Today, Estee's granddaughter helps shape what's on the makeup tables of millions of women around the world. As vice president of global advertising for Estee Lauder, Aerin bears responsibility for how her...