Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

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.

4.5 stars- This wonderful historical fiction tells the story of two dynamic women, one real and one fictional. The real life character is Estée Lauder, a name many might recognize from seeing it on their makeup. She was a successful businesswoman who started her own makeup business. The fictional character is Gloria, a woman from a well to do family who loses it all when it’s discovered her father is a white collar criminal who stole money through shady financial advising. Both women are struggling to make something of themselves when the odds seem against them. This is especially evident in the 1940s and 1950s when most of the story takes place. It’s very much a men dominated field in all aspects of business even fashion and makeup, with a few exceptions.Estée Lauder started selling makeup she made and packaged in her apartment in beauty salons. It took a long time for her to become the success we know her to be. And Gloria is trying to figure out a way to start over. Coming from a family of means, she had never previously had to work a day in her life. She meets Estée Lauder who becomes her friend who inspires her to work hard to find a career she loves and she ends up doing that in fashion. We see several flash forwards that allude to a falling out between Estée and Gloria. It is interesting to see what direction their friendship takes over the years. I also enjoyed learning more about Estée and how she became the success she was and more about her background. This was a great book and I definitely recommend it.

A fun, informative read. An escape from this crazy world.

Wasn't sure this novel would appeal to me until I read that it was historical fiction about Estee Lauder, the scrappy cosmetics developer who had to fight her way into a very unfriendly (and yes, sexist) post war cosmetics clique. I was initially drawn in by its easy narration and then the entertaining plot developments. This is a very well written book, with an excellent story line containing a delightful surprise which will reward the reader toward the end of the book.The story of the friendship between the real and make believe character will keep the reader engaged as they are both brave, resilient characters who help each other through difficult challenges.Kudos to the author for letting the reader know which parts of the story are fiction and which parts are true. A great move which only enhances reader enjoyment.

This book was hard to put down,never a dull moment.Its one of my favorite books and now I have a new author that is a favorite too. Amazing story!

Liked very much the narrative flow. Thats a real gift--its hard to keep the reader just waiting for the next thing. I love historical novels and kept waiting for the shoe to drop--Pearl Harbor. I love NYC and all of its history. Now Estee Lauder Co owns so much of beauty industry through buyouts. Not sure how that happened. The ending was--not sure of what word- OK lame . Marrying Soda Pop!? What?! I can see not marrying Edward, but Soda Pop? Really? I wish Gloria had been less profligate esp with Waller.

I enjoyed this story. I will say that when Gloria was with Edward, I grew tired of her self loathing. That was too much for me. I understood her taking on family guilt and shame, but she did nothing wrong. It carried on too long for me. The visit to her father and her taking back her power made sense. I guess all is well that ends well. I do recommend this book. Will read more by this author.

The book was well written. I learned a lot about Ester Lauder’s rise to fame. It is heartwarming to recognize what can be achieved in life. Friendships count.

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I loved this book . It is fact/fiction about Estée Lauder’s rise to fame and her friendship with Gloria. Really enjoyed reading about behind the scenes at Saks 5th Avenue and the various relationships of both main characters.

Il racconto della scalata al successo di Esteè è incredibile soprattutto se pensiamo che questa donna ha creato un impero multimilionario nel XX secolo e che ancora oggi è una delle aziende di maggior successo al mondo.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A well written, well researched novel, set during the early days of the Cosmetic Industry. I loved the way the author blends fact with fiction. The story centres around Estee Lauder, but is told through the eyes of her fictional friend Gloria. A very clever, riveting read. Highly recommended.

Loved this book just as I've loved all of the other books by Renee Rosen. I read this in one day, swept along by the characters and their lives. An absolute joy to read. I recommend everything this author has written. Historical faction at its best .