“I owe 50 percent of my beauty to my mother and the other 50 percent to Erno Laszlo.” —Audrey Hepburn
And she wasn’t the only one. Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, and Jackie O all turned to trusted beauty guru Erno Laszlo for their customized skin-care routines. Here at HUM, we’re excited to be sharing an Erno Laszlo treat with every order shipping out while supplies last. We chatted with their Chief Marketing Officer, Kristy Watson, to learn more about the legacy behind this iconic beauty brand and their secrets to achieving red carpet-worthy skin.
Interview with Erno Laszlo New York
The Erno Laszlo brand has such a rich history. How did it start?
Dr. Erno Laszlo founded the brand back in 1927. He was a true pioneer and ahead of his time. He immigrated from Hungary and spent some time in Hollywood, but decided New York was more his speed. Dr. Laszlo opened a member’s-only institute on Fifth Avenue and quickly became the go-to doctor for many famous faces.Could you name drop a few?
In the early days, before there were influencers, we had an authentic following. Marilyn Monroe, Jackie O, and Audrey Hepburn were some of our most famous clients. It’s fun to flip through our archives and browse through the timeline on our website. It’s so unique and special. Our brand has always been about empowerment, and in today’s world, it’s more important than ever. When you feel good about your skin, it shows and boosts your confidence. We love that!What advice would Erno Laszlo give to his clients?
It’s so simple, but so true. He believed if you do nothing else, you have to wash your face. It’s the first step to stop your skin from looking tired and worn out. We’re still educating women on this step today, inspiring them with our cleansing oil and bar double-cleanse ritual. I never forget to do it in the morning and before bed. It’s the one step in my ritual I’ll never quit. He also believed in skin-care rituals and was big on customization. I think what’s so interesting is that our brand DNA has over 90 years of history, but it’s so relevant today with the K-Beauty craze. Dr. Erno Laszlo introduced many of their same philosophies a long time ago. We continue to be inspired by our true DNA every day.What’s your own personal beauty advice?
Eight hours of sleep, a lot of water, exercise, acupuncture, and a morning and evening skin-care ritual I’m so very proud of. I did the first four before working at Erno Laszlo, but this brand has taught me so much about taking time for yourself and how much fun skincare can be.
I’m obsessed with scents and textures, and love a great mask both morning and night. The time I put into my ritual is worth every minute. My advice? Take the extra five minutes. You’re worth it!
How do you balance tradition and innovation?
I love this question! As I mentioned earlier, we were ahead of our time, talking double cleansing and cleansing oil way before they were trending. We had a famous sea-mud cleansing bar that’s still a top seller. We introduced a powder mask (also known as our rubber mask) in the 1980s, again way before masking was trendy. Additionally, we had influencer marketing authentically at our inception, offering women confidence and beautiful skin the minute we were founded.
We believe in rituals and taking a moment out of your busy day for yourself. All of this continues today. We just tell the stories through different platforms and introduce products that round out our collection. There are so many amazing ingredients and innovative technologies today that we have in our new launches. We tell the stories on social first and continue that one-on-one conversation thereafter. It’s different, but also the same.
What historical beauty trends are you glad have been left behind in the past?
Those crazy alcohol products. I remember having acne and thinking that my alcohol-based toner would burn it all off. It was so strong and intense, but it didn’t burn off the blemishes. I’m so happy my 13-year-old niece has better education and choices. I also think skincare is so much more fun today than it was when I was growing up. You can walk into Sephora and discover an ingredient or product you didn’t even think existed and then get amazing results. It’s a great time for discovery!
What’s a skin-care trend you’re excited about?
I just can’t get enough of all the masks I keep trying. Oxygen masks, five-minute masks, eye masks, rubber masks, hydrogel masks, sleep masks, neck masks. We have a mask for every occasion! There’s something special about all the ones I’ve been using, especially our new eye masks for an instant under-eye lift. I don’t know what I did before we launched them!
Could you tell us about the two products we’ll be including with orders this month?
Both of these serums are results-driven powerhouses!
Our White Marble Radiance Emulsion is my favorite to layer under SPF in the morning. It gives skin a boost of radiance and evens skin tone and texture. It’s made with fruit-derived super-antioxidants to protect skin as it boosts cell renewal for the “what’s your secret” healthy glow.
Transphuse Rapid Renewal Cell Protocol is a must after double cleansing skin at night! It targets fine lines and wrinkles. I seriously saw results after using for one week! It’s made with cutting-edge ingredients like plant stem cells called RapidGen to reinforce the structure and strength of skin. Both serums are like a vitamin boost for your skin. You can use them in the morning and/or at night.
Always remember you get the most of your serums and moisturizers when you apply them to dry, clean skin. I love recommending that people apply serums over the entire face (avoiding eye area) and neck. Women often forget about their necks—but don’t!
