In her office, Estée kept a rare collection of oils, extracts and essences from every corner of the world. She used these raw notes to mix up a signature bespoke blend that she would dab on often—especially when entertaining friends like Nancy Reagan, the Duchess of Windsor, and former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.

In 1973, Estée bottled the aroma and called it Private Collection. It was a scent she could recognize anywhere. When attending a masked ball with her close friend, Princess Grace of Monaco, she reportedly leaned over and said, “I know it’s you Grace. I could mistake a pair of royal eyes but never my own perfume.”

An extraordinary collection of scents created by the brand would follow, including Aliage, Estée, Cinnabar, White Linen, Beautiful, Pleasures, Beyond Paradise, Sensuous, Sensuous Nude, and, most recently, Modern Muse. For all of Estée’s successes as one of the century’s best noses, The American Society of Perfumers awarded her its first Living Legend award in 1994.

In her office, Estée kept a rare collection of oils, extracts and essences from every corner of the world. She used these raw notes to mix up a signature bespoke blend that she would dab on often—especially when entertaining friends like Nancy Reagan, the Duchess of Windsor, and former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.

In 1973, Estée bottled the aroma and called it Private Collection. It was a scent she could recognize anywhere. When attending a masked ball with her close friend, Princess Grace of Monaco, she reportedly leaned over and said, “I know it’s you Grace. I could mistake a pair of royal eyes but never my own perfume.”

An extraordinary collection of scents created by the brand would follow, including Aliage, Estée, Cinnabar, White Linen, Beautiful, Pleasures, Beyond Paradise, Sensuous, Sensuous Nude, and, most recently, Modern Muse. For all of Estée’s successes as one of the century’s best noses, The American Society of Perfumers awarded her its first Living Legend award in 1994.