Lauder pioneered this tactic by giving away miniature lipsticks or powders, knowing that letting customers try her products at home would build immense brand loyalty.

Women in the 1950s typically waited for their husbands to gift them perfume, so Lauder launched Youth-Dew as a bath oil to give them an excuse to buy it for daily use.

Clinique debuted in 1968 as the first allergy-tested cosmetic line, developed alongside a leading dermatologist to bring medical science into everyday beauty routines.

When a manager at Galeries Lafayette refused to stock her fragrance, Lauder dropped a bottle on the floor so the lingering aroma would prompt shoppers to demand the product.