Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

Award-winning novelist Rosen’s (Social Graces) latest work of historical fiction reimagines the life of cosmetics mogul Estée Lauder as filtered through the eyes of Gloria Downing, a discouraged young woman who has changed her name and reinvented herself to hide from her family’s devastating scandal. Meanwhile, Estée also reinvents herself in an attempt to succeed in the male-dominated cosmetics industry. She begins her rise to power by selling homemade face creams, which she markets in beauty parlors. She makes a splash by giving free samples and facials—an unheard-of practice in the cosmetics industry at the time. Gloria meets Estée in the beauty parlor where she is working as a lowly shampoo girl, and they become friends and confidantes as they struggle with relationships and life’s challenges in business and love. Narrator Hillary Huber skillfully captures the emotions of the two women as they refashion themselves and become successful entrepreneurs. Huber’s depiction of the bustling fashion world fairly sparkles.