’80s Estée Lauder Girl Paulina Porizkova Is Back At The Brand For The Best Possible Reason

“Yes, I am an Estée Lauder brand ambassador again!” the model declares, beaming. “The first time around I was a spokesmodel. Now I am an ambassador, and for me, there is something in a name, in the word, which makes a difference. This time around, [Lauder] has contacted me because they like what I’m doing as myself, not just for an image of myself. [On Instagram] I’m not putting out beautiful images of how photogenic I am. I’ve been very open and honest about aging and how, I believe, we as women enter a different phase of life. We are still as worthy, absolutely, just in a different way.”

Porizkova’s return to the brand sees her representing all categories across skincare, makeup, and fragrance, but she is eager to impress on me that this partnership goes beyond product and is rather about an alignment of values. As with the use of the term “ambassador,” the language around the partnership is critical for her, and she is emphatic that she won’t put her name or voice to the term “anti-aging,” but rather intends to showcase how we can feel like our best self at any stage of life.

She recalls telling the Estée Lauder team at her first meeting with the board: “‘Number one, I will not do anti-aging anything. So if you need that, I’m walking out right now.’ They all went, ‘We know, that is why we asked you.’” It seems Estée Lauder is heeding their new ambassador’s advice as she attempts to positively change the industry from the inside. Porizkova is currently lobbying the brand to change the name of its Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Moisturizer Creme, replacing the word “Youth” with “You.” “And they are listening,” she says.