Carolyn Murphy, 53, on 25 Years With Estée Lauder and Aging Well
Carolyn Murphy, 53, still fronts Estée Lauder 25 years in. Her routine: Advanced Night Repair since her 20s, Re-Nutriv, and sunscreen she wishes she'd worn sooner.
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The takeaway
- Carolyn Murphy, 53, has been an Estée Lauder ambassador for 25 years and remains with the brand today.
- She has used Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum since her early 20s and calls it 'magic in a bottle'.
- Her routine includes Joomee Song facials twice a month and Clear + Brilliant laser treatments twice a year; her top advice is to wear sunscreen.
Carolyn Murphy landed the Estée Lauder ambassadorship 25 years ago, and at 53 she still holds the contract—one of the longest-running model-brand relationships in American beauty.
"I grew up with the products, but I also admired Estée herself—she was an innovator and a trailblazer," the model and environmental activist tells Bazaar. "It's an incredible honor that Estée Lauder has entrusted me to represent it for 25 years and to be part of its legacy. Her granddaughter, Aerin, whom I'm lucky to call a dear friend, carries so much of that same spirit."
Over her tenure, Murphy has been joined by other ambassadors: Paulina Porizkova, Karlie Kloss, and Imaan Hammam—all of whom she says "are forces and really do feel like family."
Murphy turned 53 this summer, and she is frank about it. "I turned 53 this summer, and I'm quite happy to say it," she says. Her framework for age is simple: "I've always said age is just a number; it's really about how you feel. I feel like a wise child: I've learned a few things along the way, but I never want to lose my sense of wonder, curiosity, or playfulness."
The routine, in full
Murphy's core philosophy resists complexity. "I'm diligent about my skincare, but I also believe in not overcomplicating things," she explains.
Her holy grail dates to her early 20s. She started with Clinique, then moved to Advanced Night Repair serum—and never left. "At this point, it's less a beauty product and more like an old friend, and it truly is magic in a bottle," she says.
Her current lineup is entirely Estée Lauder:
- Cleansing: Advanced Night Repair Cleansing Balm
- Day: Re-Nutriv Treatment Lotion, Advanced Night Repair Serum, Revitalizing Supreme+ cream, Perfectionist Pro sunscreen
- Night: Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Brilliance Serum and Soft Creme
- Morning exception: no face wash—only a splash of ice-cold water
Professional care is scheduled, not sporadic. Murphy sees facialist Joomee Song twice a month and does Clear + Brilliant laser treatments twice a year.
The inherited rituals
Her grandmother's influence survives in two habits. Murphy's mother and grandmother, raised on a family farm in Virginia, followed a whole-food, mainly plant-based diet—a practice Murphy kept. "I love farmers' markets, and to me, beautiful fresh produce is a luxury," she says.
The second ritual is nightly. "My Nana also always took a bath before bed to unwind and used Youth-Dew Bath Oil, so I'm religious about that ritual," Murphy says. "There's something wonderful about ending the day that way—slowing down, soaking in the bath, and letting everything else go."
Products that aged well
Murphy names three Estée Lauder stalwarts she considers timeless: Advanced Night Repair ("so ahead of the curve in its formulation"), Re-Nutriv cream ("hydration and moisture are really the foundation of good skin"), and White Linen perfume. "Some things don't need reinventing," she says.
What she'd tell her younger self
Her answer is blunt: use sunscreen. "I'm serious here. The money I've spent correcting unnecessary sun damage is frustrating," she says. "Of all the profound wisdom I could pass along, apparently this is it: Wear the sunscreen."
The wisdom runs both directions in her household. Diane von Furstenberg told her to embrace new chapters—"no holding back, no regrets—and to live and love to the fullest." Her daughter pushes her on hydration and routine: "she also makes sure I do every step of my skincare routine because, as she reminds me, those extra layers help create a healthy skin barrier."
Murphy's most practical takeaway on aging is confidence in what once caused insecurity—her curly hair, her skinny legs. "Maybe that's part of getting older too: the things you once wanted to change become the things you're grateful to call your own," she says.
For brands watching the longevity economy, Murphy offers a working model: a 53-year-old ambassador who attributes a 30-year product loyalty to habit, family ritual, and formulation—proof that heritage skincare lines can retain customers for decades.
Source: Harper's Bazaar Beauty
Source: Harper's Bazaar Beauty; Source: instagram.com
Amara Osei
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Staff writer covering media and advertising at Eurasian Beauty Journal.
