With Breast Cancer Awareness Month upon us, it's only natural to take a moment to honor Evelyn Lauder, the daughter-in-law of cosmetics guru, Estee Lauder, and the genius behind the ubiquitous and symbolic pink ribbon, which she co-developed in 1992 with Alexandra Penney--the then-editor of SELF magazine. A fairy godmother of sorts to the fateful disease, Mrs. Lauder has spent the last few weeks jet setting to turn world landmarks into glowing pink monuments heralding awareness for breast cancer and the women--and men--affected by it.

Mrs. Lauder's life story is one of both extreme misfortune and privilege. From a narrow escape from the Nazi annexation of Austria to living in England during the Blitz to marrying the scion of a cosmetics company soon to become a leader in the industry, what makes her story remarkable is not the turning point of her own life, but the fact that she has used her position at Estee Lauder to further the worthy cause of breast cancer research. Mrs. Lauder now holds the position of Senior Corporate Vice President of The Estee Lauder Companies and is the founder and Chairman of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, established in 1993. Read »