Aerin Lauder Shares Her Favorite Hamptons Shops, Sights and Scents

East Hampton perfumer Aerin Lauder has visited exotic lands all over the world, but the Hamptons will always hold a special place in her heart. She recently expressed her deep-rooted love of this island paradise to Harpers Bazaar.

In the interview, Lauder explained how much she enjoyed spending her childhood summers at her parents’ Hamptons home, which just so happened to be a few houses over from her grandmother—the late, illustrious Estée Lauder. When asked what scent perfectly sums up the Hamptons, Lauder spoke of a lilac bush that her grandmother planted at her 1950s Greek Revival Hamptons many years ago. That bush, which was passed down to Lauder along with the rest of the house and continues to bloom every spring, was the inspiration behind her Lilac Path fragrance.

During her Hamptons mornings, she spends time walking the dunes by Georgica Pond, before enjoying a meal at one of her favorite Hamptons restaurants, including Duryea’s Lobster Deck and The Crow’s Nest in Montauk and The Palm in East Hampton. When not checking in on her East End AERIN stores, she’s likely delving into the local villages and taking in the culture. She loves exploring the works on display at The Dan Flavin Art Institute, the fashion at Joey Wölffer, the furniture at WYETH, the treats at Carissa’s Bakery and gifts at The Monogram Shop. When her friends ask where to stay for the ideal Hamptons weekend, she recommends the either The Baker House 1650 or The Maidstone Hotel.

Lauder has made a name for herself in the perfume business, while still maintaining her family legacy as the style and image director for the Estée Lauder company. In a recent interview, Lauder told the Hong Kong Tattler that the most challenging part of branching out from the family business has been “thinking outside of the box and creating something that felt authentic, was different and had a point of difference.”

Thus, came the AERIN fragrance collection, where each scent is inspired by a city or memory that Lauder cherishes. “My hope is that women can select a scent that evokes their own special memories or experiences,” she explained to Harpers Bazaar.