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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                                 (RULE 13D-102)
                 INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED
                   PURSUANT TO RULES 13D-1(B), (C) AND (D) AND
               AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 13D-2(B)


                               (AMENDMENT NO. 8)*

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                         THE ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES INC.
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                                (NAME OF ISSUER)

         CLASS A COMMON STOCK,
       PAR VALUE $.01 PER SHARE                    518439 10 4
---------------------------------------   --------------------------------------
    (TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES)                (CUSIP NUMBER)

                                DECEMBER 31, 2003
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             (DATE OF EVENT WHICH REQUIRES FILING OF THIS STATEMENT)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

[ ]  RULE 13D-1(B)
[ ]  RULE 13D-1(C)
[X]  RULE 13D-1(D)

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*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but
shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

                          Continued on Following Pages
                                Page 1 of 8 Pages
                         Exhibit Index Appears on Page 7

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------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------
CUSIP No.                            518439 10 4                                     13G                            Page 2 of 8
------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------            ---------------------------------------

----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
             1                NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS:                          WILLIAM P. LAUDER


                              S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF
                              ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY):
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
             2                CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP:*
                                                                                                                        (A) [_]
                                                                                                                        (B) [X]
----------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             3                SEC USE ONLY

----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
             4                CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION:               UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

------------------------------------ ------ ------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------
             NUMBER OF                 5    SOLE VOTING POWER:                               3,894,278
              SHARES
                                     ------ ------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------
           BENEFICIALLY                6    SHARED VOTING POWER:                             4,879,960
             OWNED BY
                                     ------ ------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------
               EACH                    7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER:                          3,894,278
             REPORTING
                                     ------ ------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------
            PERSON WITH                8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER:                        4,879,960

----------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
             9                AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON:
                                                                                             8,774,238** SEE ITEM 4
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
             10               CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES:*                    N/A
                                                                                                                        [-]
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
             11               PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9):                             6.8%
                                                                                                             ** SEE ITEM 4
----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
             12               TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON:                           IN
----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------



*  SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!


ITEM 1.  IDENTITY OF ISSUER

           (a)              The name of the issuer is The Estee Lauder Companies
                            Inc. (the "Issuer").

           (b)              The address of the Issuer's principal executive
                            office is 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
                            10153.

ITEM 2.  IDENTITY OF PERSON FILING

           (a) - (c)        This report is being filed by William P. Lauder with
                            a business address of 767 Fifth Avenue, New York,
                            New York 10153 (the "Reporting Person"). The
                            Reporting Person is a citizen of the United States
                            of America.

           (d) - (e)        This report covers the Issuer's Class A Common
                            Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Class A Common
                            Stock"). The CUSIP number of the Class A Common
                            Stock is 518439 10 4.


ITEM 3.   Not Applicable.


ITEM 4.  OWNERSHIP

           (a)              As of December 31, 2003, the Reporting Person
                            beneficially owned 8,774,238 shares of Class A
                            Common Stock as follows: (i) 1,168,240 shares of
                            Class A Common Stock and 2,264,038 shares of Class B
                            Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the
                            Issuer (the "Class B Common Stock"), held directly
                            by the Reporting Person; (ii) 368,441 shares of
                            Class A Common Stock and 1,914,608 shares of Class B
                            Common Stock held indirectly as a co-trustee of the
                            1992 GRAT Remainder Trust f/b/o the Reporting Person
                            (the "WPL GRAT Remainder Trust"); (iii) 368,441
                            shares of Class A Common Stock and 1,914,608 shares
                            of Class B Common Stock held indirectly as a
                            co-trustee of the 1992 GRAT Remainder Trust f/b/o
                            Gary Lauder (the "GML Remainder Trust"); (iv)
                            313,862 shares of Class A Common Stock held
                            indirectly as a director of The Lauder Foundation;
                            and (v) 462,000 shares of Class A Common Stock
                            subject to exercisable stock options held by the
                            Reporting Person. The Reporting Person disclaims
                            beneficial ownership of the 313,862 shares of Class
                            A Common Stock held indirectly as a director of The
                            Lauder Foundation.



                               Page 3 of 8 Pages

           (b)              Each share of Class B Common Stock is convertible at
                            the option of the holder into one share of Class A
                            Common Stock and is automatically converted into one
                            share of Class A Common Stock upon transfer to a
                            person who is not a Permitted Transferee, as that
                            term is defined in the Issuer's Certificate of
                            Incorporation. Assuming conversion of all such
                            shares of Class B Common Stock beneficially owned by
                            the Reporting Person, the Reporting Person would
                            beneficially own 8,774,238 shares of Class A Common
                            Stock, which would constitute 6.8% of the number of
                            shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding.

                            Each share of Class A Common Stock entitles the
                            holder to one vote on each matter submitted to a
                            vote of the Issuer's stockholders and each share of
                            Class B Common Stock entitles the holder to ten
                            votes on each such matter, including the election of
                            directors of the Issuer. Assuming no conversion of
                            any of the outstanding shares of Class B Common
                            Stock, the 2,680,984 shares of Class A Common Stock
                            and the 6,093,254 shares of Class B Common Stock
                            beneficially owned by the Reporting Person
                            constitute 5.4% of the aggregate voting power of the
                            Issuer.

           (c)              The Reporting Person has sole voting and dispositive
                            power with respect to the (i) 1,168,240 shares of
                            Class A Common Stock and 2,264,038 shares of Class B
                            Common Stock held directly by the Reporting Person;
                            and (ii) 462,000 shares of Class A Common Stock
                            subject to exercisable employee stock options held
                            by the Reporting Person. The Reporting Person shares
                            voting and dispositive power with Gary M. Lauder and
                            Joel S. Ehrenkranz, as co-trustees of the WPL
                            Remainder Trust and the GML Remainder Trust, with
                            respect to the 368,441 shares of Class A Common
                            Stock and the 1,914,608 shares of Class B Common
                            Stock owned by each of such trusts. The Reporting
                            Person shares voting and dispositive power with
                            respect to the 313,862 shares of Class A Common
                            Stock held indirectly as a director of The Lauder
                            Foundation.

ITEM 5.  OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS

           Not Applicable.



                               Page 4 of 8 Pages

ITEM 6.  OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON

              Gary M. Lauder, as a co-trustee and beneficiary of the WPL
              Remainder Trust and the GML Remainder Trust, and Joel S.
              Ehrenkranz, as a co-trustee of the WPL Remainder Trust and the GML
              Remainder Trust, have the right to receive or the power to direct
              the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of
              the 368,441 shares of Class A Common Stock and the 1,914,608
              shares of Class B Common Stock owned by each of such trusts. The
              Lauder Foundation, of which the Reporting Person is a director,
              has the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of
              dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the 313,862
              shares of Class A Common Stock owned by The Lauder Foundation.

ITEM 7.  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE
SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 8.  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP

              The Reporting Person is a party to a Stockholders' Agreement (the
              "Stockholders' Agreement"), dated November 22, 1995, as amended,
              among the parties listed on Exhibit A attached hereto. The
              stockholders who are parties to the Stockholders' Agreement have
              agreed to vote in favor of the election of Leonard A. Lauder and
              Ronald S. Lauder and one designee of each as directors of the
              Issuer. The Reporting Person is the designee of Leonard A. Lauder.
              The Stockholders' Agreement also contains certain limitations on
              the transfer of shares of Class A Common Stock. Each stockholder
              who is a party to the Stockholders' Agreement has agreed to grant
              to the other parties a right of first offer to purchase shares of
              Class A Common Stock of the stockholder in the event the
              stockholder intends to sell to a person (or group of persons) who
              is not a Lauder Family Member, as defined therein, except in
              certain circumstances, such as sales in a widely distributed
              underwritten public offering or sales made in compliance with Rule
              144.

ITEM 9.  NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 10. CERTIFICATION

              Not Applicable.




                               Page 5 of 8 Pages

                                    SIGNATURE

           After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief,
I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.




Date:  February 12, 2004                         /s/ William P. Lauder
                                                -------------------------------
                                                William P. Lauder






                               Page 6 of 8 Pages

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit A  --        List of Parties to the Stockholders' Agreement










                               Page 7 of 8 Pages