Elizabeth Arden

Elizabeth Arden (December 31, 1884 - October 18, 1966) Elizabeth Arden was born at Hayle, Cornwall in England in 1884 the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Graham. She was actually christened Florence Nightingale Graham. Her father was a Scotsman who made a living in Hayle as a chemist. The family were relatively affluent and she was brought up in considerable comfort and given a good education. In 1908 the Graham family left Cornwall initially going to the USA and the later moving to Ontario, Canada.

Related Topics:
December 31 - 1884 - October 18 - 1966 - Hayle - Cornwall - England - Florence Nightingale - Scotsman - Chemist - 1908 - USA - Ontario, Canada

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She briefly worked as a bookkeeper for the E.R. Squibb company. While working there, she spent hours in their lab, learning about skincare. She then worked for Eleanor Adair, an early beauty culturist, as a "treatment girl." In 1909, Arden formed a partnership with Elizabeth Hubbard, another culturist. When the partnership dissolved, she coined the business name "Elizabeth Arden" from her former partner and from Tennyson's poem "Enoch Arden."

Related Topics:
Bookkeeper - 1909 - Tennyson

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In 1912, Arden travelled to France to learn beauty and facial massage techniques used in the Paris beauty salons. She returned with a collection of rouges and tinted powders she had created. In an era when it was only acceptable for stage performers to wear makeup, Arden introduced modern eye makeup to North America. She also introduced the concept of the "makeover" in her salons.

Related Topics:
1912 - France - Massage - Paris - Beauty salon - Rouge - Makeup

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Arden collaborated with A. Fabian Swanson, a chemist, to create a "fluffy" face cream. The success of the cream, called Venetian Cream Amoretta, and corresponding lotion, named Arden Skin Tonic, led to a long-lasting business relationship. This revolutionized cosmetics, bringing a scientific approach to formulations.

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In 1915 she married Thomas J. Lewis, a banker, thus becoming an American citizen. The same year she began international operations. During the 1920s and 1930s, Arden was constantly competing with Helena Rubenstein and Dorothy Gray. Opening salons across the world allowed Arden to compete in other markets besides the U.S.. Arden claimed that "There are only three American names that are known in every corner of the globe: Singer sewing machines, Coca Cola and Elizabeth Arden."

Related Topics:
1915 - 1920s - 1930s - Helena Rubenstein - U.S. - Singer - Sewing machine - Coca Cola

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During World War II, Arden recognized the changing needs of the American woman entering the work world. She showed women how to apply makeup and dress appropriately for careers outside the home. She created a lipstick, called Montezuma Red, for the woment in the armed forces that would match the red on their uniforms.

Related Topics:
World War II - American - Armed forces

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Arden's drive for success cost her her marriage to Lewis. They divorced in 1934. A second marriage to a Russian prince only lasted 13 months.

Related Topics:
Marriage - 1934 - Russian - Prince

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Although most of her commercial success was in cosmetics, she also pioneered restorative musical exercises based on yoga.

Related Topics:
Music - Yoga

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She started a fashion business in 1943 with notable designers like Oscar de la Renta on staff.

Related Topics:
1943 - Oscar de la Renta

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Arden is also notable for creating foundations that matched a person's skin tone; creating the idea of the "Total Look" in which eye, lip, cheek, and fingernail colors matched or coordinated; and she was the first to make a cosmetics commercial shown in movie houses.

Related Topics:
Eye - Lip - Cheek - Fingernail - Movie

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She died in New York City in 1966 and was interred in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York under the name Elizabeth N. Graham. Her estate was worth $30 to $40 million dollars (US) and she had over a hundred salons worldwide.

Related Topics:
New York City - 1966 - Sleepy Hollow Cemetery - Sleepy Hollow, New York

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Her cosmetics company continues to trade today, and was bought from Unilever in 2003 by FFI, a New York company. They changed their name to Elizabeth Arden, and are listed on the NASDAQ (RDEN). The current 'face' of Elizabeth Arden is Catherine Zeta Jones. They also hold the license to the Britney Spears Fragrance, "Curious,"

Related Topics:
Unilever - 2003 - New York - Catherine Zeta Jones - Britney Spears

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Elizabeth Taylor's "White Diamonds," "Passion," "Forever Elizabeth," and "Gardenia"; Geoffrey Beene's "Gray Flannel"; "Halston" and "Halston Z-14"; "White Shoulders" and "Wings"; and "PS Fine Cologne for Men" by Paul Sebastian.

Related Topics:
Elizabeth Taylor - Geoffrey Beene's

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Elizabeth Arden, Inc. recently introduced "skinsimple," a skincare line that is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.

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