Elizabeth Arden

One of the largest cosmetic and perfume empires in the world is Elizabeth Arden Inc., named after the pseudonym of its founder. The brand has been known since the beginning of the twentieth century and now is the owner of dozens of world-famous labels.

Founder's biography

Florence Nightingale Graham was born at the end of December 1884 near Toronto (Canada) in Woodbridge in a large family of immigrants from Great Britain. After completing the nursing course, she got a job at the hospital. There, she observed that some types of creams have a beneficial effect on the skin condition and began to make them herself.

In 1907-1908, the young woman moved to New York and got a job in a chemical laboratory. The practice of creating cosmetics began.

Already having the means and experience, Graham met the famous actress, and they opened their first cosmetics store together. In 1909, Florence became the sole owner of the boutique, renaming it to Elizabeth Arden (in honour of the heroine of the famous novel by Alfred Tennyson). Later she took the established name herself.

Brand development

It is thanks to Florence that women started using decorative cosmetics to create feminine and delicate looks. Elizabeth Arden came up with a sequence of cleansing, toning, moisturizing and nourishing the skin. The assortment included caring creams for the whole body, accessories, and perfumes.

In 1915, the company began selling products overseas, both in stores and pharmacies. In 1922, the founder opened the first salon in Paris. Later, salons opened in other countries of Europe, South America and even in Australia.

The offer of Elizabeth Arden rapidly expanded:

• the company developed and marketed decorative cosmetics and creams with sophisticated, well-thought-out formulas;
• it offered hairdressing, dietary and exercise advice;
• It started producing custom-made clothing.

As a result, Florence became the owner of more than 100 salons in the USA and Europe.

Elizabeth Arden Fragrances

It is believed that the first successful perfume of the brand was Blue Grass, released in 1936 (according to other sources – in 1934). Some sources consider it to be the first composition created entirely according to the preferences of the American public. The fragrance received noticeable recognition from the public (in contrast to the previous releases) and is still being produced.

After Florence died in 1966, the company changed owners several times, and by the end of the 1980s, it shifted its focus to the development of perfumes. 

So, in 1989, the brand introduced the Red Door fragrance, which later became one of the bestsellers and gave rise to a whole collection of the same name. Green Tea, innovative for its time, Fifth Avenue, Provocative Woman, Untold and others, went the same way. Following the production of its fragrances, the company acquired licences to produce celebrity perfumes (among the brand's partners were Britney Spears, Hillary Duff, Mariah Carey, and others). You can buy Elizabeth Arden fragrances at makeup.uk.