Elizabeth Arden Canadian entrepreneur, founder of a cosmetics empire in the United States. Date of Birth: 31.12.1884 Country: Canada

Biography of Elizabeth Arden

Elizabeth Arden was a Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of a cosmetic empire in the United States. Born in 1884 to a family of simple Canadian farmers, Elizabeth, originally named Florence, grew up with a love for animals and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. However, her experience in a hospital showed her that she couldn't handle seeing physically disfigured patients. Instead, she decided to focus on providing people with beautiful, healthy bodies. With this dream in mind, she moved to New York in 1907 and began working at the pharmaceutical laboratory of Squibb.

After a few years of deepening her knowledge of medical science and conducting home experiments in her kitchen, the 30-year-old Florence believed that the time had come for her to start her own business. She teamed up with her companion, Elizabeth Hubbard, and opened their first salon. It was a risky move to choose a location in the heart of New York City on the famous and expensive Fifth Avenue. However, Florence had a vision. She painted the salon's small porch with a striking red door that caught everyone's attention. She believed that just like the traffic stopped at a red traffic light, visitors would be intrigued by her door and stop to enter. Florence became the face of her salon, creating a mythical persona of Elizabeth Arden, a wealthy woman who traveled the world in search of unique beauty and youth-preserving recipes. This marketing strategy worked, and soon Elizabeth Arden's face became recognizable to customers. Florence had fully transformed into her persona.

Elizabeth Arden's love life was less successful than her career. She married twice, with her second marriage lasting 20 years. However, she was known as "the great Miss Arden" in history. She once remarked about her personal relationships, "I have been luckier with horses than with men. In fact, I always loved horses more." It was her love for horses that inspired her iconic product, the "Eight Hour Cream," which contained a component taken from a hoof ointment used for healing cracks.

In her salons, Elizabeth Arden offered more than just cosmetics. She believed that physical beauty was based on three main pillars: diet, exercise, and skincare. Together with nutritionist Gayelord Hauser, she created the world's first spa salon. Women who visited her salon on Fifth Avenue could relax, undergo a range of cosmetic procedures, and engage in activities such as dancing, yoga, and even fencing. Elizabeth carefully selected employees to provide clients with advice on skincare and nutrition, introducing the concept of knowledgeable beauty consultants to the cosmetic industry.

Elizabeth Arden also revolutionized the makeup industry. At that time, mascara and eyeshadows were only used by actresses and women of loose morals. However, Elizabeth believed that these products were essential for every woman. She introduced the concept of choosing makeup shades based on the outfit rather than hair color. After observing jazz performers' interesting way of applying black eyeshadow, she experimented on her maid until she achieved the desired result. This led to the creation of waterproof mascara.

Elizabeth Arden was also known for her scientific approach to cosmetics. Her company's products were of high quality, luxurious, and effective, which helped her earn millions of dollars. She believed that there was no limit to perfection and was always ready for new innovations and ideas. Rumors suggest that the only thing that could offend her was the claim that her arsenal lacked something from her competitor, Madame Helena Rubinstein. However, these rumors only fueled Elizabeth's creativity even more.