Elizabeth Arden

Elizabeth Arden, born in 1878 in Ontario, was one of the pioneers of the contemporary cosmetics industry. She had her first exposure to skincare when working in the laboratory of the E.R. Squibb Pharmaceuticals Company in New York. Further embellishing her knowledge during a stint with the beauty culturist, Eleanor Adair, Elizabeth later entered into a business venture with another beauty professional, Elizabeth Hubbard. While being christened Florence Nightingale Graham at birth, she adopted the business name, Elizabeth Arden, as a combination of her former partner’s name with Tennyson’s famous poem, Enoch Arden.

After studying beauty and facial massage therapies in France, Elizabeth returned to the US with rouges and tinted powder she herself had made. It was Arden who brought cosmetics into mainstream use. Till then makeup was mostly used only by stage performers. Always tuned into the requirements of the time, she launched the Montezuma Red lipstick during World War II to match the red uniforms of the women in the armed forces. Besides her cosmetic accomplishments, Arden also developed yoga-based musical exercises. In 1943, her new fashion house employed the likes of Charles James and Oscar de la Renta, noted fashion designers.

Elizabeth Arden products are favoured by numerous celebrities, while also being used by common people. The varied skincare products are claimed to reduce signs of aging such as wrinkles and pigmentation. Some products use hydroxydecy ubiquinone that is reputed to be the most potent antioxidant. The perfumes in this range are globally renowned and exude exotic scents. According to the company, the fragrances ’energize the body, excite the senses and revive the spirit’. The makeup kits include lipsticks, concealers, rouges and many other items to downplay flaws and accentuate positive points.