Clothes and Fashion

A lot of cosmetics brands are named after remarkable women. Who were these women and how did the brand develop? Elizabeth Arden is surely one of the most known cosmetic brands and it has been around for ages. Where does she come from and how did she develop her home business into a big international company? Charismatic women dominated the cosmetics industry in the 20th century, succeeding as shrewd businesswomen and giving their customers what they desired. Elizabeth Arden is a prime example, becoming a household name when she built up an international company. Born in Canada, she learned the secrets of the beauty industry as a young woman in New York and in Paris. She studied skin care, facial massage and modern methods of applying eye make up.

All the training paid off and Arden went on to produce her own range of rouge and powders and cream and lotion. She married an American in 1915 and became a United States citizen. During the 1920s and 1930s, she opened Elizabeth Arden beauty salons across America and the world.

Career was the focus of her life and her marriage suffered as a result, finally ending in divorce in 1934. A second marriage, to a Russian prince, only lasted thirteen months. Work was always successful however and Arden began to spread her scope of activity. She formed a fashion label in 1943, using rising stars such as Oscar de la Renta, as her design team. During this period of World War II, when women in uniform still wanted to feel feminine, Elizabeth Arden obliged them by inventing a new shade of lipstick that took the cosmetics scene by storm.

Her next venture was to open a health spa in Maine, frequented by the celebrities of the day. She also became involved in breeding racehorses and it proved to be lucrative for her. It was her cosmetics company however that continued to keep the Arden name in the public eye. She owned over one hundred salons across the world at the time of her death in 1966.

The company is still a big player in the fiercely competitive world of beauty products. The Elizabeth Arden franchise has always presented itself well and kept up to date with current trends. Beauty products are publicized by movie stars and models these days and Arden is represented by actress, Catherine Zeta Jones.

Perfume ranges launched by celebrities is big business too and Arden licenses fragrances by Britney Spears, Elizabeth Taylor and Hilary Duff. The product range covers every aspect of skincare, nail care and anti ageing treatments, bath and shower gels and lotions, moisturizers, and make up for eyes and lips. Men like to take good care of themselves too and Arden provides a range of men’s cologne.

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