Celebrating Womens History Month With My Childhood Memories of Elizabeth Arden

When I was growing up in Miami, Florida, my favorite department store was Burdine’s. It no longer exists. It was bought by Macy’s. Macy’s may have bought the store, but they did not buy my memories. I still have them, and they are intact. One of my memories that is crystal clear was the perfume counter. You could find all kinds of high-quality perfumes and fragrances, such as Elizabeth Arden. To me, the letters “E” and “A” in that name mean exquisite and alluring fragrances for women.

The real name of the woman who started this American company was Florence Nightingale Graham. She attended nursing school in Canada for a while, but eventually dropped out. She moved to America (Manhattan, New York), lived with her brother, and began to pursue her own interests in developing skincare, makeup, and other beauty products for women.

She entered into a business partnership with another woman by the name of Elizabeth Hubbard; however, the partnership only lasted for 6 months. From that point forward, she was determined to establish her presence in the business world on her own. She took the first name of her business partner, “Elizabeth,” and the name of a farm, “Arden,” and created the trade name in 1909. It is now 2026, which means that, for over a century, America (and the rest of the world, as her products are sold in over 20 countries), has associated that trade name with the most desired beauty products for women. Elizabeth Arden products include a wide range of fragrances, cosmetics, and skincare essentials.

Ms. Graham passed away in 1966 at the age of 87. She is buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in NewYork. The name on her grave is Elizabeth N. Graham. She is, without a doubt, one of the most inspiring and phenomenal businesswomen of the 20th century.

• FUN FACT:  Ms. Arden was the 1st to introduce matching nail polish to your lipstick! #VintageAd

(Image credit: Elizabeth Arden Products Sold at Selfridges, Flickr.com) 

RECAP Fascinating Facts about Elizabeth Arden

1. Her real name was Florence Nightingale Graham, and she was born in Canada. Elizabeth Arden was incorporated into an episode of Murdoch Mysteries under her birth name, Florence Nightingale Graham, in Season 12, Episode 7 (“Operation: Murder”). She later created the name “Elizabeth Arden” by combining “Elizabeth” (to save money on signage) with “Arden”, taken from a nearby farm. (Source)

2. She built one of the world’s first global beauty empires. By 1929, she owned 150 beauty salons across the U.S. and Europe, and her company sold 1,000 beauty products in 22 countries. (Source)

3. She helped make makeup socially acceptable for “respectable” women. Before Arden, cosmetics were often associated with actresses or “low-class” women. She revolutionized beauty culture by teaching women how to use makeup and promoting it as elegant, scientific, and ladylike. (Source)

--- Learn More:

Daily, Investor’s Business. “Elizabeth Arden Created Worldwide Cosmetics Industry.” Investor’s Business Daily, 26 Aug. 2015.

Kimmer, Retro. “WAR PAINT: ELIZABETH ARDEN - VS-  HELENA RUBINSTEIN.” RetroKimmer.Com, 14 Jan. 2011. 

View Elizabeth Arden products here.