Becoming Elizabeth Arden: The Woman Behind the Global Beauty Empire

by Stacy A. Cordery

A sweeping biography of one of the most influential (and successful) business-women in American history, BECOMING ELIZABETH ARDEN opens the Red Door to a world of wealth, glamor, and the profitable business of beautyWhen she died in 1966, Elizabeth Arden was a household name on six continents and a millionaire several times over. She counted British royalty and social elites from the overlapping worlds of New York, Hollywood, London, and Paris among her friends. Arden had revolutionized women’s relationship with both skin care and cosmetics, making it acceptable for all women to embrace glamor and wear makeup—not just actresses and prostitutes. She had created a phenomenally successful international business empire before women had gained the vote, and when virtually no woman owned or ran her own national company. She had done it on her own, and she had done it for a very unladylike to get rich, and to give women everywhere access to beauty. Acclaimed biographer Stacy Cordery does full justice to a woman whose life was even more indelible than her name brand, the embodiment of sophistication, refinement, and style, in an archetypal rags-to-riches story. Florence Nightingale Graham, a Canadian immigrant, was born with a shrewd sense of the possible, and with hard work and perseverance, she made makeup (along with fitness and style) not only acceptable but de rigeur. Cordery gives us a persuasive picture of a modern Arden did not merely spot trends, she created them; she thrived throughout the Depression, reimagined her needs (and women's) during two World Wars, set new paths in marketing and advertising, and ushered beauty in the modern era--a model for aspiring businesses to this day.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Business, Fashion, History

512 pages, Hardcover

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Historian Stacy A. Cordery is the author of five books, including the bestselling biography Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker and the authoritative biography of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low. The recipient of several teaching awards, she is a professor in the History Department at Iowa State University in Ames, where she teaches courses on First Ladies, the Gilded Age, and modern America. She held an endowed chair in Roosevelt Studies and worked with the Theodore Roosevelt Center in North Dakota, is president-elect of SHGAPE (the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age & Progressive Era), and on the board of FLARE (the First Ladies Association for Research and Education). A popular public speaker, Cordery’s public appearances include NPR’s Weekend Edition, the History Channel, CNN, Smithsonian TV, the Diane Rehm Show, and C-SPAN. For more information, please see www.stacycordery.com.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned more about the beauty and cosmetics industry of the twentieth century when reading Becoming Elizabeth Arden than about the woman herself. In fairness, the biography did delve quite deep into Arden’s life: how she was from a small town in Ontario, Canada, without formal education beyond middle school yet built a globally successful cosmetics brand, “Elizabeth Arden," in addition to launching an international and wildly successful beauty chain, the “Red Door Salon,” that featured (not surprisingly) a signature red door. The salons cemented Arden’s brand. They also served as a distribution channel for her skin care products, cosmetics, designer clothing, and a venue for Arden’s signature fitness classes and beauty courses. Still in business today, the rebranded Red Door Spa (2019) focuses on providing high-end beauty services for discerning (and wealthy) clients.

Becoming Elizabeth delves deep into the evolution of cosmetics, including how they were first viewed with skepticism by the North American public pre-WWI (at which time cosmetics were associated with prostitutes and poor taste) to their gradual acceptance, due in part to Arden’s marketing genius. Cordery writes about Arden’s product development expertise, including the development of patriotic lipstick shades during WW II; one particular shade, Montezuma Red, even became part of the female military uniform. Arden also created the ‘color harmony’ system, which involved women matching their makeup to their outfits. This novel idea increased demand for Arden products exponentially.

There is much to credit Elizabeth Arden for, including that she is a founder of today’s multibillion-dollar beauty industry. Arden also spearheaded the idea of extensive (and expensive) marketing campaigns designed to entice women to buy cosmetics with artfully crafted messages that promised beauty and happiness. She is also responsible for the message that beauty is equivalent to power—beauty and power are linked, according to Arden. The most damaging message that Arden promoted throughout her entire career (in my opinion) is the idea that women should have flawless skin, svelte figures, and youthful appearances—forever! Arden never revealed her age, provided a false birthdate on her marriage certificate, and didn’t include one on the headstone at her gravesite.

“Her (Arden’s) special knowledge promised a better life, where mundane cares gave way to beauty, worries to joy. Her message appealed not merely to women in the abstract but to “you,” the unique reader of her carefully crafted prose”. ( Pg 138)

Arden was a woman of influence and success. She built a global brand in an era where women were undermined in both business and industry. She was tenacious, intelligent, savvy, and gracious. I admire how she was loyal to her customers. An example described in the book is how Arden refused to delete poorly selling shades of lipstick so as not to disappoint customers who still purchased them.

Though I found the book interesting, it was too long. It was often repetitive. Given there were no correspondence or papers of Arden’s for research purposes, Cordery likely couldn’t get close to Arden’s motivations, thoughts, or impressions. Still, Becoming Elizabeth is worthy of a solid 3.5-star rating.

[Maris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly delightful and fascinating. I was surprised to find that the book doesn’t closely detail Elizabeth Arden herself (there are very few direct quotes from her, no excerpts from diaries or letters), so as a person she seems still rather aloof in my mind. Rather, the book details her absolutely remarkable success in business. Amidst the hundreds of beauty brands and influencers today, Elizabeth Arden is perhaps no longer a household name. But she was truly a pioneer in the wellness, skincare, and beauty industry. I was totally baffled by her prowess in marketing and business, especially as an uneducated woman starting off in the early 1900s.
As neither a makeup nor skincare buff, I shouldn’t have enjoyed this as much as I did. But for reasons I can’t quite pinpoint, this was a fascinating read. Would recommend to any nonfic lover.

[CatReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Becoming Elizabeth Arden, historian and Iowa State University professor Stacy Cordery writes what's probably the most comprehensive-to-date biography of 20th century Canadian-American businesswoman Elizabeth Arden, the woman whose eponymous skincare and cosmetics products continue to be sold in department stores to this day. Arden was born Florence Nightingale Graham in 1881 (though she fudged her birth year throughout her life and omitted it from her gravestone) in Ontario, Canada and followed her brother to Manhattan in the 1900s where she entered the beauty services industry. She founded the Elizabeth Arden brand in 1910 and became personally and professionally known by her brand's name, though still intermittently used her original last name of Graham throughout her life. Arden was what today we would call a lifestyle influencer, selling skincare, makeup and clothing under her name brand, and opening salons, spas, and other aspirational beauty venues. Later in life, she also became known for her political influence and for her equestrian ventures (her horse Jet Pilot won the 1947 Kentucky Derby). Her life and accomplishments were quite remarkable.

This was enjoyable listen, albeit quite lengthy (500+ page book/15 hour audiobook) and detail-oriented. I think Cordery did a nice job of presenting Arden in the context of her time period, where attitudes toward women, femininity, and people of color were different than today. It was also interesting to learn how the cosmetics industry and use of overt makeup become mainstream throughout the early 20th century, largely through the influence of the film industry and the birth of television.

Further reading: the fashion/beauty industry
Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital by Elise Hu | my review
Eyeliner: A Cultural History by Zahra Hankir | my review
The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles by Gary Krist | my review - about the early days of Hollywood (in part)
The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris | my review - about the dawn of plastic surgery
About Face: The Life and Times of Dottie Ponedel, Make-up Artist to the Stars by Dorothy Ponedel and Meredith Ponedel - not particularly well-written but topical
The Red Menace: How Lipstick Changed the Face of American History by Ilise Carter - this one's on my TBR shelf, but seems relevant

My statistics:
Book 257 for 2024
Book 1860 cumulatively

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Not much of a makeup wearer myself, I wasn’t sure id be super excited about this, but I was pleasantly surprised! Arden was a very influential woman, an entrepreneur when women weren’t supposed to be, and so very creative with both her makeup and her branding!

I loved that the author, Stacy Cordery, includes references to Monmouth IL, where she previously taught. There are also many references to Lexington KY and horse racing. Both of these places are dear to my heart!

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painful read on what could have been an interesting subject. Needed a really good editor.

[Susie Rearick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her rise to fame was interesting, but then it read more like a dissertation.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Stacy A. Cordery writes a prevailing biography of Elizabeth Arden, born Florence Nightingale Graham in Canada. Arden opened her first salon in 1910 with Elizabeth Hubbard. She would soon go out on her own and create an experience for women that was never done before. When Arden started her business, makeup was for prostitutes, not your average housewife. She changed that and became the first international woman CEO of her own company. Her company became known for the Red Door and quality products. Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics is still sold today 58 years after she passed away.

The book was interesting, but at times, it got bogged down. I learned quite a bit. Arden was the creator of many products we still use today. She held onto her company, running it the way she wanted to, until her death in 1966. Arden was a trendsetter and survived the great depression, as well as other things, by being innovative. Not only an accomplished businesswoman, she was also an accomplished horse woman. Her horses won a lot of money. She was considered eccentric for the way she treated her horses. Overall, it's a good, interesting read.

I won Becoming Elizabeth Arden through a Goodreads Giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊Happy Reading 😊

#Goodreads #Goodreadsgiveaway #PenguinRandomHouse #StacyACordery #BecomingElizabethArden #Readaway2024

[Amelia.S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacy A. Cordery’s Becoming Elizabeth Arden is a sweeping, impeccably researched biography of one of the most visionary entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Far more than a tale of cosmetics and glamour, it’s a story of grit, reinvention, and ambition that defied every expectation placed on women of her time.

Born Florence Nightingale Graham, Elizabeth Arden rose from modest beginnings to create an international beauty empire before women even had the right to vote. Cordery captures her transformation with cinematic clarity charting how she turned face cream and lipstick into symbols of empowerment, and how she redefined beauty not as vanity, but as confidence and self expression.

What elevates this biography is Cordery’s balance between admiration and candor. She presents Arden not as an untouchable icon, but as a woman of fierce intelligence and complex contradictions: visionary yet demanding, glamorous yet guarded. Through economic depressions, world wars, and the shifting cultural standards of femininity, Arden remained an innovator who shaped not just faces, but the modern identity of women in business.

Becoming Elizabeth Arden is an inspiring and thought-provoking portrait of a woman who didn’t just follow trends she built the world that made them possible.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredible woman! The book is a little long and yet it was fun to take a ride through the decades from 1930 to current times, learning about the influence Arden had on our American culture. The book chronicles the changes in American women as they become more independent, especially after WWII. While I don’t use many cosmetics, I appreciate Arden’s contributions to women’s health and confidence by advocating for exercise and beauty. I didn’t realize she also sold beautiful clothes through her salons dressing First Ladies and celebrities. She maintained stables of incredible horses and donated generously to many charities. I didn’t realize she launched many careers including Oscar de la Renta. I’m in awe.

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at our local library imaging that it might have something to say about America's obsession with female beauty—and it did, but not what I hoped. Written and researched well but I came away wishing that the writer had told us a bit more about the person behind the personae. Maybe there wasn't enough to tell? Arden did some philanthropic work and seemed to care about women. (And I know it's not fair to withhold stars when a book doesn't meet my hopes/expectations.) In the end, I found myself skipping through the chapters. Not enough substance for me, a meaning junkie.

[Chloe Slome · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book and I learned so much. I didn’t know much about Elizabeth Arden but was intrigued by the title of the book and was amazed by how much she had transformed the beauty business. Her intricate attention to detail and ability to trend set was amazing. The book was quite dense but very interesting.

[Jill Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting read

Interesting bio on a women who was very much ahead of her time. Lots of details on all her accomplishments but little on her private life. This bio is very factual and is missing more details.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

FASINATING LIFE. A woman before her time in many ways. Learned a lot.

[Amy Preske Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed, and dry at times. Elizabeth Arden was a true trailblazer and I have tremendous respect for her. Would give 3.5 if possible.

[Carter Overton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa !! A detailed book on her life and brand.

[Oconnor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed analysis with rich index. Interesting, could be a phd thesis.