Elizabeth Arden

Summary

Elizabeth Arden Inc. is an American cosmetics- skin care and fragrance company with an extensive portfolio of beauty brands sold in over a hundred and twenty countries. On 7 September 2016, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Revlon Inc.

History

Born Florence Nightingale Graham Elizabeth Arden traveled from Canada to New York where she opened the Red Door salon on Fifth Avenue in 1910. Her fundamental belief was that beauty should not be a veneer of makeup but instead an intelligent cooperation between science and nature in order to develop a woman’s finest natural assets. She lived by her mantra, “To be beautiful is the birthright of every woman.”

In 1912 she traveled to Paris to learn facial massage techniques used in salons and returned with a line of rouge and tinted powder she had created. There was no looking back. In 1912 Elizabeth Arden marched down Fifth Avenue for women’s equality and gave out red lipstick to suffragettes as a symbol of solidarity.  She began expanding international operations in 1915 and opened salons across the world with skincare products that benefited- not masked- skin and envisioned creating cutting-edge products, packaging and services that women desired… be it Eight Hour Cream- Blue Grass fragrance- or the bold red lipstick that complemented the uniform of women in the armed forces during World War II.

Elizabeth Arden’s list of beauty innovations is long. She was the first to introduce eye makeup to the women of America and pioneered the “makeover.” With the launch of Ardena Skin Tonic- the company became the first to incorporate its founder’s name into a product name. Arden developed the first travel-size beauty products and was the first in the cosmetics business to train and send out a team of traveling demonstrators and saleswomen. By the 1930s, she had opened Red Door salons in most fashion capitals.

In her salons and through her campaigns Elizabeth Arden taught women how to apply makeup; she was largely responsible for establishing makeup as appropriate for a ladylike appearance back when lipstick was frowned upon. Elizabeth Arden’s list of beauty innovations is long. She was the first to introduce eye makeup and the makeover to America.. developed the first travel-size beauty products.. and pioneered trained traveling saleswomen.

In 1962 the French government awarded Elizabeth Arden Légion d’Honneur in recognition of her contribution to the cosmetics industry. The luxury beauty brand was acquired by Eli Lilly and Company in 1971 for reported $38 million who in turn sold it to Fabergé in 1987 for reported $657 million. Unilever- which had acquired the company in 1989- sold it to Miami-based FFI Fragrances for reported $225 million in 2003 and the brand name was changed to Elizabeth Arden.

Since Arden’s death the company’s focus shifted to developing its fragrance lines. In June 2016 US cosmetics giant Revlon acquired Elizabeth Arden at $14 per share in cash. The total enterprise value paid for Elizabeth Arden as a result of this transaction would be ~$870 million.

“The combination of two iconic companies creates a multi-brand global beauty enterprise and tremendous opportunity for long-term growth and value creation” Fabian Garcia, President and Chief Executive Officer of the newly-combined company, stated in a company release. “We expect to benefit from greater scale, an expanded global footprint and a significant presence across all major beauty categories and channels. As a combined organization with net sales of approximately $3 billion, this acquisition will help to further accelerate our growth trajectory..”

In 2018 Elizabeth Arden and Reese Witherspoon launched March On– a new philanthropic initiative championing female empowerment. It promises “to celebrate women’s achievements and to encourage women to support other women” as well as pledging a $1 million donation to the global work of UN Women. 100 per cent of the proceeds from a limited-edition lipstick- in the cult brand’s Red Door Red shade and signed by Witherspoon- will go to the organisation.

In recent times Elizabeth Arden limited edition lipstick Pink Punch is continuing the brand legacy to unite and empower women. For Elizabeth Arden ‘March On’ campaign, hundred per cent proceeds from the sales of this lipstick went to UN Women- a nonprofit dedicated to gender equality and empowering women.

This year witnessed the launch of Elizabeth Arden’s immersive virtual store created in partnership with experiential e-commerce platform Obsess. The space is shoppable and allows customers to learn more about the history of the cult beauty brand and its founder. “We are truly operating as an omnichannel business to evolve our customer experience and engage a whole new generation of shoppers about our products and legacy through digital storytelling” Martine Williamson- Global Chief Marketing Officer at Elizabeth Arden- stated in a company release.

Elizabeth Arden recognizes its obligation not only to enhance the lives of its customers but also to improve, protect and preserve the environment. Today Elizabeth Arden and its partners are working to develop a broad vision of sustainability – taking responsible actions in the business and in the communities where they live and work – that will help ensure a better world today and into the future. They continue to support focused socially responsible initiatives while designing, developing and expanding programs to help sustain our environment.

Vision

Luxury beauty brand Estée Lauder is committed to honouring the legacy of its founder Elizabeth Arden by championing intelligent beauty- a fusion of science and nature- to enhance a woman’s natural beauty instead of masking imperfections. With a rich history of innovation and empowerment Estée Lauder strives to create cutting-edge products, packaging and services that women desire. Through new immersive digital experiences and a strong omnichannel presence, Estée Lauder engages a new generation of shoppers while sharing the brand’s story and legacy. The company remains dedicated to social responsibility, supporting sustainable initiatives and making a positive impact on both customers’ lives and the environment.

Mission Statement

To provide a better tomorrow for our customers, employees, neighbours and the world at large. As the company seeks to add beauty to the lives of their consumers, they seek to do the same for the planet shared with them.

Key Team

President and Chief Executive Officer: Debra Perelman

Products and Services

Elizabeth Arden is renowned for its skincare- cosmetics and fragrance. Its skincare range includes serums- ceramide capsules- balms and face oils- moisturisers- toners- cleansers- eye care- body care-  and face masks. The selection of products address loss of firmness- fine lines and wrinkles- dull skin- sun protection and much more. Make-up includes products for the face- eyes and lips. And the selection of fragrances has cult favourites like Red Door- Green Tea- White Tea- Blue Grass- and Fifth Avenue.

References

• LinkedIn account of Elizabeth Arden LinkedIn
• Things You Need To Know About Elizabeth Arden’s Game-Changing Ceramides Vogue
• Elizabeth Arden uses generative AI for new virtual store launch Glossy
• Toward a More Sustainable Future Elizabeth Arden
• Revlon acquires Elizabeth Arden Business Wire
• Revlon to buy Elizabeth Arden for $870m BBC
• How Might The Acquisition Of Elizabeth Arden Help Revlon? Forbes
• Facebook page of Elizabeth Arden Facebook
• Reese Witherspoon on fighting for gender equality with Elizabeth Arden Forbes
• Elizabeth Arden And Reese Witherspoon Reveal March On Campaign Vogue
• Pintrest page of Elizabeth Arden Pintrest
• Elizabeth Arden launches debut virtual store Cosmetics Business
• Wiki page of Elizabeth Arden Wikipedia
• Elizabeth Arden launches virtual store Retail Dive
• Youtube channel of Elizabeth Arden Youtube
• Instagram page of Elizabeth Arden Instagram
• Official website Elizabeth Arden
• Beauty Editor Approved Retinol Capsules Elle
• Elizabeth Arden outlook not looking rosy Forbes
• Elizabeth Arden Inc. Signs Supermodel Karlina Caune As Brand Ambassador Elizabeth Arden