Elizabeth Arden, Inc.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cosmetics, skin care, fragrance |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Elizabeth Arden |
| Headquarters | Pembroke Pines, Florida , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Debra Perelman (CEO) |
| Products | Makeup collections, skincare products, fragrances |
| Parent | Revlon, Inc. |
Elizabeth Arden, Inc. stands as a prominent American corporation specializing in cosmetics, skin care, and fragrance, originally established by Elizabeth Arden. Since September 7, 2016, it has functioned as a fully owned subsidiary of Revlon, Inc..
History
The business began in 1910 as the Red Door salon located on Fifth Avenue. In 1971, it was acquired by Eli Lilly and Company for $38 million. Eli Lilly later sold the company to Fabergé in 1987 for $657 million. In 2003, New York-based FFI purchased Elizabeth Arden from Unilever for $225 million and rebranded it as Elizabeth Arden, Inc., which was subsequently listed on NASDAQ under the ticker RDEN. The company’s headquarters are situated in Pembroke Pines, Florida, close to Miami. It continues to provide coordinated makeup collections alongside a broad selection of skincare products.
Throughout its history, the brand has been represented by notable ambassadors such as Vendela Kirsebom during the 1980s, Amber Valletta in the mid-1990s, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Leadership included Peter W. England as CEO until January 2000, who played a key role in returning the company to profitability. He was succeeded by E. Scott Beattie, with Debra Perelman taking over as CEO in May 2018. In December 2014, Karlina Caune was introduced as the new face of the brand.
Following Elizabeth Arden’s establishment, the fragrance lineup expanded with iconic scents including "Red Door"—named after the original spa salons—alongside "Fifth Avenue," "Green Tea," "Provocative Woman," "Mediterranean," "Pretty," "Red Door Aura," and "Untold." The company also holds licensing rights for celebrity fragrances from stars like Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Elizabeth Taylor, Mariah Carey, Juicy Couture’s "Viva la Juicy" collection, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift.
In July 2012, Elizabeth Arden initiated the pioneering Pinterest-driven campaign "Pin to give it," designed to empower women undergoing cancer treatment by providing makeup that enhances self-confidence. This effort supports the ongoing "Look Good Feel Better" program aimed at helping patients cope with appearance-related side effects during cancer therapies.
Sale to Revlon
In June 2016, American cosmetics firm Revlon revealed plans to acquire Elizabeth Arden Inc. for $870 million (approximately £611 million), intending to form a combined enterprise with projected annual gross revenues of $3 billion. The transaction comprised $419 million in equity value with the balance funded through debt financing and included a premium of 50% over Elizabeth Arden’s closing stock price at that time.
The acquisition finalized on September 7, 2016. Post-merger, E. Scott Beattie—former chairman, president, and CEO of Elizabeth Arden—joined Revlon’s board as non-executive vice chairman and acted as senior advisor to Revlon CEO Fabian Garcia. On November 3, 2016, Beattie was officially appointed to Revlon's board in this advisory role.
On June 16, 2022, Revlon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which affected its ownership stake in Elizabeth Arden.