Elizabeth Arden: Beauty Queen

Elizabeth Arden was living proof of Henry David Thoreau's adage: "dreams are the touchstones of our characters." Arden had big dreams and made them all come true. She was born into poverty--her mother insulated her shoes with newspapers--and grew up determined to become rich. As one of the pioneers of a newly emerging cosmetics industry, Arden established salons in New York, London and Paris, developing her own skin care products and managing the rapid growth of her business. Mercurial, volcanic, with a great eye for beauty and an uncanny ability to create highly sought-after cosmetics, Arden achieved her dreams. The workaholic only found respite in horse racing and her beloved thoroughbreds. Arden's story is very much in the Horatio Alger mode, moving from poverty to immense wealth, based on vision, determination, perseverance, tenacity and hard work. [1,324-word Titans of Fortune article]