War Paint; Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry

War Paint; Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry

by Lindy Woodhead (Author)

Synopsis

War Paint is the story of two remarkable women - Miss Elizabeth Arden and Madame Helena Rubinstein. Between them they left an extraordinary legacy which touches the lives of virtually all women today: the creation of the modern cosmetics and beauty industry. War Paint will trace the humble beginnings of both Arden and Rubinstein and examine the forces and influences that drove them. The book will also look at the period in which they lived, without which their phenomenal achievement cannot be truly appreciated. The similarities between the two are intriguing: dedicated to beauty, neither were great beauties themselves. They were both diminutive in size, if not in the size of their ego. They were both born into genteel poverty and were motivated by money and the creation of their businesses, to the exclusion of almost everything else. They were both avid social climbers and desperately thrifty. They also hated each other. This is the story of an industry, of a social movement and of a great rivalry. Gripping, glamorous and totally absorbing, this is social history at its best.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 512
Edition: New e.
Publisher: Virago
Published: 10 May 2004

ISBN 10: 1844080498
ISBN 13: 9781844080496

Media Reviews
'Lindy Woodhead's riveting and thoroughly researched biography of Rubinstein and Arden, is a work of chutzpah in its own right ... the definitive biography of women and their relationships to their faces in the twentieth century' GUARDIAN 'Lindy Woodhead, who has a nice line in neatly turned phrases and in well-aimed sideswipes herself, has written about these two slap- dragons with humorous sensitivity and sympathy' LITERARY REVIEW 'what a relief it is to read so detailed, well researched and competent a book... Woodhead knows her stuff and takes it seriously' Sunday Times 'One of Woodhead's strengths is that she takes the beauty business very seriously' (Evening Standard) 'Glamorous Battleaxes make good copy. Feuding ones are better still. Given a title like WAR PAINT ... one is all set for a tale of glamour-dripping
Author Bio
Lindy Woodhead has worked in fashion PR for more than thirty years. She worked in the music business before establishing her own PR agency in 1974. She has been on the board of Harvey Nichols and worked in television and advertising. She is married and lives in London.