The cosmetics equivalent of Julie & Julia. This is a fun and easily readable history-memoir and I thought Johnson did a good job switching between the two perspectives.

I never knew the story behind "The Red Door" or even the life that Liz Arden led. I just assumed she was born wealthy and eventually ran one of the most successful beauty enterprise. How very wrong I was! It was such a pleasure reading this book. This should be a recommended read to young people; the author's grit and passion is utterly inspiring.

The incredible story of Elizabeth Arden, combined with a modern-day memoir that further displays the brand's impact over 100 years later.

Behind the Red door tells the extraordinary story of Elizabeth Arden, born Florence Nightingale Graham, and her journey to revolutionizing both the Health and Beauty industry and women's rights (and capabilities!). We follow Arden's journey to overcoming the limitations placed on women to not only create *a* business, but a revolutionary brand that would empower *other* women with it's presence.

Behind the Red door is not exclusively Arden's story, as the author also shares her journey, and the impact Arden has had on it. While I felt the story of Arden was fascinating enough to standalone, hearing Johnson's story helped to express the long-standing impact Elizabeth Arden has had.

To put it simply, I think this book should be a mandatory read for female business owners, or aspiring business owners, or anyone looking for inspiration to achieve ANYTHING against the odds.

Florence Nightingale Graham, more widely known as Elizabeth Arden, enjoyed a very successful career that included basically creating the modern beauty business. This book makes it obvious that it was her passion and that following it led to an adventurous but very lonely life.
Louise Claire Johnson, through a combination of hard work and luck, got to have a dream career in the beauty industry all before her mid-20s. She started interning at Elizabeth Arden at 18 and went on to hold impressive positions not just in New York, but in the company's European headquarters. She left it all behind to get a Master's degree in journalism when she realized that she was working hard towards a life that didn't leave her feeling fulfilled. She shares from the get-go that she felt a connection to Elizabeth that went beyond being Canadian and helped inspire her to work hard in order to achieve success at Arden.
The problem here is that I found Johnson's writing to be reminiscent of a college textbook, it made me want to do anything but read it as soon as I started. I continually found tidbits about Arden's life fascinating and Jonhson's struggles with balancing career and life intriguing, but the way they were presented put me to sleep. It's good writing, just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gatekeeper Press for the informative read!

I honestly knew nothing about Arden or much about the company or the products, but I adore reading memoirs of accomplished women so I was delighted to receive this ARC.

This book was well-written, heartfelt, and kind of felt like sitting down with a friend and discussing life. I found it informative, but not in a dull way. I learned a lot and enjoyed reading it.

Growing up I always remember my elegant mother having a bottle of Red Doorbon her vanity. She passed away several years ago but I can recall that perfume...the look of the bottle, the smell of it, and how it suited her so well. I was interested in reading this book for nostalgic reasons and it did not disappoint. I found it informative and engaging and loved learning so much more about Elizabeth Arden growing up on farm here in Canada and the story that led her to becoming a household name through her global beauty empire. I really liked how the author's own story of interning at Elizabeth Arden in 2008 is interwoven with Ms. Arden's story. We'll done!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC of Behind the Red Door in exchange for an honest review

I need to admit that prior to this reading I didn't have much knowledge about who Arden was and what she did, but this book surely made it feel like she was right there next to me while I read. Very compelling writing and the pace is great.

3.5/5.0

I received this arc for an honest review.

The author reveals her own story as she tells the tales of Elizebeth Arden and how she came to be the top women’s cosmetic line for years. How she had to fight off a takeover from men who had nothing to do with her company. The struggles and they were very much struggles for a woman to succeed in any business even to secure a loan back in the early nineteen hundreds and beyond really. She did it all. She of course had a few that were with her from the beginning which is spoken about, but this is really a story about a woman who had a vision and worked every day even after she was at the top to stay there. I found this book to be really a history book not only about a woman but also about a time where women were not even able or expected to work outside of the home let alone own a business. How women could not even get loans was surprising even though it should not have been for my grandmother who graduated from college before women could vote and was given a certificate, not a diploma. The woman story who wrote the book was just as interesting as well and she made a nice break at times telling her story with Miss Arden’s. A very good book.

Behind the Red Door: How Elizabeth Arden’s Legacy Inspired My Coming-of-Age Story in the Beauty Industry by Louise Claire Johnson is a very interesting and informative read. Well written and researched. I especially liked the alternating Liz and Lou vignettes. Great read for anyone interested in the beauty industry. #behindthereddoor #NetGalley

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written. This book tells about the struggles that Elizabeth Arden (Florence Nightingale) went through. It is a very interesting book. I can't wait to read more books about her. This author did a great job writing this book. It is in stores for $30.00 (USD). The pacing is good. It talks about different places.

Before Estee Lauder and Mary Kay Ashe, there was Merle Norman. And before Merle Norman, there was Elizabeth Arden, the grande dame of American cosmetics. Behind the Red Door is the story of Florence Nightingale Grahame, a Canadian farm girl, who created one of the greatest cosmetic companies the world has ever seen. It's also the memoir of Louise Claire Johnson, another Canadian girl, who landed an internship at Elizabeth Arden and parlayed that internship into a great career.

Among many other firsts, Elizabeth Arden was the first to bring high end cosmetic products to middle class women. She also made the salon experience possible to those women. Her famous Red Door Salons withstood the test of time, with the last one closing only due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Behind the Red Door Is a fascinating portrayal of this multi-faceted woman. I would highly recommend it to biography fans and to those readers interested in the history of cosmetics and the beauty industry.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free copy of this book to review from Net Galley.

#BehindtheRedDoor#NetGalley

I love cosmetics and history.
I can still smell my mothers perfume Red Door.
Elizabeth Arden is a women of refinement. The history of her company is so interesting and so important to share with all.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The author - Louise or Lou to friends, is obsessed with Elizabeth Arden. She was the original lady boss in a time when that was completely unacceptable.

Ms. Johnson writes a book that is part biography, part memoir, writing chapters that starts chronologically about Liz's life, then she brings the story forward to her own life and writes about what she went through. The book was an amazing history lesson on Liz's life and what she went through during a time that I cannot imagine being a "modern woman." The guts it took to do some of the things she accomplished is amazing.

Well researched and interesting in depth look into the world of fashion, especially Elizabeth Arden. I received this book as an advanced reader copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic read. Such a well-researched book, and absolutely loved the parallel narratives. Highly recommend for anyone with an interest in the business of beauty/fashion.

My what an inspiring read. It's always amazing to be introduced to ambitious women that are challenging what society has placed before them. That was Elizabeth Arden. Ŕeading her story was so inspiring and i particularly loved how the author tied it with her life as well. It was brilliant
I'm more than sad this book is over but the lessons of Elizabeth Arden lives on and should be celebrated to create a life that's true to YOU.
Thank you Ms.Johnson for this amazing Masterpiece.

Do you know the name Elizabeth Arden? How about Florence Nightingale Graham? Did you know that most of her life Florence Nightingale Graham was known as Eizabeth Arden, successful businesswoman, who ran the cosmetic company by that name. In this book Louise Claire Johnson, a young woman whose dream was once to work in Elizabeth Arden, takes us on a journey through Elizabeth’s life and through her own life while she was involved with the company.
This biography/memoirs is a mix of their lives, their dreams and their failures. They had their dreams and when the dreams had run their course, they found new ones.
It’s an inspirational and informational story.

Take a peek #BehindTheRedDoor …

I really enjoyed reading the history of Elizabeth Arden, it gave me an insight into the plight of women’s suffrage in America as well as the personal triumph of a determined woman. Well actually two, as I enjoyed reading the memoir of the author who was born in the same small community that Arden was some 100 years later. She looked to Elizabeth as a mentor as she began her journey to hopefully become CEO of Arden.

Their missions took both women all over the world and I felt I knew Geneva too through this book. I liked the style of writing and didn’t want it to end.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

At the start of Behind the Red Door I found the Elizabeth Arden parts fascinating, well researched and I felt the bond the Author had with Elizabeth Arden but I was questioning the relevance of the parts on her life. As the story progressed I found the two story lines became more intwined and I was just as interested in the Authors journey as I was in Elizabeth Ardens.

Elizabeth Arden truly was a truly inspiring woman, to achieve all that she did at the time that she did which would be an impressive achievement today. Empowering and supporting women across the world.

I was given a copy of Behind the Red Door by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

This book is two stories woven together--one of a famous lady everyone has heard of and the other, the author, who hardly anyone has heard of. I learned so much about Elizabeth Arden and although I don't know anything about Lou, I did learn about the millennial generation and what it is to be in your 20s (never again). It is about what one woman did to survive and flourish and how another woman took Elizabeth's lessons and applied them, but in the end, followed her own instincts and is making her own life. The format of the two voices does work extremely well in this book. Read and Learn!