The Great Depression was a dark and difficult time period in the history of the United States. Unemployment, poverty, and other difficulties swept the nation as an economic struggle defined the 1930’s and threatened to permanently weaken the country. That is, until a post-World War II surge ‘righted the ship,’ so to speak. However, not everything to come out of this era was a negative. There were some who saw opportunity amidst the struggles. One man’s ambition and innovation came about this time and changed an industry forever. That industry was cosmetics, that man was Charles Revson, and his company was and remains Revlon. Welcome to our Revlon company and products review!

History And Origins Of Revlon

A manufacturer of cosmetics, skin care treatments, fragrances, and other personal care products, Revlon is now one of the most powerful companies in its market. Whereas some companies failed to launch or needed to work through trial-and-error in order to find success, Revlon found almost instant success thanks to its founder, Charles Revson. A salesman by trade, Revson learned about cosmetics after briefly working with the Elka Company selling nail polish in the early 1930’s.

While learning about different kinds of nail polishes, Revson discovered a way to not only enhance, but revolutionize the product. Revson used pigments instead of dyes to develop a variety of shades of nail polish that were never achievable before. Non-compete agreements were seemingly not a ‘thing’ in those days as upon this discovery.  Charles Revson and his brother, Joseph, along with a chemist named Charles Lachman, started their own nail polish company.

Lachman’s involvement in Revlon, as well as its success, cannot be overstated. In addition to providing the inspiration for the “L” in the company name, Lachman’s wife’s family owned the Dresden Chemical Company. Dresden would become the initial manufacturer for Revlon. This enabled the company to get up and running despite limited capital and while operating within a difficult, depression-stifled market.

Revlon hit the ground running and instantly began winning the loyalty of consumers, and it’s no great secret as to why. If you’re ahead of the curve, people are going to notice, and Revlon was most certainly ahead of the curve. With its pigmented nail polishes, Revlon was able to change the way that people approached nail polish. Most polishes up until this point in time were transparent, as opposed to those produced by Elka which were opaque.

Building on this opaque formula by producing new and exciting shades and colors, Revlon was providing consumers with polishes that could not only cover up the entire nail and its imperfections, but do so in an exciting way. Charles Revson was not only a forward-thinker in terms of nail polish production, but in marketing as well.

Revson stirred interest in his products by treating his nail polish releases as fashion releases (Revson introduced new shades in the Spring and Autumn). This strategy worked by building anticipation and indirectly labelling his newer shades as ‘fashion forward.’

Revlon experienced rapid growth and success, becoming a multimillion-dollar company just six years after opening its doors. In the 1940’s, Revlon introduced a manicure line, as well as a selection of lipsticks. Successful sales tactics helped the company build on its successes as well.

Revlon was one of the first companies to utilize demonstrators in and around its department store booths. Demonstrators could encourage customers to witness and experience Revlon products and their effects. This not only won over customers, it gave Revlon boots on the ground who could report real-time feedback to executives over the phone regarding customer response and purchasing.

It took time for Revlon to establish dominance in non-nail related products, but it eventually did. By 1960, Revlon was the market leader in hairspray, lipstick, and makeup products in addition to nail products (having overcome Estee Lauder, Nivea, Avon, and Neutrogena).

One problem with this continued growth was that mass production and distribution clashed with Charles Revson’s vision of Revlon as a luxury products provider. Revson attempted to counteract this by establishing a number of different Revlon brands with varying points of appeal, including: Revlon, Moon Drops, Ultima II, Natural Wonder, Ethera, Fine Fragrances, Charlie, and Princess Marcella Borghese.

Following the passing of Charles Revson in 1975, Revlon began to operate more like a corporation. Because of this, aside from product releases and brand acquisitions, there have not been many significant Revlon-related developments in recent memory. In the 1980’s, Revlon began to lose significant ground to Estee Lauder, and in 1985 Revlon was bought out for $2.7 billion by Pantry Pride.

Although Revlon has and continues to produce excellent personal care products to this day, it has been unable to maintain its standing as the number one cosmetics and/or personal care products company. Still, the legacy of Revlon is secure – it changed nail polish and cosmetics forever. Thanks to an ever-growing family of products, Revlon continues to offer excellent personal care solutions. We’ll be reviewing their top products below to let you know how to rev up the Revlon in your life!

Revlon Products Overview

This isn’t your grandma’s Revlon anymore!

This isn’t your grandma’s Revlon anymore! Oh no, Revlon does a whole lot more than make nail polish now, although it does still produce a world-class line of nail cosmetics. Having branched out gradually into a full line of cosmetics and personal care products, it’s hard to decide where to start when attempting to outline this incredible product catalogue. Revlon’s own website breaks down the categories as follows:

• Mascara: Ultimate All-In-One Mascara, Dramatic Definition Mascara, Super Length Mascara, Ultra Volume Mascara, Magnified Mascara.
• Revlon Eyeshadow: A collection of eye essentials designed for up to 24-hours of wear. Includes eyeshadow, lip color, nail enamel, concealer, liner, makeup, and more.
• Lips: Lip Color, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Care, Ultra HD, Super Lustrous, Colorstay.
• Eyes: Mascara, Eye Shadow, Eyeliner, Brow Color, Revlon Mascara Collection, Colorstay, Photoready.
• Face: Foundation Makeup, Powder, Makeup Primer, Concealer, Blush, Highlighting, BB and CC Cream, Colorstay, Photoready.
• Nails: Nail Color, Nail Care, Colorstay, Revlon Nail Enamel.
• Hair Color: Effects, Permanent Cream Haircolor, Permanent Liquid Haircolor, Highlights.
• Fragrance: Eau De Toilette.
• Beauty Tools: Gold Series, Men’s Series, Love Collection by Leah Goren, Diamond Collection, Tweezers, Lash and Brow, Manicure, Pedicure, Kits, Skin, Mirrors.
• Hair Accessories: Hair Dryers, Curling Irons, Flat Irons, Specialty, Brushes/Combs, Accessories, Cosmetics.

As you can see, Revlon has a lot of care for personal care. As always, we will be breaking down a selection of the very best of what Revlon has to offer! Please note, however, that Revlon is an enormous company and as such its products, formulas, and plans change all the time! You can’t count on your favorite products being available day after day and year after year. What you can count on, however, is patented Revlon quality in all of their products. That much we can just about guarantee!

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation Makeup Review

Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation Makeup.

What better product to kick things off than the #1 foundation in America? Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Foundation is the most effective, flawless foundation that you’re going to find on the market today. That’s why it has become the most successful foundation in the USA, eclipsing all other brand foundations in sales as of 2016. Now featuring a mess-free pump system and SPF protection, Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation provides long-lasting coverage that is lightweight, comfortable, safe, and effective.

Made specifically for combination or layering, as well as for oily skin in order to control oil and shine, Revlon’s revolutionary product re-writes the book on the ideal foundation. Many who suffer from oily skin turn to unsafe foundations that can actually serve to exacerbate existing skin conditions, but not Revlon Colorstay.

Revlon’s safe formula offers risk-free coverage that can be layered and worn comfortably and effectively over long periods of time. Available in 35 different shades, Colorstay Foundation has an extensive palette that can suit the needs of any person’s skin – so give it a try and see what you’ve been missing!

Revlon Colorsilk Haircolor Review

Revlon hasn’t just managed to revolutionize nail polish throughout its illustrious history. Hair coloring has also been a beneficiary of the Revlon touch, and this is particularly felt in Revlon Colorsilk Haircolor. A long-lasting hair coloring treatment, Revlon Colorsilk Haircolor utilizes Revlon’s patented 3D Color Technology in order to deliver natural looking color that adds definition and dimensionality. What this means is, both lowlights and highlights result from the treatment, creating a more natural-looking finished product.

Thanks to an ammonia-free formula, Revlon Colorsilk has a mild odor despite its strong effect. Colorsilk also offers 100% gray coverage and includes UV defense in order to keep your treated hair looking vibrant, natural, and colorful. Revlon Colorsilk Haircolor is available in over 40 different colors, meaning no matter your hair color choices or preferences, there will always be something available to match your tones or offer a fresh look.

Why do more women chose #ColorSilk? Watch and find out. #RevlonHair pic.twitter.com/APyHVxSJPD

— Revlon (@revlon) October 16, 2016

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Review

Super lustrous lipstick.

If there’s one product that’s nearly as iconic as Revlon nail polish, it is Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick. It has been a mainstay in women’s cosmetics for seven decades. The Super Lustrous embodies the very best qualities of the Revlon brand: quality, diversity, long lastingness, and forward thinking.

Made with Revlon’s unique LiquiSilk™ formula, Super Lustrous lipsticks seal in color and softness by retaining moisture. This makes for a lipstick that looks as good late in the day as it does when first applied!

Available in 4 different finishes (crème, matte, pearl, and sheer) and 82 different shades, Super Lustrous hits on just about every end of the lipstick color spectrum and in a big, bold way. Super Lustrous offers everything from classic reds to daring purples. Regardless of your taste, you won’t have trouble finding something that you like! Super Lustrous makes a useful addition to any beauty or cosmetics arsenal, and we mean it when we say any!

Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer Review

Covering up the imperfections of skin is a relatively straightforward process, not unlike the application of a simple band-aid. It’s not tough to cover something up with something else. What takes real precision, attention to detail, and care is the process of correcting those imperfections.

Revlon’s PhotoReady Perfecting Primer has these qualities in spades. Revlon delivers a smooth and soft effect that is capable of reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines. Skin tone inconsistencies can even be corrected by PhotoReady, which does exactly what its name describes. It gets you and your skin into photo-ready condition, and fast!

Revlon has a unique approach in crafting its primer, part of what makes it such an effective product. Revlon exploits photochromatic pigments which bend, reflect, and diffuse light to minimize flaws in your skin. This will leave you looking and feeling fresh and smooth.

By matching the texture and coloring of the skin, Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer leaves you in a perfect state for the application of foundation and other cosmetics. The formula is lightweight, comfortable, and easy-to-apply to boot – this is a win-win-win product!

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara Review

Now this is going to be a bittersweet review if you ever did see one! Bear with us and you’ll understand why. Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara is one of the very best mascaras you’re going to find. The secret is in the formula.

Using lash-enhancing and length-promoting ingredients, Revlon Grow Luscious has the ability to promote natural lash growth. Not only does this result in an instant aesthetic boost, but by using Grow Luscious in the long-term you will grow stronger, healthier, and longer lashes!

So, why is this a bittersweet review? Well, Grow Luscious has been sadly discontinued by Revlon! One of the worst things about shopping for cosmetics in general is discovering that a trusty, reliable product will never be available again (or won’t be available for long). This realization hit home hard for Grow Luscious enthusiasts.

Thankfully, Revlon has introduced a new five-piece collection in what represents something of an overhaul of the Revlon mascara line. This set breaks down into definition, volume, length, volume + length, and all-in-one mascara – they aren’t Grow Luscious, but they sure are great! We recommend the “all-in-one” mascara for an effect that most closely mirrors Grow Luscious.

Revlon Nail Enamel Review

Last but most certainly not least we have Revlon Nail Enamel – the one that started it all. It’s hard to imagine that Charles Revson expected the growth of this titan of a company from his original idea – to create a new, more effective nail polish – but boy are we thankful that it has. Still, despite the passage of time and all of the changes, new categories, and developments, Revlon hasn’t forgotten its roots. Their nail enamel is still second to none, and now utilizes chip-resistant technology and an enhanced formula for flawless application.

Conclusion

With 72 shades to choose from (as of now – Revlon announces new releases all the time), there’s always going to be something to choose from for Revlon’s loyal consumers. Revlon’s new ShadeLock technology ensures a greater hold than ever – you’ll be enjoying a flawless nail look long after applying your Revlon enamel. It’s not often that you find a product in any industry that has virtually no flaws – let alone the cosmetics industry, but this may just be the one. Trust Revlon for all of your nail needs and you won’t be sorry!