Brands We Love: Revlon -

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My all-time favourite nail polishes are from Revlon. The wide colour range and lasting effect (better than Chanel, in my opinion) puts them among my top choices, but I must confess there is also an emotional attachment with the brand because it had Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer as the stars of the campaigns when I was a teenager. Since it was the supermodel era and I was a fan…

After some complicated period of slower sales, lacklustre ads and not so much innovation, the brand started to regain space after bringing Gucci Westman to act as creative director (she stayed for seven years, until 2015) and Halle Berry, Olivia Wilde and Emma Stone to be ambassadors. The colourful and sexy ads, plus a good improvement in the product offer made me put Revlon on my wish list again.

Getting back to nail polishes, did you know that they were a market breakthrough? When it was founded, by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson, along with chemist Charles Lachman, they presented a breakthrough formula, using pigments instead of paints. It was an instant hit and even during the Great Depression (it was introduced in 1932), they built an empire. During the II World War, Revlon created lipsticks and other makeup items for the military forces, helping women in the workforce to keep small beauty routines and a healthy self-esteem.

In 1973, another milestone: the launching of Charlie, the fragrance targeted at young professional women that skyrocketed sales (a growth of $100 million in just one year!). At the same time, Lauren Hutton signed a $400.000 contract (a fortune back then) to star in the Ultima line campaigns. It was so publicized that Newsweek put her on the cover!

From the 1980s, Revlon faced increased competition with brands ranging from Cover Girl to Estee Lauder. However, it kept a place inside millions of make-up bags thanks to the cost-effective classics such as “Cherries in the Snow” and “Revlon Red” lipsticks and polishes (the company came with the idea of offering the same colour in different items), the Color Stay range, Just Bitten lip balm and Photo Ready foundation. It’s hard to not have at least one amongst your favourites!

My Favourites