The Northern Hemisphere may still be shrouded in the gloom of winter, but makeup companies are doing their best to color the world with a burst of launches for Spring. Leading the way in mass is Revlon.

“Illumination on the skin is a new trend,” said Annette Falso, head of product development, Revlon Brands, and with the company’s new launches for the first half of 2010, “It’s all about pops of color.” Revlon, whose brands include Revlon, Almay, Ultima II, Mitchum, Charlie, and Flex, presented the newest launches across three of its brands, Revlon, Almay and Mitchum, at a breakfastheld last month at its New York headquarters.

The company, which was founded in 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the “L” in the Revlon name, began with a single product, a nail enamel based on pigments instead of dyes, that produced an opaque nail enamel in a variety of shades never before available. That nail enamel was a springboard for the company, which in six years had become a multi-million dollar organization. A continuing emphasis on technology is evident in the latest iterations of the new products debuted.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick.

Revlon Color for Lips, Cheeks and Eyes

Falso began with an introduction of the new Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick, featuring Elasticolor technology that hugs the lips with color, allowing the color to move with your lips. ColorBurst is light in texture and contains film-forming polymers for longer wear and skin conditioning. The lipsticks feature moisturizers and antioxidants, including Sweet Almond Oil, and are available in 24 shades. Prestige packaging, including a premium bullet case and embossed Revlon logo on the bullet, complete the presentation.

“It’s a prestige lipstick case in the mass arena,” said Falso. Gucci Westman, renowned makeup artist and Revlon’s global artistic director, selected the range of shades and Jessica Alba is the face of the line. Each lipstick retails for $8.99 and is currently available on counter.

Revlon PhotoReady Makeup, with photochromatic pigments that bend, reflect and diffuse light to erase flaws, provides a poreless appearance in a variety of lighting conditions, from indoor fluorescent lighting and full outdoor sunlight, as well as harsh lights and high-definition camera lenses.

Annette Falso, head of product development, Revlon.

Photochromatic beads, which encapsulate the oil-free formula, plus pump applicator delivery, and SPF 20 combine to complete the presentation and create an airbrushed appearance on the skin. The product retails for $13.99 and is available in a range of shades from Ivory and Cool Beige, to Rich Caramel, Cappucino and Mocha.

There is also PhotoReady Powder, to reduce shine and even skin tone. It is available in three shades, Fair/Light, Light/Medium, and Medium/Deep, and is designed to reduce shine, reflect and diffuse light to help erase imperfections in the skin, and provide SPF 14, all for $12.99. Halle Berry is the face of the Revlon PhotoReady Powder campaign.
PhotoReady Translucent Finisher, a finishing powder designed to provide undetectable coverage, features a jet-milled micro-fine, lightweight, creamy pressed powder formula, and like its counterpart, PhotoReady Powder, adds a luminous, airbrushed finish to makeup. It retails for $12.99.

Special refined ester-processed pigments give Revlon’s new Luxurious Color Eye Shadows an even color and a light, suede-like texture. They are available in Satin and Perle finishes, in single pans of shadow. The five Satin finishes are Polished Bronze, Shimmering Sienna, Nude Slip, Peacock Lustre, and Platinum Glitter; and five Perle Finishes, for a sparkling crystallized look, include Glistening Snow, Brushed Copper, Black Galaxy, Violet Starlet, and Sunlit Sparkle. Each retails for $4.99. Actress Jessica Biel is the face of this product’s advertising campaign.

To be worn alone, or under makeup, the new Age Defying Spa Face Illuminator, part of the Revlon Illuminate Collection, highlights and accentuates the skin, with or without foundation. Packaged in a tube, with a SoftLuxe brush applicator, the Illuminator is available in Bare Light, Pink Light, Gold Light and Bronze Light, and retails for $13.99.

There are also new Illuminance Crème Shadows in two shade selection palettes, Black Magic, with White Matte, Pink Matte, Silver Pearl, and Black Pearl; and an Electric Pop palette, with Indigo Matte, Lime Matte, Opal Pearl, and Turquoise Pearl. Each color provides all-day wear and may be layered and blended for a variety of looks. Retail price is $6.50. In addition, Revlon Says Illuminate, with Color Eyeliners to accentuate eyes, features deep color pigments, intense color lay down, and velvety application. A soft smudger on one side of the applicator allows for a range of looks. Shades are Electric Blue and Sparkling Silver, retailing for $9.99. There are also Color Eye Shadows in a refined pigment formula and perle finish, for color purity, in fashion forward shades of Lilac Shimmer and Sparkling Gold, retailing for $4.99.

Almay's new Intense I-Color Collection for Brown Eyes.

Mineral Lipglaze, utilizing patent-pending Revlon ColorStay technology, gives creamy shine and up to eight hours of wear with one step application. Available shades include Endless Lilac, Perennial Pink, Timeless Nude and Continuous Coral, for $8.99. To conclude Revlon’s color launches, the company introduced Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer, the company’s first undereye moisturizing concealer. With a proprietary Botafirm technology to help minimize the appearance of fine lines, firm the eye area, and reduce puffiness, the formula offers a blend of hexapeptide and botanicals. The shades, Light, Light-Medium, Medium and Deep, provide SPF 25, and retail for $9.99.

Almay Eye: Intense I-Color

New Almay launches feature reflecting pearl technology for special effects. Intense i-Color Mascara, with Light Interplay Technology, was formulated to brighten eyes and intensify eye color. The applicator features an oversized brush with a tapered tip, to create full lashes, and is available in shades including Black Flash, for brown eyes, Black Steel, for blue eyes, Black Emerald, for hazel eyes, and Chocolate Quartz, for green eyes. They are hypoallergenic and ophthalmologist tested, and retail for $7.49.

Also from Almay is Intense i-Color Eyeliner. It, too, is formulated with Light Interplay Technology to provide a rich, Kohl formula, with light reflecting pearls to add definition to the eyes, and features a built-in smudger to enhance customized looks. Shades include Midnight Black, for brown eyes, Royal Slate, for blue eyes, Deep Jade, for hazel eyes, and Rich Mocha, for green eyes. Each retails for $7.49.

Intense i-Color Eye Shadow from Almay, available in shade trios for brown eyes, blue eyes, hazel, and green eyes, features light reflecting ingredients, blendable shadows, and a unique illuminator, which can be worn alone or over other shades to bring out flecks in the eyes. Each trio retails for $7.49.

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Makeup

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Makeup

The first Almay makeup to feature Smart Shade Technology, this product contains shade sensing beads that transform from white to match your skin tone. The formulation contains a blend of peptides, to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as Rice Protein, Sweet Almond extract and Seaweed extract, to leave skin firm and hydrated, and Pea extract, for skin tone evening and lightening. It is available in a creamy liquid makeup, with medium coverage and soft satin finish, and comes in shades ranging from Light, and Light/Medium to Medium. Each retails for $13.99.

Smart Solid from Mitchum

The Mitchum brand, known for its heritage in product strength and protection, introduced Smart Solid Clinical Performance, a prescription-strength antiperspirant and deodorant, with a water-based formula that absorbs quickly and leaves no messy white residue. The product features Odorguard Technology to eliminate odor caused by bacteria, is available in a stick form, contains a high level of active ingredients for wetness protection, and contains skin conditioning ingredients.

There are six products in the line, three for men and three for women, including Marine, Greenwood, and Unscented, for Men; and Powder, Papaya and Rose Petal, for women. Each retails for $4.99, and is available at mass and drug retailers nationwide.

Tools of the Trade

Revlon also launched three new personal care accessories, including the Pedi-Expert Shower Kit, an all-on-one pedicure kit designed for use in the shower. The kit includes foot file, cuticle pusher and nail cleaner and nail brush; contoured stone to remove dead skin, and a soft brush to clean and exfoliate. All implements fit neatly into an ergonomic case, with non-slip rubber grips, and retails for $9.99.

In addition, Revlon offered the File-n-Smooth Nail File, for smooth, even edges, which is designed for back and forth filing, $3.99; and its new Precision Tweezer, in a protective pouch, $12.99.

Revlon, in addition to being a leading cosmetic company, also promotes women’s health through a variety of philanthropic initiatives, including the EIF (Entertainment Industry Foundation) Revlon Run/Walk for Women, for cancer research, as well as a number of medical research and educational programs.

Additional information about Revlon’s products may be found at: www.revlon.com, www.almay.com, www.revlonbeautytools.com, www.revloncolorist.com, www.revloncustomeffects.com, and www.mitchumman.com. Corporate information may be accessed at: www.revloninc.com.