In 1932, the United States was in the middle of an economic crisis. During this time, two brothers named Charles and Joseph Revson had an idea to create nail polish using pigments instead of the normal dyes. They believed this would make the polish last longer and would allow for a larger variety of colours. To come up with their formula, they partnered with a local chemist named Charles Lachman. Using the Revson name, plus an “L” for Lachman, they named their new nail polish company “Revlon.” Within 6 years, the 3 men had turned Revlon into a million-dollar company, selling only their special nail polish.

Throughout the 30s and 40s, Revlon slowly began to create more new products such as manicure tools and nail scissors, and then followed up with a line of lipsticks, also based on their use of pigments rather than dyes. By the 1950s, the company had branched out even further, buying a line of diabetes drugs, sportswear companies and supplement lines. Most of these non-cosmetic ventures were largely unsuccessful. Since then, the company has maintained its focus on beauty products and has enjoyed much success in that arena. Today, Revlon is the leading cosmetics company in the United States and worldwide. By focusing on its core product groups, Revlon management hopes to increase profits, reversing a downward trend that started in 2001.