Jul 16, 2006
One of Revlon's most important product launches has been a failure. I think I know why.
Revlon Vital Radiance is a color cosmetics line for women over 50 (the fact I'm explaining this probably tells you the magnitude of the problems with the brand).
Consumers haven't flocked to it in droves. Instead it sat on store shelves this Spring which, in part, led the company to report very disappointing financial results for the past quarter.
If you're like me, you're in the dark to the Vital Radiance product line. I don't know anyone who's tried it. What are the product benefits? Do they help with skin aging? I can't describe the packaging. There's no buzz.
A great silence surrounds the brand. For instance, when looking for reviews on drugstore.com and the "most popular" Vital Radiance product (Vital Radiance Rehydrating Line Softening Makeup) I got this:
Customer Reviews
There are currently no reviews for this item.
The marketing team at Revlon has a big consumer challenge and is sure to earn their paychecks. Beyond stealing share for other market leaders (like P&G which frankly seem to advertise more often and effectively at that) they need to convince women over 50 to come back into the market to purchase color makeup. I imagine you'll see a flood of free samples coming in the next few months to get trial.
If you like the Radiance products, be aware that it's getting pulled from many drugstores and probably lots of shelf space elsewhere.
Blog tags:revlon vital radiance makeup revlon beauty blog
Return to Beauty in Seattle
7/16/06
I received a coupon in the mail for this product. I am not yet 44 but thought cool, I can get some lip gloss or eyeliner right? No, the coupon expired 2 days after I received it and I found the product to be very expensive (at wal-mart too!)
7/16/06
My biggest Vital Radiance critique is that products that are marketed to a pre-described age tend to over-generalize our needs. Why 50...is that some magic number that where our needs coverge? ~Lisa
7/17/06
They're positioning stars (Kate Bosworth, Eva Mendes, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore and Susan Sarandon) as different types of "stars" and asking us to identify with one of them and buy the corresponding product line. Great except, what if, god forbid, I identify with Eva's "Sultry" line and I'm more in Halle's demo. Will the Rite Aid checker prevent me from buying it?
7/17/06
The reality is that the skin needs of women do change. The undertones change, the skin is usually paler, less resilient, larger pored. Women who are in their 50's now did not necessarily grow up knowing NOT to avoid the sun or smoking, so don't necessarily look younger at their age. Regular makeup settles in the lines and pores. So, yes, after a certain age--and especially as close to menopause and after--do need different makeup. It's just too bad that it wasn't marketed well.
10/28/06
I love this foundation and I am around 30 years old. I am a professional model and untill now I could not wear any foundation so I would wear just under eye cream. Every foundation or powder I tried or make-up artist used on me made me look older dry fake and to top it off broke out my skin.Not to mention the photos would come out horrible. I naturally inherited a strong forhead line from one of my parents and this foundation does not set in this line.I highly recommend this to make-up to women of all ages and I sure would hate to see this line go. Sincerely, Brandy Moon
3/10/07
I am very disappointed that Vital Radiance is gone. I loved the makeup and the primer. The price was higher than it needed to be. I have gone to Amazon.com now to find what is left of the makeup. Wonder if Revlon would sell their remaining stock to us who liked the makeup at wholesale prices?
3/28/07
I agree with liking the makeup, especially the primer and the foundation went on so smooth and left no tell tale lines. Would like to buy at discounted price also, can't find in stores (florida).
4/6/07
I have been using Vital Radiance since its introduction and LOVED the product. I was very disappointed when I went to Walgreen's a few days ago to replenish my stock and found it is no longer available. Revlon could, and should, have done a better advertising job. I loved it because of the smoothness and the SPF factors -- my skin feels great when using these products. The skin feels better and my pocketbook definitely felt a lot better than buying the super-hyped Lancomb, Clinique, etc. products at the malls. By the way, I am pushing 60! And, my skin is definitely not as good as it was 40 or 20 years ago.
4/22/07
I to am extremely disappointed that Vital Radiance is gone. I finally found a makeup that I absolutely LOVE and it's GONE GONE GONE. I finally needed to replace it only to discover that Revlon pulled the plug. I hope I can find it elsewhere also. Question to Revlon... will you please sell what you have left in stock to those of us that really did like it????
6/25/07
Try ebay...this one lady has it all....screen name is lesla2007 I just bought alot from her and it is reasonable.
8/27/07
I am with mamburgy and a few others. I loved the Vital Radiance products. Granted, it was a bit more expensive than the typical drugstore makeup, but it beat the others by comparison in the way it made me feel and look. Revlon did themselves a disservice with the marketing to a specific age group. Also, by not marketing enough. I didn't learn of the products until I came upon them in a store. I was out of my regular brand and needed a filler until Clinique had my usual back in stock. Needless to say, Clinique lost my money and Revlon got it until Pooof!! it was gone. Let us hope that they bring it back under different marketing. They need to realize that it was not the product that failed.
9/10/07
I read an advertisement in a magazine about the vital radiance makeup. I tried it and loved it! When I went back to the store to buy more, I couldn't find it! After several trips to numerous stores, I gave up. I decided to look on the web for places to purchase it. That is when I found this page. I too hope it will be brought back!
9/22/07
You can add my name to Vital Radiance fans who love this product line. I too am 50+ and love the primer and foundation. I stocked up when it went on sale at Walgreens, not knowing that it would be gone soon. Can't find it in any retail stores anymore. Does anyone know what Revlon's comments are and if they have any plans to bring it back or introduce another similar product under different marketing? The Baby Boomer population is just going to keep growing !!!
9/27/07
I knew nothing about this product until I found it clearanced out at Walgreens and thought I would give it a try. I LOVE it! It is the best foundation I have ever used! I found it was the best makeup to cover pores. I, like many others, searched high and low to replenish and was very disappointed to find it discontinued. I have found some on ebay but am very concerned as to what I'm going to use when my supply runs out!!!!! I hope Revlon reconsiders banning this product forever.
1/12/08
I read about Vital Radiance in the AARP magazine and sent for the samples which I tried and liked. I then found the products at our local Walgreens and was so happy with the products that I tried. I was also disappointed when I went back for new items and found out they were pulled from the store. That's when I went online and found the article about the line being discontinued.
This line of make-up is so unique to our age group (50+)who just can't find other products that feel and look right on our skin. I had pretty much given up on foundations altogether but the V/Radiance line works wonderfully. My job requires me to work with outside suppliers and I feel the makeup gave me a confidence that I look naturally healthy for my age without being caked and overdone.
I will join the ranks in looking to online purchases through Amazon or anyone with stock until it's gone and strongly suggest that Revlon tries this line again. As stated by another user above, the number of us boomers is getting larger everyday and we want to look our best and natural when there are so many others throwing money at cosmetic "repair" to look younger.
1/23/08
I am very disappointed in Revlon. Vital Radiance was a fantastic product. I am a woman of her late 40's. I have spent alot of money on makeup and never was pleased, until I found Vital Radiance. I was so satisfied with this product. What was Revlon thinking when they stopped making this line of cosmetics.
Signed Very Disappointed.
1/23/08
Hve you tried Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Enhancer? I am an older woman who doesn't like foundation in her wrinkles either, and I find that Neutrogena works very well for me. Has anyone else had this experience?
2/11/08
I had never heard if Vital Radiance until today when I went into a Revlon outlet store. I was actually looking for lipstick, when I came across this product. Trying on a few different colors of various lipsticks on my wrists, my husband picked out a color that was from the Vital radiance line as the one he liked. I then purchased the blush and lipliner. When I applied them, not only did they look beautiful, the texture of the makeup was fantastic. When I looked up this line online,I was extremely disappointed to find out that it has been discontinued. I am 60 yrs. old and makeup companies need to know that there is a need out there for women over 40. Revlon-wake up and smell the coffee!! Market your product correctly and you"ll have a winner-not a loser! Haven't you noticed that a lot of ads now feature beautiful mature women?!
2/13/08
I love the Vital Radiance face primer. I can still find it on amazon.com but would love to be able to buy it in the store again. Revelon, please bring back this product line. I would love to try more things in this line. I am in my early 40's but love the product.
3/2/08
I can't believe that Vital Radiance is off the market. Revlon needs to address the over 60 market. They had done this with Vital Radiance finally a product that addressed us. Too bad they aren't intuned with the over 60 woman who wants and is fashionable and wants makeup for her skin type. Somebody needs to address the issues of the over 60 woman who is still vibrant and sexy.
4/16/08
I purchased this makeup at Walmart. I thought it to be a bit pricy but it was worth every penny. I am 71 years old and need all the help I can get to have my skin look natural without that stuck in the pores and wrinkles foundation that I have paid a fortune for and had to discard after one use.Maybe Revlon can market this product again under a different name. We all age and someone has to create products that will keep us from looking like clowns in garish colors.
7/3/08
I had bought the Vital Radiance blush as it had the colors I find so hard to find. I loved the 3 choice colors in the wide pattern so I could choose or pick lighter or darker colors depending on time of day I wore it or the depth of my tan. I am not over 50, nor did I even know it was intended for that. I fell in love with this blush (I can't say I've ever felt this way about any other blush) and as so many others have already reported, it was gone when I went back. And I was back within 2 mos. I still am using the 1st one I bought but it is getting rather thin . I keep scanning the makeup isle, but cannot find anyone that can match these colors or versatality. What a loss!!!
7/24/08
I really miss my vital radiance makeup. I used it for over a year and it was light and covered deep pores and was like no other makeup; not even the department store( famous names) could compare. I'm 51 and it was a life saver for me. I have tried the neutrogena as suggested above and it is not as good as the vital radiance. Revlon needs to bring this back.
9/7/08
I too received Vital Radiance samples that I tried, loved and then purchased the products at Walmart. It was expensive, but well worth more than I was used to paying for makeup because it worked so well. Now that I'm running out of the foundation, I was stunned to not be able to find it anywhere!! Surely Revlon knows what a great product they're ignoring! If they promoted these products as much as they do their other lines, I'm sure they'd get a better response. This baby-boomer market is aging, and we'll be sticking around for a while - I'd rather pay a little more for Vital Radiance than buy any other makeup that isn't as suitable. All the Maybelline, Cover Girl or even L'Oreal and Max Factor can't compare to Vital Radiance. What's a "woman of a certain age" to do??!!
9/26/08
Ahhh... so Revlon has pulled this line from the stores. I thought I had some lapse of memory of some kind. I loved the products. I seldom use make up so mu make up can last to their actual 2 years limit of usability. I usually throw away open make up after a year 'tho. Sadly a waste but I have very sensitive skin so to me it isn't worth being thrifty about make up at the expense of my face. I am sorry, but I think Revlon is truly stupid and crazy to pull this line. Finally a make up line that is so good that not only the mature skin can wear it but also the adult skin. I was thirty something when I started wearing it but it is perfect. It was perfect... too good to last I guess. So what does Revlon want actually? Pull the good stuff and leave the mediocre or do they want it to go to truly bad? Dumb! Yes, of course I am upset.
10/27/08
I very much agree with several other la dies; disappointed 3/9/07, mam burgy 4/5/07;Barbar Slayton 1/ 22/08, Milka 2/10/08, Pat Reese 3/2/0 8, I have been using vital radiance since it came out, love the products and how it makes my skin look and feel, was always disappointed with other products since I got older, I am 66. Initially, I had purchased a good supply of make-up, then when I finally needed more it could not be found. Inquiring in stores - no one seemed to know why, discovered why on the net. Now what do I do? Experiment again and be disappointed? Is there any product left somewhere? Where can I find an outlet? Something!!!! Carol