I just knew Revlon’s Vital Radiance was doomed. I wanted this line to do well for so many reasons (my first job in the beauty industry was with Revlon – so I still carry a torch.) Mainly though, Revlon could use a big break. Many of its lines have gone by the wayside, like “Ultima II” and “Charles of the Ritz” that have also been discontinued. Wistfully, I had hoped that the best technology of those two Revlon lines had found a new home in Vital Radiance. The good news is that it appears that’s exactly the case. The bad news is – like so many of Revlon’s great products – no one knew about it and it didn’t sell.
There is always something so disappointing about Revlon’s marketing – though I can’t put my finger on exactly what. It doesn’t catch my eye or get me excited to buy the product. Money problems have kept Revlon from being the marketing heavy-hitter it should be (though I love seeing Julianne Moore as one of their models.) Revlon doesn’t seem to know what it stands for anymore. It used to be the line to use – all the new technology (for long wearing pigments, transfer-resistant color and the like) seemed to come from Revlon. Then it stopped. Did Revlon lose its vision? Or did it just lose its funding?
The Target Audience
First, let me clarify who I think this line was for. This was never a product for teenagers or even many 20-somethings, though I think they would like the product as well. The women who would really be impressed by Vital Radiance beauty products are the women my age and older (30’s and up) who want fast acting – yet long lasting – results from their color products. Of course Revlon stated that the line was for women in their 50’s (but why wait for great results?) I will heartily admit that women in their 50’s+ are very much under-served in the beauty industry and the loss of Revlon’s Vital Radiance is a huge disappointment for that reason alone.
The strength of Vital Radiance was its instant gratification. It came down to this: I want to look a few years younger right now. And I want to look a bit better every day that I use the products – so it has to have some kind of lasting effect. I want my skin to look and feel better and more beautiful for wearing the color products I choose. Is that too much to ask? Revlon and Vital Radiance doesn’t think so. Those results (and more) are in every product they make.
This should have been Revlon’s biggest hit ever. Vital Radiance actually delivered what it said it would. Look younger and more radiant as soon as you put the products on. Feel the difference in your skin, even after you’ve washed the product off. If you already have color products you love – by all means stick to them. The strength of this line was in its primers – the lips, eyes and face all benefit from this multitasking group of products. So if, by chance, you’re able to find any Vital Radiance products anywhere – here are the products I’d pick up (actually, I already have!)
The Star Products
As soon as I tried the Vital Radiance Smoothing Face Primer – I knew I wouldn’t want leave the house without it on again. Ever. This makes me look well-rested, refreshed, glowing (without shimmer) and younger as soon as I put it on. Really. I have primers from several lines that all work well and create a smooth canvas to apply my foundation – but this goes beyond texture. My skin feels like silk, the lines appear to fade, and my skin glows whether I wear foundation over it, or not. It comes in warm (Apricot) and cool (Petal) and I have both. This summer with my very slight tan, the warm version looked most natural. Now that I’m losing my summer color, the cool version brightens my slightly dulling complexion. Add to that the SPF 25 and the oil-free formula – Smoothing Face Primer seems the ideal product for all year round.
Even though this touts lots of botanicals in the formula like grape extract and soy protein, the humectants and silicone-based ingredients are doing most of the work when it comes to texture. The softer, more beautiful skin you get at the end of the day comes from the Vitamin A derivative retinyl palmitate and salicylic acid – making this a 2-for-1 gem.
Now for the color products themselves, I am most infatuated with the Vital Radiance Line Softening Makeup (Pore Refining). I have the challenge that so many women fight with – a complexion that is the first (or maybe second) signs of aging and still breaking out. Foundation tends to not only make me look older – but makes my complexion look and feel worse.
Vital Radiance Line Softening Makeup (Pore Refining) SPF 15 For Normal-Combination Skin Medium Coverage
This foundation looks like my skin if my skin were radiant, smooth and about 5 years younger. The effect lasts all day without fading. I hate wearing foundation so it takes a lot to impress me. Certainly, it takes a lot to get me to wear it every day! Now, I don’t leave the house without it. If you go to the Vital Radiance website you can fill out a profile and have samples sent to you – the perfect match is a survey away.
So my face was fresh and radiant from those two star products – it was time to try some more! As I’d hoped, the Vital Radiance HydraSmooth dual-ended concealer and Eye Primer are also outstanding. HydraSmooth has a brightening under-eye hydrator on one end (packed with humectants that keep your skin from trying to absorb the moisture out of the concealer) and a truly long wearing concealer on the other. The colors are on the light end, but very good for that range. The Concealer contains Vitamins A, C, and E, plus caffeine to depuff. The Hydrator even has allantoin which has been used for years to treat bruises. Now that winter is here, this concealer is my staple product!
Vital Radiance Eye Primer
This is one of those products I’m always tempted to skip but always thankful in the long run that I remembered to put it on. When I check the mirror after a long day working two jobs, I can breathe a sigh of relief that my makeup has stayed in place. My eyelids are also very dark, and having the Vital Radiance Eye Primer even out the color of my eyelids makes me look like I actually get enough sleep. Makeup artists will tell you completely honestly that primer makes a difference in how much product you use over time. Everything lasts longer if you prime the skin first.
There you have it, folks. Give those items a try, you won’t be sorry – except for the fact that Revlon won’t be making them anymore. Bad news for us, and, I suspect, worse news for Revlon.
