Estée Lauder vs Revlon: Founders, CEOs and History
Estée Lauder was founded in 1946 by Estée Lauder, Joseph Lauder and is led by Stéphane de La Faverie. Revlon was founded in 1932 by Charles Revson, Joseph Revson, Charles Lachman and is led by Michelle Peluso.
Company facts
Estée Lauder
- Founded
- 1946
- Headquarters
- New York, New York
- Current CEO
- Stéphane de La Faverie
- Employees
- 57,000
Revlon
- Founded
- 1932
- Headquarters
- New York, NY
- Current CEO
- Michelle Peluso
- Employees
- 5,600
Founders
Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder
The Estée Lauder Companies possesses one of the most well-known, well-known founding stories in the history of American business, rooted in the ambition and effective, aggressive marketing clever of a single woman.
Joseph Lauder
Joseph Lauder co-founded The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. in 1946 with his wife, Estée Lauder, playing a critical role in the company's early operational and financial success.
Revlon
Charles Revson
Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, together with chemist Charles Lachman (whose marriage into the Dresden Chemical Company family gave him nail-polish manufacturing expertise), formed the Revlon Nail Enamel Corporation on March 1, 1932, with a combined inv…
Joseph Revson
Joseph Revson co-founded Revlon in March 1932 with his brother Charles and chemist Charles Lachman. While Charles led sales and marketing, Joseph helped run the young company's operations during the Great Depression. Public detail on his later role is limited.
Charles Lachman
Charles Lachman co-founded Revlon in 1932 with Charles and Joseph Revson and contributed the 'L' in the company name. His expertise helped produce Revlon's opaque, pigment-based nail enamel, the product that launched the company.
CEOs and their tenures
Estée Lauder
- Estée Lauder1946–1972
Founder and First CEO
Built the brand from four products in 1946 into a global beauty company.
Source - Fabrizio Freda2009–2024
Former President and CEO
Grew sales to a fiscal 2022 peak of $17.7 billion before the China and travel retail downturn reversed much of the gain.
Source - Stéphane de La Faverie2025–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
In his first full fiscal year as CEO, net sales rose 5% to $15.049 billion and adjusted operating margin rose to 11.2%. He previously ran the Estée Lauder brand and other brands as an executive group president.
Source
Revlon
- Debra Perelman2018–2023
President and Chief Executive Officer
Led Revlon through its 2022 Chapter 11 filing.
Source - Elizabeth (Liz) Smith2023–2024
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Led Revlon as interim CEO after bankruptcy emergence and remained on the board after Peluso's appointment.
Source - Michelle Peluso2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Peluso leads Revlon's post-bankruptcy turnaround, narrowing brand positioning for Revlon and Almay, expanding fragrance, and regionalizing manufacturing and R&D.
Source - Mario Rivera2026–present
Chief Operations Officer
Joined from CVS Health on February 16, 2026, to oversee global supply chain, including procurement, planning, manufacturing, distribution and logistics.
Source
Timeline: Estée Lauder and Revlon side by side
1932Revlon
Revlon is founded
Charles Revson, Joseph Revson, and Charles Lachman found Revlon around opaque nail enamel.
1946Estée Lauder
Founding of The Estée Lauder Companies
Estée and Joseph Lauder began selling four skin care products in New York.
1953Estée Lauder
Launch of Youth-Dew
The company launched Youth-Dew, a bath oil that doubled as a perfume and helped turn Estée Lauder into a national fragrance brand.
1955Revlon
Revlon goes public
Revlon becomes a public company after building one of the best-known mass cosmetics brands in the United States.
1968Estée Lauder
Launch of Clinique
Clinique launched as an allergy-tested, dermatologist-guided skin care brand.
1982Estée Lauder
Launch of Advanced Night Repair
The company launched Night Repair (later Advanced Night Repair), which became its signature skin care franchise.
1985Revlon
Perelman takes Revlon private
Ronald Perelman takes Revlon private in a leveraged buyout that shapes the company's later balance-sheet pressure.
1995Estée Lauder
IPO on the New York Stock Exchange
The company listed on the NYSE under the ticker EL while the Lauder family kept voting control through Class B shares.
1998Estée Lauder
Acquisition of MAC Cosmetics
Estée Lauder completed its acquisition of MAC Cosmetics, which it had bought in stages from 1994.
2016Revlon
Elizabeth Arden acquisition
Revlon acquires Elizabeth Arden, adding prestige skin care and fragrance assets but increasing integration and leverage complexity.
2022Revlon
Revlon files for Chapter 11
Revlon files for Chapter 11 during a period of debt pressure, supply chain disruption, and competitive pressure in beauty.
2023Estée Lauder
Tom Ford acquisition closes
Estée Lauder completed its roughly $2.8 billion acquisition of the Tom Ford brand, having licensed Tom Ford Beauty since 2006.
2023Revlon
Revlon emerges from Chapter 11
Revlon emerges from Chapter 11 as a private company after eliminating about $2.7B of debt.
2024Revlon
Michelle Peluso appointed CEO
Revlon appoints Michelle Peluso Chief Executive Officer to lead the company's next phase of growth.
2025Estée Lauder
Stéphane de La Faverie becomes CEO
De La Faverie became President and CEO on January 1, 2025, succeeding Fabrizio Freda.
2025Estée Lauder
FY2025 sales decline and restructuring reset
Estée Lauder reported $14.326B in fiscal 2025 net sales and expanded its Profit Recovery and Growth Plan.
2026Estée Lauder
Puig merger talks end
Estée Lauder and Puig confirmed talks on March 23, 2026 and ended them on May 21, 2026 without an agreement.
2026Estée Lauder
Return to sales growth in fiscal 2026
Net sales rose 5% to $15.049 billion with four straight quarters of organic growth; fiscal 2027 guidance calls for 3% to 5% organic growth.
2026Revlon
Mario Rivera named COO
Former CVS Health executive Mario Rivera becomes Chief Operations Officer on February 16, 2026, to run Revlon's global supply chain.
Acquisitions
Estée Lauder
- DECIEM (The Ordinary)2024Undisclosed
- Tom Ford2023$2.8B
- Have & Be Co. (Dr.Jart+)2019$1.1B
- MAC Cosmetics1998Undisclosed
Questions about Estée Lauder vs Revlon
Who is the CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Revlon, Inc.?
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is led by Stéphane de La Faverie and Revlon, Inc. is led by Michelle Peluso. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. founded vs Revlon, Inc.?
Revlon, Inc. was founded in 1932 — 14 years before The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., which was founded in 1946. Revlon, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..
How many employees does The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. have compared to Revlon, Inc.?
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. employs approximately 57,000 people, while Revlon, Inc. employs approximately 5,600. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has the larger workforce at 57,000 employees, compared to Revlon, Inc.'s 5,600. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Revlon, Inc. headquartered?
Both The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Revlon, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Revlon, Inc.?
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. was founded by Estée Lauder, Joseph Lauder. Revlon, Inc. was founded by Charles Revson, Joseph Revson, Charles Lachman.
Which company has a longer operating history — The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. or Revlon, Inc.?
Revlon, Inc. has been operating for approximately 94 years, making it the more established of the two companies. The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. has been in operation for around 80 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Estée Lauder vs Revlon overview