Revlon CEO discusses pandemic beauty habits, staying nimble

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Revlon was already facing big challenges when Debra Perelman took over as the first woman CEO in its 89-year history in 2018. The publicly traded company backed by her billionaire father Ron Perelman’s MacAndrews & Forbes Inc. had been struggling for years. That includes a heavy debt load, changing consumer tastes and intense competition. Revlon’s problems only intensified with the pandemic, which hurt sales of lipsticks as people masked up and stayed home. But Perelman says she is optimistic about the brand’s future, pointing to steps she has taken to accelerate e-commerce and being more nimble in the face of competition.