Revlon

Cosmetics firm Revlon Inc. says it is ending manufacturing operations in Maryland as part of a global reorganization that will eliminate about 250 jobs. The company refused to say Friday where its local facility is located or how many of the layoffs will hit there. The operation is not likely large — the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland hadn't heard of it and state economic development officials could find no record of it. Revlon has not sent state regulators a layoff-warning notice, the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said.

Sinful Colors, a Revlon-owned nail-polish line, is warning state regulators of 117 layoffs in Beltsville as it closes the Prince George's County facility next year. The layoffs, set to begin Jan. 1, appear to be the Maryland manufacturing cuts that Revlon said in September would be coming as part of a global reorganization eliminating 250 jobs. The company would not say then how many layoffs would hit Maryland, or where its local manufacturing operations were located. State officials and a number of local economic development representatives said they didn't know the facility's location — even the Prince George's County Economic Development Corp.

Sinful Colors, a Revlon-owned nail-polish line, is warning state regulators of 117 layoffs in Beltsville as it closes the Prince George's County facility next year. The layoffs, set to begin Jan. 1, appear to be the Maryland manufacturing cuts that Revlon said in September would be coming as part of a global reorganization eliminating 250 jobs. The company would not say then how many layoffs would hit Maryland, or where its local manufacturing operations were located. State officials and a number of local economic development representatives said they didn't know the facility's location — even the Prince George's County Economic Development Corp.

Cosmetics firm Revlon Inc. says it is ending manufacturing operations in Maryland as part of a global reorganization that will eliminate about 250 jobs. The company refused to say Friday where its local facility is located or how many of the layoffs will hit there. The operation is not likely large — the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland hadn't heard of it and state economic development officials could find no record of it. Revlon has not sent state regulators a layoff-warning notice, the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said.

Cosmetic Center Inc. said yesterday that it had signed a nonbinding letter of intent with Revlon Inc. to merge with a subsidiary operated by the New York-based cosmetics giant.The Savage-based retailer would merge with Prestige Fragrance & Cosmetics in a deal that is expected to close in early 1997. The resulting company would bear the Cosmetic Center name, the companies said."The PFC business will give increased opportunity for growth of our company," Mark S. Weinstein, chairman and chief executive of Cosmetic Center, said in a statement.

Cosmetic Center Inc. signed a definitive agreement with Revlon Inc. yesterday to merge with a subsidiary of the New York-based cosmetics giant.Prestige Fragrance & Cosmetics Inc. will be merged into Cosmetic Center Inc., which will retain its name.The two companies signed a letter of intent Oct. 1.The Savage-based Cosmetic Center operates 68 specialty retail stores in the mid-Atlantic region and Illinois, and distributes mass-merchandised cosmetics."The merger provides us with a broader geographical presence," said Bruce Strohl, chief financial officer of Cosmetic Center.

NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc., the cosmetics maker controlled by billionaire financier Ronald Perelman, said yesterday that it is in talks with potential buyers for all or part of the company.Revlon issued the statement after the Financial Times of London said fragrance maker Coty Inc. decided not to bid for the company. Revlon shares fell $4.75, or 18 percent, to $21.50 yesterday.Revlon, whose namesake Revlon cosmetics brand is the No. 1 seller in U.S. discount stores and drugstores, hired Goldman Sachs & Co. and Lazard Freres & Co. in April to advise it on a possible sale of businesses to boost its stock price and repay debt.

Revlon Inc. said yesterday that it has sold its 85 percent interest in the Cosmetic Center Inc., the Columbia-based cosmetic retailer, to a partnership controlled by a New Jersey-based investment and management company.Revlon sold almost 8.5 million shares of the Cosmetic Center's Class C common stock and an unspecified amount of debt to Prestige Holdings I, which is controlled by York Management Services Inc. in Somerset, N.J.Mark Millman, president of retail consulting firm Millman Search Group in Lutherville, said the deal gives the Cosmetic Center the financing and expertise to turn around its business.

Charles J. Busta, general manager of the Cover Girl makeup line and a longtime executive of Procter & Gamble's cosmetics and fragrance division in Hunt Valley, has accepted a top position with Cover Girl's arch-foe, Revlon Inc.Mr. Busta, who was a Procter & Gamble vice president and general manager, and whose colleagues call him "C.B.," won't be replaced. Cover Girl will be managed directly by Beth Kaplan, Mr. Busta's former boss, who is vice president of cosmetics and fragrance products, said spokeswoman Kimberly Stewart.

The Cosmetic Center Inc., the Columbia-based retailer that sought bankruptcy protection late Friday, is struggling under a debt load of $71 million, according to court documents that became available yesterday.The discount cosmetics chain reported total debt of $71,129,062, with assets of $95,080,389 in a Chapter 11 petition filed after hours Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.The chain listed Revlon Consumer Products of New York as its biggest creditor, owed more than $2 million.

Beauty may only be skin deep, but the products used to primp and polish your way to fabulous could be hazardous to your health, a Washington-based advocacy group said yesterday. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), released the results of a six-month computer investigation that found thousands of beauty products, including shampoos, nail polish and lotions, contained potentially harmful ingredients that have been linked to cancer or other health problems. Naming brand names and products on its Web site (www.

Chinos are practical and comfortable, but no one has ever made the mistake of calling them sexy. They're too Potsie and not enough Fonzie to be sexy; too cotton, too practical. Express' new take on the chino, the Cetine Chino, aims to be sexy. With its low, low rise, relaxed fit at the hip and thigh and medium-flare leg, the pants look modern and chic, but sexy? Well, maybe in a girl-next-door kind of way. Express' Cetine chino comes in five colors, costs $50 and is available at Express stores in Towson, Annapolis, Columbia and beyond.

Oscar presenters have much to look forward to: the coveted Oscar goodie bag. Originally created as a small token of appreciation to about 40 presenters, it has grown to a Hefty bag-size basket. According to Hollywood buzz, the gift basket, which was valued at $8,000 back in 1999, is now worth nearly $30,000. So, what's in the bag for 2003? Below is a partial list with manufacturers' estimated retail value: Estee Lauder Oscar Spa package (a custom-made Goyard travel case stuffed with Manolo Blahnik sandals, Hermes beach towel, La Grande Dame Veuve Clicquot champagne, gift certificate for spa services, Estee Lauder cosmetics)

MCLEAN, Va. -- Revlon model Karen Duffy is palling around with two pint-sized girls who have shown up for her book-signing in a mall, regaling them with a story of how she once met both the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync on the same day. "Who do you like the best?" Duffy pipes up, beaming at the swooning girls. "The guy who looks like he's got a dirty sheep on his head? Justin?" The girls just look at each other and collapse in giggles. In person, the 38-year-old model and former MTV VJ comes across as peppy and charming as she is on television -- an ultra-chipper woman who bursts onto the screen, telling everyone how great she feels, thanks to Revlon cosmetics.

NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc., whose namesake brand is the biggest seller in U.S. discount stores and drugstores, said yesterday that it is in talks to sell its Latin American and professional brands for more than $500 million after billionaire financier Ronald Perelman failed to find a buyer for the entire company.Revlon stock fell $6.25, or 34 percent, to $12 in trading of 3.61 million shares, more than 16 times the three-month daily average.Perelman is focusing on those brands that generate 80 percent of sales, including Revlon, Almay and Ultima II cosmetics.

NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc., the cosmetics maker controlled by billionaire financier Ronald Perelman, said yesterday that it is in talks with potential buyers for all or part of the company.Revlon issued the statement after the Financial Times of London said fragrance maker Coty Inc. decided not to bid for the company. Revlon shares fell $4.75, or 18 percent, to $21.50 yesterday.Revlon, whose namesake Revlon cosmetics brand is the No. 1 seller in U.S. discount stores and drugstores, hired Goldman Sachs & Co. and Lazard Freres & Co. in April to advise it on a possible sale of businesses to boost its stock price and repay debt.

NEW YORK -- Revlon Inc., whose namesake brand is the biggest seller in U.S. discount stores and drugstores, said yesterday that it is in talks to sell its Latin American and professional brands for more than $500 million after billionaire financier Ronald Perelman failed to find a buyer for the entire company.Revlon stock fell $6.25, or 34 percent, to $12 in trading of 3.61 million shares, more than 16 times the three-month daily average.Perelman is focusing on those brands that generate 80 percent of sales, including Revlon, Almay and Ultima II cosmetics.

Having underperformed after a recent merger, Columbia-based Cosmetic Center Inc. yesterday said it has hired a noted turnaround specialist to make it attractive to suitors after its parent company said it would sell its majority stake in the cosmetic and personal care products retailer.Betsy Burton, formerly of Supercuts Inc. and PIP Printing, and most recently founder of her own retail investment company, yesterday was named Cosmetic Center's president and chief executive, replacing I. Howard Diener.

Charles J. "CB" Busta III, a former Noxell Corp. executive who helped expand the company's Cover Girl cosmetic line, died Tuesday of a cerebral hemorrhage at the Heart Institute in Miami. The Monkton resident was 51.Mr. Busta, who left Noxell in 1996 to join Revlon in New York City, was vacationing with his family on Nevis, an island in the West Indies, when he was stricken.Hired as executive vice president and general manager of Revlon's Beauty Care USA, the company's hair and beauty-products division, Mr. Busta was named executive vice president and general manager of Revlon's Professional USA division last year.

The Cosmetic Center Inc., the Columbia-based retailer that sought bankruptcy protection late Friday, is struggling under a debt load of $71 million, according to court documents that became available yesterday.The discount cosmetics chain reported total debt of $71,129,062, with assets of $95,080,389 in a Chapter 11 petition filed after hours Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.The chain listed Revlon Consumer Products of New York as its biggest creditor, owed more than $2 million.