Maybelline's story begins with a resourceful brother, a sister's beauty secret, and a spark of entrepreneurial ingenuity.
In 1915, Tom Lyle Williams, a young man from Chicago, observed his sister Mabel applying a homemade concoction to her eyelashes and eyebrows. Mabel was mixing Vaseline (petroleum jelly) with coal dust to darken and enhance her features, a technique she called "a secret of the harem."
Inspired by Mabel's ingenuity and recognizing the potential of this beauty secret, Tom Lyle Williams began experimenting in his own kitchen. He refined the formula and launched his first product: Cake Mascara. He named his company "Maybelline," a portmanteau of "Mabel" and "Vaseline," honoring his sister and the key ingredient.
The early success of Maybelline was significantly boosted by mail-order sales and strategic marketing. Williams understood the power of advertising and utilized prominent actresses in his campaigns. This helped transform Maybelline from a small, home-based operation to a nationally recognized brand. The company continued to innovate, introducing new makeup products and solidifying its position in the burgeoning cosmetics industry.
Maybelline went through several ownership changes and expansions over the years, eventually becoming a global powerhouse. Today, Maybelline New York is one of the world's leading cosmetics brands, known for its accessibility, trendsetting products, and its roots in a simple, yet effective, beauty solution created by Mabel and brought to life by her brother, Tom Lyle Williams.
