T.L. Williams founded The MAYBELLINE
Company in 1915 and introduced MAYBELLINE Cake Mascara in 1917 as the first modern eye
cosmetic to be produced for everyday use. The firm and brand name MAYBELLINE was adopted
in honor of his oldest sister, Mabel, from whom he originally received the idea of
producing an easy-to-use product to darken the eyelashes which could be sold commercially.
Cake mascara was originally advertised and sold exclusively by mail. It was received so
well by the general public that women started asking for it in drug stores. The MAYBELLINE
success story didn't really start until mascara first appeared in the nation's variety
stores. In September 1932, a special 10-cent package of MAYBELLINE mascara was designed
for sale in these stores. The subsequent success of this product has become legend.
MAYBELLINE eyebrow pencils came along a few years later. Eyebrow pencils were the natural
follow-up to the solid mascara as the company's second eye cosmetic. Eye shadows of
various shades were added in the 1920's and have increased in popularity and general usage
year after year.