Happy Birthday Maybelline New York - celebrating 100 years of beauty.
From bright blue eyeshadow and spidery lashes, to winged eyeliner and heavy brows, the world of fashion has seen it all - and for every groundbreaking beauty trend, Maybelline New York has remained a staple in most make-up kits around the world. This month, the iconic beauty brand turns 100, so as a huge 'happy birthday', we're taking a look back at some of Maybelline's historic beauty moments, complete with a love letter to the 'Great Lash' mascara.
In 1915, Mabel Williams became the first woman to rock mascara. Mixing Vaseline and coal dust, Mabel managed to create a darkening concoction for eyelashes that gave a smokey, dramatic effect. Mabel's brother took this opportunity to develop a mail-order product called 'Lash-Brow-Ine', which gained attention through advertising. Two years later, Mabel and her brother expanded the beauty brand's horizons: combining 'Mabel' and the word 'Vaseline', the name 'Maybelline' was born.
The mascara initially started as a cream, but in the 1950's, a series of Maybelline products hit the shelves that changed the beauty game. Coloured mascara, solid mascara and wands started to appear, alongside eyeshadow sticks and liner pens - just to name a few.
In 1971, the idea of mascara was forever changed by the introduction of the 'Great Lash' mascara. With its iconic pink and green packaging, this nifty little beauty product has gained cult status due to its quality formula. When it comes to mascaras, the 'Great Lash' ticks all the boxes: it's volumising, thickening, conditioning, it's easy to apply, it doesn't clump, and it's available in both washable and waterproof options. It offers the perfect lash definition for every occasion - whether you want to keep things natural, or load up on dramatic volume. After trying the mascara out myself, I can easily see why one tube is sold every 1.2 seconds worldwide. Woah!
Throughout the '70s and the '80s, Maybelline expanded their brand offerings beyond eye products - nail polish, lipsticks and facial products were all introduced, along with the iconic slogan: 'Maybe She's Born With It, Maybe It's Maybelline'.
In recent times, Maybelline has continued to grow as a beauty brand an is still recognised for their affordable, quality products. With 100 years under their belt, it's fair to say that Maybelline know what they're doing with it comes to beauty.
P.S. - To celebrate Maybelline's 100th birthday, Farmers are giving away awesome retro brush tins when you spend $30 on Maybelline New York products. I recommend purchasing the 'Great Lash' mascara; trust me, you won't regret it. This free gift-with-purchase comes with three ultra-soft brushes (so soft that I wanted to make a pillow out of one) in a limited edition tin. I highly recommend you get your hands on one of these - these brushes are SO good and the tin is super cute. This promotion commences in Farmers stores from 23rd May and ends on June 11th.
For more beauty inspiration, check out these amazing Maybelline face charts celebrating beauty trends over the last 100 years. That 1930's look is to die for…
