Maybelline says goodbye to the 1950’s.

In 1959, Maybelline introduced Magic Mascara, with it’s revolutionary new Spiral Brush, saying goodbye forever to the little red box. The end of the decade marked the beginning of the Boomer Generation, reaching their teenage years, and Maybelline jumped into the youth market with this new exciting product.

Even with all the excitement going on within the Maybelline Company – sponsoring the Miss America Contest, Princess Grace and Prince Rainier lll, wedding in Monaco The Perry Como Show and introducing exciting new products – Tom Lyle, Unk Ile to us, always found time to spend with his family, both on the West Coast and Chicago. His generosity and humble spirit made him the ideal Godfather to the entire family and he taught us all to be grateful for the simple yet fun lives we had in the 1950s and to look forward to an even brighter future to come.


My four year old sister Billee Rae Williams, with Unk Ile, (Tom Lyle,) and her Barbie Doll, Christmas, 1959.

My father, Bill Williams on the right, saying goodbye to friends, New Years, 1959.

New Years at our house in California,1959,  ushering in 1960.

Thank you for following the Maybelline Blog through the decades of the 20th Century in America. I hope this has been fun as well as educational, as you traveled with a family who created a company that influenced so many women for over 95 years. This is my way of giving back to the world for everything that has been given to me.


If you want to take a real joy ride through the ups and downs of American life with the Williams family be sure to purchase a signed copy of The Maybelline Story from my site, Barnes and Noble or amazon.com.