Sharrie Williams, speaking today, in Laguna Beach California..

“The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It,” by Sharrie Williams, is the story of Tom Lyle Williams’ vision and founding of make-up giant Maybelline Cosmetics. Transfixed by the glamor of silent films and mail-order catalogs Tom bootstraps himself up from poverty to become something more than he’d ever thought possible. After witnessing his sister Mabel, concoct a mixture of burnt cork and Vaseline, to apply to her lashes and brows, he makes a tremendous discovery – The eyes are the key. Tom realized that the way the actresses made their eyes so compelling on screen could be easily replicated with a few ingredients in their proper ratios. The roaring “20’s” and the flapper era would provide a devoted following for the eyelash and eyebrow beautifiers that Maybelline produced by the truckload. So wanton was the demand for Maybelline products that, even through the economic nightmares of the ‘30’s, the company weathered the storm, its fortunes hitched solidly to the star of patented Maybelline glamor.


SharrieWilliams, a resident of Laguna Beach for over 30 years, will bring the story to life with a presentation using vintage Maybelline ads and family photos.