Sharrie Williams - The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It

An exciting and thoughtful book, partmemoir, part history, part family saga, that reveals the triumphsand tragedies behind the many faces of Maybelline.Mark A.Clements, author, Lorelei

We are especially fascinated to slipvicariously into the lives of the rich and privileged yet cheer forthe underdog who overcomes obstacles to astound doubters with hissuccess. We are enthralled with the historical sweep of eventswhose repercussions live on to the presentall elements of thisamazing story, which reads like a juicy novel but is a memoirdistilled from nine hundred pages of family accounts from the 1920sto the present.Steve Hudis, producer, IMPACT MotionPictures

Superb! An exciting tale that gives aninsiders view into the genesis of a corporate giant. A wild ride,an enticing saga.Alan Andrews Ragland, son of Maybellinelegend Rags Ragland

Spanning four generations, The MaybellineStory traces the founding of one of the true great familyenterprises that spawned the billion-dollar cosmetic industry andreveals the glamourand seedy undersideof sudden fortune andunrestrained vanity on the family dynasty behind it. Wow to seeingthis on screen!Nina Siemaszko, actress, The WestWing

Love and tenderness are palpable insensitive recount of this amazing historical memoir. This is NOT aone time read. A literary prism, relevant to the boardroom as it isto a book club or fireside/poolside read. Truly an inspirationallegacy reminding us in the words of Proust that: the voyage ofdiscovery lies not in finding new landscapes, but in having neweyes.Diane Bruno, CISION MEDIA

A richly told story of a forty-year,white-hot love triangle that fans the flames of a major worldwideconglomerate.Neil Shulman, MD, associate producer, DocHollywood

A truly inspirational story chroniclingthe journey and unwaivering faith of the family behind the rise ofan iconic brand.--Brigitte Lamblot, Publisher, VIE Magazine

Even if you come away from reading thisbook thinking that the family dynasty created in the founding ofMaybelline was a bit over the top, over the top was what wasexpected from the generation that brought it about. This story mayread like a novel, but it is, alas, a true one!Nancy WilliamsFesler, great niece of Tom Lyle Williams

We loved this!Holly Siegel, beautyeditor, NYLON Magazine

This book has value beyond its capacity toglimpse history and even beyond its sheer joy to entertain. Thisexciting book provides insight into the nature of money, andinherent issues in building a dynasty.Kolie Crutcher III, CEOand publisher, Get Money magazine

Tom Lyle, my great-uncleand the godfatherof our familymade us all rich, in more ways than one! But it ishard for us to separate Maybelline from our family, because it wasa family affair, literally. This is a story I lived and a family Ilove.William Preston Williams III

An interestingand astonishingaccount ofthe making of a mega-giant [Maybelline] and a cast of charactersyou wont believe! Entertaining and insightful.CharmaineHammond, author, On Tobys Terms

Exciting stuff! A captivating story thatuncovers the intriguing past behind one of Americas mostwell-known cosmetic companies.Michele Marcotte, featureseditor, The Daily Sentinel

As an immigrant who escaped the tyranny ofCommunist Romania, I survived my ordeal because of the devotion andvalues learned at the knees of my parents. In this story, thevalues learned focused on the world of artifice... also learnedat the knees of their parents... but oh what a different legacy.A jolting story.Aura Imbarus, author, Out of theTransylvania Night

A rich and colorful story. I guarantee youwont be able to put this book down! I only hope it goes to the bigscreen, and you can bet Id like to play Evelyn!MarlaMartenson, actress, author, Diary of a Beverly HillsMatchmaker

A most amazing story.John St.Augustine, author, Living an Uncommon Life: Essential Lessonsfrom 21 Extraordinary People

SHARRIE WILLIAMS with BETTIE B. YOUNGS

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 by Sharrie Williams and Bettie B.Youngs

All rights reserved, including the right toreproduce this work in any form whatsoever, without permission inwriting from the publisher, except for brief passages in connectionwith a review.

Disclaimer: This is a true story, and thecharacters and events are real. However, in some cases, the names,descriptions, and locations have been changed, and some events havebeen altered, combined, or condensed for storytelling purposes, butthe overall chronology is an accurate depiction of the authorsexperience.

On the cover: Mildred Davis (the very firstHollywood starlet used in a Maybelline ad), Evelyn BoecherWilliams, and screen star Betty Grable.

Cover design by Mark A. Clements and JaneHagaman

Photo of Sharrie Williams by Vicki LynnGaines of Vicki Lynn Photography

Photograph of Bettie Youngs by Martin MannPhotography

BETTIE YOUNGS BOOKS PUBLISHING CO.

http://www.BettieYoungsBooks.com

If you are unable to order the print bookfrom your local bookseller, you may order directly from thepublisher.

Library of Congress Control Number:2010930785

47.Taking Stock

I think that every girl I ever dated as ateenager had one of those pink and green tubes of Maybelline GreatLash mascara stashed in her purse. I know this because the contentsof all those purses regularly spilled out of school lockers, frombehind bleachers, out from under the seats of cars. If the pursesowner wasnt scrambling to hide her other feminine products, thenshe was diving for the mascara, because that was clearly the key toher enchanting doe-eyed beauty.

As Ive grown older, gotten married,divorced, and begun dating all over again, Ive seen the contentsof many beautiful womens cosmetic bags. And there has always beena Maybelline product inside.

I recognize things like this because Im abrand man myself. At an early age, I discovered the power ofperceptionspecifically, the perception of value, which can be evenmore important than price itself. For example, the Tiffany brand isindomitable because one need only see the powder blue box and whitesatin ribbon to think that whatever is inside is premiumsimplybecause it comes from Tiffany.

So I was delighted when I was asked to readThe Maybelline Story and learned about the origins andgrowth of this modest company into the best-known eye beauty brandaround the world. And what a story it is!

From humble beginnings in rural Kentucky togangster-ridden Prohibition Chicago to Hollywood in the 1930s and40s, and eventually to the whole world, this is a classic tale ofa makeshift product that developed from one womans innovative needto fix something else, and her brothers prescient understandingthat she was onto something BIG!

In 1915, Mabel Williams singed her eyelashesand brows while cooking. Horrified that she no longer lookedfeminine, she concocted a mixture and applied it to her remaininglashes and brows, giving them some added sparkle and sheen. One ofher brothers, Tom Lyle Williams, noticed the successful effect.

But he also noticed something more profound:a womans eyes were her calling card. They could say many things:Come look at me. Coax me out of my bashfulness. Yes, Imflirting. Im interested in you