About Maybelline
Maybelline New York is one of the world's most recognised cosmetics brands, founded in Chicago in 1915 by pharmacist Thomas Lyle Williams. The brand takes its name from Williams' sister Mabel, who inspired the first product when he noticed her applying a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust to her eyelashes. Williams adapted this homemade beauty hack into Lash-Brow-Ine, later renamed Maybelline in her honour. In 1917, the company produced Maybelline Cake Mascara, "the first modern eye cosmetic for everyday use." Maybelline has been owned by French cosmetics giant L'Oréal since 1996, when it was acquired for $758 million. L'Oréal itself is owned by a combination of the Bettencourt family (34.73%), international institutional investors (30.7%), Nestlé (20.13%), French institutional investors (6.63%), individual shareholders (5.92%), and employees (1.89%). As part of L'Oréal's Consumer Products Division, Maybelline sits alongside other brands including Garnier, NYX Cosmetics, and Essie. The brand's tagline "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline" became one of the most recognised advertising slogans in the beauty industry. The company moved from Chicago to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1975, then to Memphis, before relocating to New York City following the L'Oréal acquisition. Today, Maybelline positions itself as providing affordable, high-quality makeup accessible to everyday consumers. Maybelline's product range covers all makeup categories. Mascaras remain the brand's flagship products, with popular ranges including Lash Sensational Sky High (known for dramatic lengthening), The Falsies Lash Lift (for lifted, fanned-out lashes), and Colossal (for bold volume). Foundations include the Fit Me! range in Matte + Poreless (for oily/combination skin) and Dewy + Smooth (for dry skin) formulas, plus SuperStay Active Wear for long-lasting coverage up to 30 hours. The lip colour range includes SuperStay Matte Ink (known for 16-hour wear), Color Sensational lipsticks, and Lifter Gloss. Eye products span the Tattoo Brow range for brows, Lasting Drama gel eyeliner, and various eyeshadow palettes. The Instant Anti-Age Eraser concealer has become a bestselling product, popular for its coverage and brightening effect. Regarding ethical considerations, Maybelline is not cruelty-free according to PETA and other organisations. Like parent company L'Oréal, Maybelline sells products in mainland China where animal testing may be required by law for imported cosmetics. While Maybelline claims not to test finished products or ingredients on animals, nor commission third-party testing "unless required by law," this clause means they cannot achieve cruelty-free certification from organisations like Leaping Bunny or PETA. Some Maybelline products are formulated without animal-derived ingredients and labelled as "vegan formula" on the UK website. However, because the brand is not cruelty-free, strict ethical standards would not consider these products truly vegan. Common animal-derived ingredients in some Maybelline products include carmine (red pigment from insects) and lanolin (from sheep's wool). In the UK, Maybelline products are widely available at Boots, Superdrug, supermarkets including Tesco and Asda, Amazon, and retailers like Savers and Beauty Outlet. Price comparisons from Which? found that Boots tends to be more expensive for cosmetics, while Amazon often offers the lowest prices. However, loyalty card deals at Boots (Advantage Card) and Superdrug (Health & Beautycard) can provide significant savings. Boots Advantage Card offers 3 points per £1 spent (3% return), while Superdrug's card offers 1 point per £1 (1% return). Students and NHS workers can combine Superdrug's 10% discount with member prices for additional savings. Prices for the same Maybelline product can vary significantly between retailers, making price comparison worthwhile for regular makeup buyers.