Mabel’s influence began with her famous kitchen mishap around 1915. After singeing her eyebrows and eyelashes, she mixed coal dust (or lampblack) with Vaseline to darken them—a practical fix born of necessity. This wasn’t a production method in the factory sense, but it was a proof of concept. Tom Lyle Williams, her brother, saw this and recognized a market opportunity. Mabel’s “method” was rudimentary:
Raw Materials: She used household items—coal dust, a common pigment, and Vaseline, a widely available petroleum jelly. This simplicity influenced production by showing Tom Lyle that a viable product could be made from accessible, affordable ingredients.
Application Insight: Mabel applied her mix with whatever she had—a cloth or her fingers—highlighting a need for an easy delivery system. This nudged Tom Lyle toward including a brush with the eventual Cake Mascara, a production choice that became a Maybelline hallmark.
Her influence here was inspirational, not technical. She didn’t refine the formula or scale it—that was Tom Lyle’s domain—but her experiment defined the product’s core: a lash-enhancing paste women could trust.
Naming and Identity: A Production Anchor
When Tom Lyle launched Maybelline Cake Mascara in 1916, he named it after Mabel (blending “Mabel” with “Vaseline”), cementing her influence on the brand’s identity. This wasn’t about factory processes, but it shaped production indirectly.
Product Consistency: The name tied the company to a personal story, pressuring production (later under Chet’s watch) to deliver a reliable item worthy of Mabel’s legacy. Sharrie often frames this on X as a family pride point—every tin or tube had to reflect that original spark.
Consumer Appeal: Mabel’s DIY fix resonated with women seeking practical beauty solutions. Production had to mirror this—simple, effective, affordable—guiding decisions like the 10-cent mascara in 1932 or the shift to cream tubes in the 1940s.
Mabel’s influence gave production a why: meeting a real woman’s need, not just a commercial gimmick.
Indirect Role via Chet (1920s-1960s)
After marrying Chet Hewes in 1926, Mabel’s influence on production took a backseat, but her connection lingered through her husband’s role. Chet managed mascara manufacturing, and Mabel’s presence in the family likely reinforced his commitment.
Personal Stake: Chet worked for Tom Lyle, but he also worked for Mabel’s legacy. Her initial idea was the seed; his production methods—mixing pigments, filling tins, scaling output—grew it. Mabel didn’t dictate his techniques, but her story might’ve kept him grounded in the product’s roots.
Family Feedback: Living in Chicago near the Williams clan, Mabel may have offered informal input. Did she test early batches? Comment on brushes? There’s no hard evidence, but Sharrie’s tales of “Auntie Mabel” suggest she stayed close to the fold, a quiet influence on the ethos Chet brought to the factory.
Her role here was emotional, not operational—she wasn’t in the plant—but her marriage to Chet tied her to production’s heartbeat.
Sharrie’s Perspective: Mabel as Muse, Not Maker
Sharrie Williams doesn’t credit Mabel with production specifics, but, cast her as the origin, not a factory player.
Mabel’s influence was pre-production: she handed Tom Lyle a concept, not a blueprint. Yet Sharrie’s pride in Mabel implies a lasting echo—production had to honor that first lash-darkening moment. When Chet oversaw vats of wax or waterproof mixes, he was, in a way, scaling Mabel’s kitchen trial.
Limits of Influence
Mabel didn’t touch later innovations—cream mascara, waterproof formulas, or Great Lash. After 1915, she stepped back, raising her kids (Shirley, Joyce, Tommy) while Chet and Tom Lyle built the empire.
Her influence on production was static: a starting point, not a process. She died in 1975, long after Maybelline’s 1967 sale, her role frozen in that 1915 anecdote.
The Big Picture
Mabel’s production influence was foundational but not hands-on. She gave Maybelline its “what” (mascara) and “why” (enhancing everyday beauty), leaving the “how” to Tom Lyle and Chet. Her DIY mix set parameters—cheap ingredients, user-friendly design—that shaped manufacturing for decades.
Sharrie’s nod to Mabel reminds us: without her, there’d be no tins to fill or tubes to pack. No Maybelline to remember.
