Maybelline nearly collapsed when petroleum was rationed during World War ll.

The two most important items a Soldier waited for during WW11..... letters from home and a carton of cigarettes.

My dad carried this picture of my mother, the All American California Girl, in his wallet during the War.   

My dad's uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, helped the War effort by selling War Bonds using the Maybelline Logo.  "To the girl with a soldier overseas...How much do you really want him back."  

Here is a beautiful Maybelline ad during WW11, "Just as he dreamed her eyes would be."  When petroleum was rationed during the War, Maybelline was ordered to stop making their products.  Tom Lyle went to the Pentagon and told them that if women couldn't get their Maybelline, it would affect Moral.  With that, the petroleum vats remained full and Maybelline's products expanded around the world.

Bill and Pauline Williams on their Honeymoon,  in Big Bear California right  before he was shipped overseas in 1945.

My mother was a new bride when my dad shipped overseas. She moved in with her parents while he was gone and wrote to him every single day.  It was those kind of letters from their Sweethearts, that kept American Servicemen's moral up.  It was what they were fighting for. It was what they wanted to get home to.

When the war ended my dad returned home in 1946 and I  was born in 1947.  This was a typical story for most returning Soldiers and American middle class families and it was the beginning of the Baby Boom.

Maybelline set the stage for my family saga to play out on.  Read my book, The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It and meet the family who gave the world beautiful eyes.

Be sure to drop over to my Hilarious Saffron Rules Blog and see what life for me was like in 1964. http://saffronsrule.com/

Author Sharrie Williams ABC 7, Chicago Interview...The humble start to the Maybelline empire is the beginning of a family saga worthy of a TV mini-series.

Did you know that the Maybelline cosmetic empire was founded in Chicago? In 1915, when my auntie Mabel Williams,

mixed petroleum jelly with coal dust and ash from a burnt cork and applied it to her lashes and brows. Mabel's simple beauty trick ignited Tom Lyle's imagination and the young entrepreneur started what would eventually become a billion-dollar business. Tom Lyle named his cosmetics company Maybelline in her honor.

The humble start to the Maybelline empire is the beginning of a family saga worthy of a TV mini-series. In her new book, "The Maybelline Story -- and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It," Sharrie Williams, Tom Lyle's grandniece, relates the history of the cosmetic company and the family that built it. Sharrie presents a fascinating journey through the history of the beauty business and cosmetics advertising, along with the story of a loyal yet dysfunctional family.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=7847497&pid=7847364

What started as small and family-owned business went on to become one of the largest and well-known cosmetic giant in United States. The Maybelline story set's trends from the sidewalk to the catwalk, bestowing their love for fashion and dynamic colors in the lives of women all over the globe, They have empowered women to create new looks, make a glorifying statement, flaunt their individuality and showcase their creativity. The Maybelline family has always inspired women to feel beautiful and worthy of admiration. Motivated and inspired by established women, Maybelline provides a revolutionary and trendsetting palette of shades that are viable for every woman irrespective of color, creed and ethnicity.

Sharrie Williams Blog... The Maybelline Book at www.maybellinebook.com has registered more than 3 million people from Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine and other nations. She has spoken to various online and print fashion magazines.

Maybelline has included famous celebrities such as Miranda Kerr, Zhang Ziyi, Jessica White and Sheetal Mallar as their brand’s face. Maybelline has a gamut of products ranging from makeup products for eyes, nails, lips, face to beauty accessories like combs, removers, brushes and curlers.

Be sure to stop by my hilarious 1964 Saffrons Rule Blog at http://saffronsrule.com/

My guest blogger, YouTube Personality Kathryn A. Fisher, tells The Maybelline Story and gives a great Tutorial

I am a 56 year old makeup junkie with a ton of ideas to help baby boomers look fabulous! I will be producing videos about skincare and makeup aimed at my fellow over 45 crowd with an eye for bargains...I will also do DIY beauty and pretty cool giveaways. : ) I've lately been doing what is known as a "Docutorial", a combination of a documentary of the cosmetic brand and a makeup tutorial.

I've got loads of experience from using makeup throughout the years. I am a true victim of five decades of fads and makeup mistakes. Experience comes in handy!

I should get credit for the sheer guts to appear on YouTube without makeup on for my tutorials! lol

: D

I look forward to meeting new virtual sisters (and brothers)here. We can all learn from each other in this wonderful beauty blogging community!

Kathy A's: MAYBELLINE History and Full Face Make Over !

Thank you Kathy for making this wonderful video of The Maybelline Story along with showing everyone how to apply Maybelline New York's products today.  I learned a couple new tricks myself and though I still love Maybelline's Great Lash, I will try Maybelline Rocket Mascara  asap.  Your YouTube Channel is great and I love your voice and camera persona.  Your voice is so calm and pleasant and your demonstration easy to follow.  Great  job!  I'm a subscriber now!!!

Press Release ...Award Winning Toastmaster Sharrie Williams shares her Maybelline Story

Press Release

Award Winning Toastmaster Sharrie Williams shares her Maybelline Story

Menifee, California, 27^th March 2014: What started as small and family-owned business went on to become one of the largest and well-known cosmetic giant in United States. The Maybelline story set's trends from the sidewalk to the catwalk, bestowing their love for fashion and dynamic colors in the lives of women all over the globe, They have empowered women to create new looks, make a glorifying statement, flaunt their individuality and showcase their creativity. The Maybelline family has always inspired women to feel beautiful and worthy of admiration. Motivated and inspired by established women, Maybelline provides a revolutionary and trendsetting palette of shades that are viable for every woman irrespective of color, creed and ethnicity.

Come one come all to the Perris Valley Historical Dinner that will feature our special guest of honor, Sherrie Williams from the Maybelline Cosmetics family. She will enlighten us with her family history and their beautiful journey of transforming and inspiring women all over the world. Sherrie Williams will be talking about the rich cultural and business tradition of her cosmetics family on the topic ‘100 Years of Maybelline’. She has already inspired many women around her and across the globe with her encouraging words and shared her beautiful memories that push a woman to dream big for herself.

Her blog The Maybelline Book at www.maybellinebook.com has registered more than 3 million people from Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine and other nations. She has spoken to various online and print fashion magazines and is now waiting to talk to the people of Manifee, California. Prepare yourselves for an eventful evening as Sharrie Williams unfolds The Maybelline Story along with epoch and vintage pictures, cut outs, Maybelline ads and her family photos from the nineteenth and twentieth century on the huge screen at the Motte Classic Car Museum.

The Motte Classic Car Museum will welcome you with decades of historical information...from the vibrant and vivacious 20s to the nifty 50s. The museum’s interior covers king-size nostalgic pictures, an art deco cinema along with a 1950s malt shop diner.

Maybelline Overview: Created and founded by 19 year old Tom Lyle William in 1915, Maybelline Company is one of the largest cosmetic giants in United States. Tom Lyle was inspired by his Sister Mabel who used Vaseline with charcoal to highlight her eyelashes for a fuller look. He renamed the eye makeup he invented as Maybelline to show respect and honor his older sister Mabel. The company roped in famous celebrities such as Miranda Kerr, Zhang Ziyi, Jessica White and Sheetal Mallar as their brand’s face. Maybelline has a gamut of products ranging from makeup products for eyes, nails, lips, face to beauty accessories like combs, removers, brushes and curlers.

Guests will be served a delectable buffet dinner.

RSVP by 25^th March for convenience or pay at the door.

Contact Person for tickets and more information: Katie Keyes

Contact details: 951-956-9081

Known as "The Entertainer's Entertainer,"Country Western Star, Karen Wheeler remember's the day Miss Maybelline Perished

I received this comment from Country Western singer, Karen Wheeler recently and it actually brought me to tears.  She was booked to perform at my grandmother's Palace Dinner Theatre the day "Miss Maybelline" was mysteriously killed.  I would love to talk to Karen and hope she will see this and contact me.  The details of this tragedy are spelled out in The Maybelline Story and it would be my pleasure to send a signed copy of my book to her.

I was booked into the "Palace Dinner Theatre" March 2, 1978. I was supposed to follow Conway Twitty. There was a 3:00 rehearsal and during rehearsal they rushed in to tell us about the Maybelline Manor burning and Mrs. Williams was killed. I was suppose to stay at the Maybelline Manor but when they picked me up at the airport they diverted me to the Rosemont Hotel.


 Karen Wheeler.

On the other side of Conway Twitty's article was an ad announcing Karen Wheeler playing at the Palace.  The paper came out March 2, 1978, hours before Miss Maybelline parished.

Read the whole story in "The Maybelline Story."  Buy a signed copy from the author, Miss Maybelline's granddaughter, Sharrie Williams

Be sure to stop by my Hilarious Saffrons Rule Blog at http://saffronsrule.com/

In Loving Memory of Joyce May Hewes Dennehy one of the last Original Maybelline Cousins

Joyce May Hewes Dennehy 1934 - 2013

Obituary 

In her 20s Joyce moved to DC and worked at the Pentagon as an administrative assistant where she met her husband Rod. She went on a couple of safaris in Africa and took several Earthwatch trips where she worked with wolves, helped newly hatched turtles into the ocean before they were gobbled by predators, and went on a dolphin watch. In Florida Joyce volunteered at a women's crisis center where she handled phone calls and made referrals... She completed her college degree in her 50s. She became very involved in animal welfare and established a charitable foundation after she came back to Illinois. She donated to many causes and liked to contribute to particular projects like a van for a dalmation rescue (dubbed the Lulumobile after her dog Lulu) and a specially built whirlpool for a paralyzed kangaroo later named Joycearoo. 

Joyce was very close to her brother Tom and hoped he was the first person she saw after she passed.  She also loved my uncle Tony. Joyce, Tom and Tony liked to pal around together when he stayed with the Hewes family. 

Joyce Hewes with her uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company, on one of her trips to California.

Joyce with Arnold Anderson, one of the three men living at at her uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, estate in Bel Air California.

Please click on the little box to the right to enlarge page..This beautiful card was made by Joyce's niece's Donna and Linda

An email from Joyce to me

Sharrie I was lucky enough to visit uncle Lyle in Ca. four times. One time our whole family drove out. I remember Tom had just gotten his driver's license and wanted to drive constantly - much to my mother's horror. So I must have been about twelve. We all had such a great time.

Then for some reason when I was in my early 20's my best friend Joan and I flew out for a visit.  This was during the Arnold days. The thing that seemed to most impress Joan was not the lovely house or grounds or view, but the fact that in a household of three men someone thought to provide sanitary napkins in our bathroom. Pretty funny!

Another time I had been on a visit to Hawaii and stopped to visit Uncle Ile in Bel Air for a few days on my way back.. Also in my latter 20's, I was living in Washington DC and two girlfriends and I decided to drive cross country. It was quite an adventure and perhaps the high point was our visit with Unk Ile at the apex of our long journey. We had many adventures.

And of course Uncle Ile returned to Chicago periodically and visited all the families. I was a very shy child but I adored him and he made me very comfortable. He always for the rest of his life called me by my childhood nickname Doikey long after everyone else had forgotten it.

Anyway, Sharrie, I guess I am just trying to make the point that although you lived there and got to see him often, we here knew and loved him dearly.

I have now actually read your book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were some discrepancies which I tried to overlook, but otherwise reading the story of my family written with such love was an excellent experience. Good job.

Joyce

Joyce in the center in blue at the Maybelline family reunion - Virginia, 1990.

Joyce seated between her sister Shirley and her brother Tommy's wife Mary..1995

I was privileged to get to know Joyce the last year of her life through e-mails and Facebook conversations.  We discussed movies, TV show, books and food. She also gave me her opinion on whether she approved of my blog posts or not.  I grew to respect and care about her very much and I'm sad I never was able to meet her in person.  Joyce was only one year old when my dad moved from Chicago to California in 1935, so they never got to each other, however, my dad's half brother Tony lived with Joyce and her family in the early 1940's and she loved him very much.  Last year she was instrumental in finally placing a grave marker on Tony's unmarked grave.  I'm sure he and her brother Tommy were there to welcome her into heaven when she arrived last Christmas.

Here is the post I did about Tony's grave marker.

A forgotten member of the Maybelline Family can at last Rest in Peace. http://www.maybellinebook.com/2012/11/a-forgotten-member-of-maybelline-family.html

In Honor of Joyce, a child in the original Maybelline family

Baby Joyce, in her mother, Maybelline's namesake, Mabel Williams-Hewes arms, her father Chet Hewes and her sister Shirley and brother Tommy...1934

Maybelline cousins...right to left....Tom Lyle Jr. holding Baby Joyce Williams-Hewes, Helen and Annette Williams, my father, Bill Williams, Allen Williams, June Williams-Haines, Shirley Williams-Hewes, Marilyn Williams-Haines, Tommy Williams-Hewes, Dick Williams,
 Bobby Williams-Haines

Rest in Peace Dear Joyce.  Please leave a comment for 
Joyce's sister Shirley and her nieces... Janet, Donna and Linda.

Santa Barbara News Press Article, Featuring my 100 Years of Maybelline Presentation for PEO

Be sure to visit my Hilarious 1964 Saffrons Rule Blog at http://saffronsrule.com/

You're Invited to Attend Sharrie Williams, Maybelline Story Presentation, March 29 at the Motte Historical Car Museum

RSVP requested by March 25th.  For more information and to purchase tickets please call Katie Keyes
 951-956-9081.  You can pay at the door, but must let Katie know you plan to come to guarantee a dinner.

Sharrie Williams with her great-uncle, Maybelline Founder, Tom Lyle Williams,
 one of a kind 1940 Packard Victoria

Motte Car Museum http://www.mottemuseum.com/  Step back in time and enjoy a fun evening as Sharrie Williams unfolds The Maybelline Story with vintage Maybelline Ads and Maybelline family photos on the big screen.

Upon entering the museum, you are greeted by decades of history from the Roaring 20’s to the Nifty 50’s. The interior encompasses life size nostalgic photos, a 1950’s malt shop diner, and an art deco Cinema. 

The Maybelline Story and the Sprited Family Dynasty Behind it video.

Visit Sharrie Williams Hilarious Vintage 1964 Saffrons Rule Blog at  http://saffronsrule.com/

Silent Film Star Mildred Davis "INSPIRING CHANGE"... Maybelline was a simple idea that answered the call of women everywhere who desired enhancement of their natural beauty.

Nobody inspired change in Women's Culture like Tom Lyle Williams and Maybelline. In 1919 he contracted Lovely leading lady, Mildred Davis, star of Harold Lloyd Comedies, to recommend Maybell Beauty Aids. That endorsement opened the doors for American Women to make a stand for beauty and there was no going back once that door opened.
http://www.maybellinebook.com/2011/03/silent-film-star-mildred-davis-was.html

In 1919 women clamored to buy their Maybelline. Beautiful ads in the popular magazines impressed them, and retail stores continue to purchase small amounts of Maybelline. The gravy load of purchases continued through mail orders from the classifieds, but more and more women asked their drugstores to carry it, as now it was okay for women to drop the Victorian image, dress up and use cosmetics. The mass appeal and market for cosmetics was assured with the advent for the dime store. Tom Lyle changed the copy of his ads from “mail order” to “obtainable at your cosmetic dealer.”

 Tom Lyle also changed the packaging to an elegant little red box with gold script and an oval portrait of a suitably prim Gibson Girl type with especially lovely eyes. Inside was a cake of mascara with a tiny mirror and application brush as bonus items. By rubbing the brush back and forth across the cake, women everywhere could then easily stroke their eyelashes into long, dark lovely wisps. It was a simple idea that answered the call of women everywhere for simple solutions to enhance their natural beauty.

International Women's Day 2014 has the theme 'inspiring change' and celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women, while focusing world attention on areas that still need further action

Be sure to visit my hilarious 1964 Saffrons Rule Blog at

http://saffronsrule.com/