Maybelline was founded in 1915 by T.L. Williams. Since Williams' sister Maybel originally put forth the idea to create a product for darkening eyelashes, he decided to name the business after her. The company’s first product was called Maybelline Cake Mascara. It came out in 1917 and was sold only by mail. By the 1930s, the company had increased its product line to include eye shadow and eyebrow pencils. With its continuing success, Maybelline cosmetic products were eventually made available in retail stores. During the 1970s, Maybelline would further expand its line to include lipsticks, nail polish and foundation. In 1996, the company was obtained by L’Oreal, USA Inc. from Schering-Plough Corp.