7. Past Product Lines

Picture: When Mary Kay debuted her products in 1963, the entire line consisted of the basic set of five skin care products and four additional items: rouge, a lip and eye palette, mascara and an eyebrow pencil. The early Mary Kay® skin care products had their origins in a formula that Mary Kay Ash was introduced to in the early 1950s. Mary Kay was amazed at the results she personally received, so in 1963 she bought the formulations. She believed that with the right packaging, an innovative marketing concept, and a lot of hard work, her dream Company could become a reality. The cost of the set was $15.95. 1964 Products: In 1964, Mary Kay changed its product containers to pink. This color was chosen to serve as beautiful accessories in bathrooms that were predominately tiled in white. As Mary Kay Ash said about the early 60s, “Almost every home in America had a white bathroom. Then, as now, people usually had their countertops filled with cans and jars of deodorants, hair sprays, perfumes and cosmetics … I wanted containers that would be so attractive that women would want to leave them out on display. We considered many colors and ultimately decided that a soft, delicate pink would look best with those white-tile bathrooms.” Throughout the years, Mary Kay® packaging has continually been updated to reflect more contemporary looks. First Lipsticks: In 1963, when the Company launched its first products, Mary Kay invented the lip and eye palette to help manage inventory levels. Mary Kay® Lasting Color lipstick was introduced in 1988 in answer to many requests from the independent sales force and their customers. Lipstick first entered the Mary Kay line as limited edition items, with the Company offering eight spring shades.