Mary Kay celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, but the company shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, Euromonitor International named Mary Kay the No. 1 direct selling brand of skin care and color cosmetics in the world. Also last year, Chairman David Holl was inducted into the US Direct Selling Association Hall of Fame.

Forbes ranked Mary Kay No. 233 in its list of the largest private companies in the US. In recent years, Forbes honored Mary Kay as a Best Mid-Size Employer, Best Employer for Diversity and Best Employer for Women.

For the first time, Mary Kay held its US Leadership Conference in Fort Worth. Nearly 4,500 leaders in the independent sales force attended the event, which was held in January 2024.

In May, Mary Kay awarded three grants to five standout high school scientists, selected from nearly 2,000 participants representing almost 70 countries at the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles. The grants—totaling nearly $10,000—were awarded to students with innovative projects focused on finding cures for cancers affecting women, sustainable packaging innovation and protecting Earth’s resources. ISEF, a program of the Society for Science for over 70 years, is the world’s largest global science competition for high school students.

In addition, Mary Kay continues to fund the Society of Cosmetic Chemists’ Madam CJ Walker Scholarship Award. It supports under-represented minorities of any gender identity pursuing an undergraduate in STEM disciplines related to the cosmetics and personal care industry. The Scholarship is now in its fourth year.

Sales: $3.2 billion

Even at 60, Mary Kay is always in the pink!

On September 13, Mary Kay will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Last year, Ryan Rogers, grandson of company founder Mary Kay Ash, was named CEO. He replaced David Holl, who retired after a nearly 30-year career with Mary Kay. Holl remains chairman. Richard R. Rogers, Ryan’s father and Mary Kay Ash’s grandson, remains executive chairman.

Ryan Rogers began his career as an associate in the Transaction Services Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Dallas. He joined Mary Kay Inc. in 2000 as a financial analyst and has held several positions including project manager, director of strategic initiatives, and vice president of strategic initiatives before assuming the role of chief investment officer in 2013. Since 2001 he has served as vice president of The Mary Kay Ash Foundation.
Rogers earned his undergraduate degree in business from Southern Methodist University and became a certified financial advisor in 2002.

Mary Kay was built on door-to-door direct sales, but to thrive in the future, the company is accelerating its digital efforts. It is helping its independent beauty consultants reach their full potential by launching digital tools such as award-winning apps with augmented reality.

In 2022, Mary Kay was named a best managed US company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal.

Sales: $2.8 billion

Mary Kay is the largest, pure play direct sales beauty company in the US. The company is also a leader in R&D, with more than 1,700 patents. Two of the most recent include a plant-based acne treatment (US Patent No. 11,213,465 B2) and a skin care formula featuring Phyllanthus Emblica fruit extract (US Patent No. 11,185,492 B2). For the record, the longest produced Mary Kay product is Extra Emollient Night Cream. The top-selling Mary Kay product of all time? Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover.

In May, Mary Kay was selected as a 2022 US Best Managed Company. Sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, the program recognizes outstanding US private companies and the achievements of its management teams.

Mary Kay’s Richard R. Rogers (R3) Manufacturing/R&D Center in Lewisville, TX.

In January, Michelle Hines, PhD, was installed as president of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. Hines is director, product formulation, Mary Kay.

Founded nearly 60 years ago, Mary Kay has millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. It empowers women on their journey through education, mentorship, advocacy, networking and innovation.

“Mary Kay is honored to be recognized by Deloitte, especially in the category of commitment to our people,” said Melinda Foster Sellers, chief people office at Mary Kay Inc. “Our people are the foundation of the incredible work we do around the world and are the reason we’ve made such an impact on female empowerment and entrepreneurialism since 1963.”

The 2022 designees are US private companies that have demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people and fostering a dynamic, resilient culture, as well as strong financials. This year’s designees continued to propel its businesses forward by prioritizing purpose, investing in its workforces, and demonstrating its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Applicants are evaluated and selected by a panel of external judges focused on assessing hallmarks of excellence in four key areas: strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and governance/financial performance. They join a global ecosystem of honorees from more than 40 countries recognized by the Best Managed Companies program.

Last year, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation marked its silver anniversary. Since its founding in 1996, the Foundation has contributed more than $80 million to organizations aligned with its two-fold mission of funding research for cancers affecting women and ending domestic violence and gender-based violence against women and girls.

Sales: $2.7 billion

Mary Kay TimeWise Replenishing Serum C+E is a powerful facial serum. The highly potent antioxidant, vitamin E, teams up with pure vitamin C in an age-defying duo that’s better together, according to the company.

Sales dipped 10% last year, according to the Direct Selling Association.

While working at World Gift in 1963, a man Mary Kay Ash had trained was promoted over her at twice her salary. She left the job in disgust, intending to write a book to help women in business. To get started, she created two lists—one would contain the good things that she had seen in the companies she had worked for and the other would contain the features that needed to be improved. Reviewing the list Mary Kay realized she had created the model for a business that could help women reach financial success.

Nearly 60 years later, Mary Kay Inc. continues to empower women through business and charitable organizations by supporting cancer research and protecting survivors from domestic abuse. Last year, The Mary Kay Foundation partnered with Care USA and the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund). Through the partnership, Mary Kay is funding projects to protect women and girls in 70 countries and territories.

Sales: $3 billion

Mary Kay is the largest US direct sales beauty company. The company recently opened its $100 million-plus manufacturing and research facility in Lewisville, TX. Last year, Mary Kay researchers focused on three pillars of skin health, including pollution, skin barrier health and sensitive skin. For example, at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists in December, Dr. Lucy Gildea, chief scientific officer, Mary Kay, told attendees that new research suggests that microbes play an important role in overall skin health and that her company is heavily invested in microbe research.

“We have a commitment to take an active role in the beauty and scientific communities through participation in global dermatological conferences,” added Gildea.

MK executives were certainly on the road quite often in 2019 to discuss pollution, skin barrier health and sensitive skin. At Reunión Anual de Dermatólogos Latinamericanos (RADLA) in Buenos Aires, Gildea moderated a session with three Brazilian dermatologists who concluded that antioxidants are a viable way to counteract the negative effects of pollution on skin. A month later, Dr. Michelle Hines, global upstream research & technology, was at the 24th World Congress of Dermatology in Milan, where MK hosted a session with two dermatologists who discussed the impact of environmental stressors on skin. And in June, Hines detailed the benefits of Mary Kay TimeWise Miracle Set 3D skin care at the 5th Future Formulations in Cosmetics Summit in Dusseldorf.

Regarding skin barrier health and sensitive skin, in March, at the 20th World Dermatology Congress in Singapore, Senior Principal Scientist David Gan presented new insights in evaluating and understanding facial redness. Based on this work, Mary Kay scientists identified skin care technology that helps reduce production of pro-inflammatory proteins and enzymes skin and developed a cosmetic formulation containing these ingredients to effectively address facial redness using unique clinical measures. In August, Mary Kay China’s Senior Manager for Medical Affairs, Dr. Jenny Jiang, shared strategies to improve the skin barrier function and facial redness at the Annual Meeting of the Dermatology Committee organized by the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine. And in November, Mary Kay sponsored the 44th annual meeting of The Japanese Society of Investigative Dermatology (JSID) in Aomori, Japan. Gildea moderated a symposium exploring environmental protection strategies against skin aging in Asians, protein response to skin inflammation and skin barrier defects. At the Skin of Color Society Symposium in Washington DC in March, Dr. Shoná Burkes-Henderson, associate principal scientist, clinical research, detailed research on navy bean extract and its ability to regulate melanogenesis to improve uneven skin tone and facial hyperpigmentation. Burkes-Henderson also presented an approach to improve facial erythema at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.

In May, Associate Principal Scientist Dr. Tiffany Carle attended 77th Annual Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in Chicago, where she presented data from analyzing the effects of a serum containing five botanical fruit extracts known to be rich in vitamin C on skin appearance. As part of this study, Mary Kay researchers treated artificial skin tissue with this serum and utilized a genomic approach to understand how the serum affected the skin.

The following month, Mary Kay sponsored the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society of America (UPMASA) 34th Annual Grand Convention (AGC) in Dallas. The conference convened more than 500 doctors from the US and the Philippines to discuss topics ranging from dermatology to orthopedics and neurology.

In September, Mary Kay shared research targeting the causes and underlying mechanisms of slackened skin at the 49th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) held in Bordeaux, France. Dr. Michelle Hines shared data on technology that targeted slackened skin leading to improvement in skin clinical measures.

Sales: $3.6 billion.

Mary Kay had an eventful 55th year. Last November, Mary Kay announced the opening of a new US-based global manufacturing and research and development facility in Lewisville, TX. Named in honor of company co-founder, executive chairman and son of Mary Kay Ash, the Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing/R&D Center will support Mary Kay’s needs in producing skin care products, color cosmetics and fragrances for millions of beauty consultants in nearly 40 countries.

“The opening of the Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing/R&D Center marks an exciting milestone in our company’s 55-year history,” explained David Holl, president and CEO for Mary Kay Inc. “Approximately 75% of our current business is overseas and more than 50% of Mary Kay products produced at our US manufacturing facility are exported to our international markets. As an innovation leader, this new facility will also allow us to continue producing best-in-industry products today, while practicing sustainability for the future.”

Also in the Fall, the company appointed Deborah Gibbins as the chief operating officer at the company’s global headquarters in Addison, TX. In her new role as COO, Gibbins assumed responsibility for the global supply chain and research and development organization including the new global Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing/R&D Center. Prior to joining Mary Kay, Gibbins spent 17 years at PepsiCo, where she held senior roles within the finance function, including SVP of revenue management at Frito-Lay North America, a multi-billion-dollar convenient foods business unit. In addition, Mary Kay announced the appointments of Chaun Harper as senior vice president-chief manufacturing officer, and Dr. Lucy Gildea as senior vice president-chief scientific officer.

Meanwhile, in New York City, the company celebrated its anniversary by partnering with the Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) to unveil a special exhibition, “Pink: The History of a Punk, Pretty, Powerful Color.” The exhibit sought to honor the history of the color that Mary Kay has been associated with for more than 50 years (for more on the event, visit Happi.com).

Earlier this year, Mary Kay participated in the 37th annual Reunion Annual de Dermatologos Latinoamericanos in Buenos Aires. At the May conference, Mary Kay presented research focused on skin concerns stemming from diesel exhaust particles in the environment. Continued exposure to these particles increases free radicals in skin cells, which can ultimately impact premature signs of skin aging, like dark spots and dullness.

Fortunately, Mary Kay also presented findings on an antioxidant complex that delays the premature signs of aging related to the damaging effects of diesel exhaust particles. This breakthrough technology, found in the Mary Kay TimeWise Miracle Set 3D skin care line, is said to provide a powerful free-radical regimen with an exclusive, patent-pending, three-dimensional approach to skin aging.
“Mary Kay scientists spent years researching the latest ingredient innovations to develop our newest skin care collection that defends against free radicals and helps delay the onset of premature skin aging from unavoidable environmental and lifestyle stressors such as car exhaust and air pollution,” said Gildea.

In May, Holl was ranked among the top 10 most reputable chief executives in the world according to the Reputation Institute’s CEO RepTrak 2019. The Reputation Institute, a leading provider of reputation measurement, measured the reputation of more than 140 global CEOs and canvassed more than 230,000 individual ratings among the informed public. The study was conducted in January and February of this year.

“David’s leadership and operational expertise since being named CEO in 2006 has contributed significantly to Mary Kay’s success,” said Rogers. “Mary Kay is a brand born of purpose, and David’s steadfast commitment to our founding values has made him a truly extraordinary chief executive officer and people leader.”

Sales: $3.2 billion.

Sales fell 8% last year at privately-held Mary Kay, according to industry estimates.

In May, Mary Kay launched TimeWise Miracle Set 3D—the largest product launch in company history. The new skin care line takes a three-dimensional approach to premature skin-aging to defend against free radicals, to delay the onset of premature skin aging from the unavoidable environmental and lifestyle stressors, and deliver visible results of younger-looking skin in only weeks, according to Mary Kay.

“TimeWise Miracle Set 3D reflects not only years of research on the latest ingredient innovations, but also an understanding of how today’s environment impacts the look of skin aging,” said Dr. Lucy Gildea, chief scientific officer at Mary Kay Inc. “It has been known that free radicals contribute to the look of premature skin aging but it’s a broader scope of what triggers free radicals that came to light in recent years. More than just UV rays, other environmental stressors and lifestyle factors such as car exhaust, air pollution, stress and lack of sleep can lead to the production of free radicals. Since we can’t avoid these aggressors completely, our newest skin care line introduces the latest in skin science to provide powerful antioxidant protection with visible results to help defy the look of aging.”

The patented formula contains three ingredients:

• Encapsulated resveratrol, which provides antioxidant benefits in three ways;
• Vitamin B3, a brightener and antioxidant; and
• A peptide to support skin’s natural collagen and elastin for a more youthful, resilient look.

R&D breakthroughs aside, Mary Kay insists it is breaking down economic barriers for women around the world. In September, the company opened the doors to its new Peruvian headquarters in Lima. The initial $9 million investment is said to strengthen Mary Kay’s business in Latin America. The move follows Mary Kay successful launch in neighboring Colombia in 2015.

“We are proud to further expand our operations in Latin America with the opening of Mary Kay Peru,” said David Holl, president and chief executive officer for Mary Kay Inc. “As the demand for high quality products increases and the entrepreneurial spirit strengthens with the country’s economic growth, we anticipate a successful launch in Peru.”

Sales: $3.5 billion.

Sales fell 5% at one of the world’s biggest direct sellers of cosmetics, but Mary Kay Inc. is focused firmly on the future. On September 13, 2016, the company broke ground on a 480,000 square foot, US-based manufacturing and R&D facility. The event took place exactly 53 years to the day after Mary Kay Ash launched her company.

Two key personnel moves took place this year. In January, Nathan Moore was named president of Mary Kay North America. He replaced Darrell Overcash who retired. Prior to this appointment, Moore served as Mary Kay Inc.’s chief legal officer and secretary where he managed all aspects of the company’s legal, public affairs, risk management, corporate communications and corporate social responsibility efforts.

In April, Mary Kay named Dr. Lucy Gildea as chief scientific officer.  Gildea will lead the global R&D function and develop and execute Mary Kay’s global product strategy and innovation pipeline.

Prior to joining Mary Kay, she spent 15 years at P&G, working in health care, oral care, beauty technology and beauty/skin product development. During her tenure, Dr. Gildea lived in Singapore, advancing her experience with Asian markets.

“The opportunity to serve as the new chief scientific officer for Mary Kay Inc. allows me to marry my passions for science, innovation and empowering women,” said Gildea. “Through leading Mary Kay’s global research and development, I am excited to be on the front lines of innovation to create beauty products that invigorate our independent sales force, as well as their customers, around the world.”

Founder Mary Kay Ash built her company by connecting with consumers on a personal level, but that doesn’t mean her company won’t evolve with the times. Earlier this year, beauty fans around the world voted Mary Kay Inc. “Best Pinterest,” “Best YouTube” and “Best App” for 2016’s #beauty20 Awards presented by innoCos Digital. The annual program recognizes beauty brands that are finding innovative ways to connect with consumers through digital technology and social media. Mary Kay has been named a top digital marketer in the #beauty20 Awards for four consecutive years.

Sales: $4 billion.

Sales were flat at privately-held Mary Kay in 2015, but the company continued to make news in the global cosmetics category. Last year, the company was awarded more than 130 patents; an achievement that enabled Mary Kay Inc. to reach a milestone of more than 1,200 patents for products, technologies and packaging designs in its global portfolio.

Notable utility patents awarded to Mary Kay in 2015 for skin care technologies and product formulations included Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Lifting Serum, Mary Kay TimeWise Body Targeted-Action Toning Lotion and Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Eye Renewal Cream. For packaging innovations, design patents were awarded to the Mary Kay Cityscape Eau de Parfum and Mary Kay Cityscape Cologne Spray bottles, Mary Kay Lash Intensity Mascara and Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Fill Deep Wrinkle Filler.

“The patent process spurs innovation,” noted John Wiseman, vice president and associate general counsel for intellectual property and innovation for Mary Kay Inc. “Because we can protect our inventions, we have an incentive to continue inventing great things.” From inspiration to formulation to distribution, each new product passes through a series of stringent research and consumer testing procedures. Mary Kay Inc. invests millions of dollars in research and development and conducts more than 500,000 tests each year to ensure Mary Kay products meet the highest standards of quality, safety and performance.”

The company has high standards when it comes to social media, too. Mary Kay took home Best Facebook, Best Pinterest and Best YouTube honors at the 2015 #beauty20 Awards.

In November, the company announced it plans to build a $100 million global manufacturing and research and development plant in Lewisville, TX.

“We are committed to the latest in technological innovation and Mary Kay’s new facility will be on the leading edge of design, construction and production,” said David Holl, president and chief executive officer. “Our analysis identified a site in Lewisville as the optimal location for our new facility that will enable us to continue to provide the highest quality skin care and color cosmetics for our more than 3.5 million independent sales force members worldwide.”

The criteria for selecting the new site included employee and logistical considerations, as well as proximity to the company’s other local facilities, including its global headquarters in Addison, a distribution center in Carrollton and a warehouse in Dallas.

Sales: $4 billion.

While its direct sales competitors stumble, 2014 marked another year of double-digit gains for privately-held Mary Kay. The company boasts 3.5 million representatives around the world, at a time when many direct sales companies are struggling to maintain their sales base. How? By developing product lines such as Mary Kay at Play that appeal to Gen Y consumers, and by offering novel anti-aging formulas to Baby Boomers via the Time Wise collection.

Earlier this year, the company filed suit against Google Ventures-backed RetailMeNot, a user-generated coupon site that dominates search rankings for coupon searches. Mary Kay went to court noting that it doesn’t sell directly to the public, nor does it offer deals or coupons. Mary Kay lawyers maintain that RetailMeNot’s presentation of Mary Kay coupons misleads consumers and harms the brand and its relationship with its independent consultants. Last year, RetailMeNot claimed more than 450 million consumer visits to its sites.

In May, Mary Kay entered its newest market, Colombia and its products are now available in more than 35 countries, including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

Last month, The Direct Selling Association (DSA) inducted Michael Lunceford, senior VP-public affairs for Mary Kay Inc., into its Hall of Fame. Lunceford was honored for his substantial contributions to the DSA, the Direct Selling Education Foundation and the direct selling industry over a more than 30-year career. Lunceford is the fourth executive from Mary Kay to be inducted into the DSA Hall of Fame. Past inductees include Mary Kay Inc. founder Mary Kay Ash in 1976, Monty Barber in 1988 and former Mary Kay vice chairman Richard C. Bartlett in 1994.

Through the Mary Kay Foundation, the company has been a big supporter of ending women’s cancers and domestic violence. Trough the years, the Foundation has awarded more than $17 million to cancer researchers and $37 million to shelters and programs.

Also last month, the company retained CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, to explore future options for the company’s global manufacturing and research and development (R&D) facility located in Dallas. The analysis by CBRE will provide insight and analysis for Mary Kay Inc. as the company considers updating its existing operation or building a new facility to house both manufacturing and R&D.

“Approximately 75% of our business is overseas today and yet more than 50% of Mary Kay products produced at the Dallas manufacturing facility are exported to our international markets,” said David Holl, president and chief executive officer for Mary Kay Inc. “As we approach the status of a top five beauty brand globally, it’s essential that we continue to have state-of-the-art manufacturing and research and development facilities to produce the highest quality skin care and color cosmetics for our more than 3.5 million independent sales force members worldwide.”

Mary Kay’s current global manufacturing facility opened on Regal Row in Dallas in 1969. Today, the 420,000-square-foot facility produces up to 1.1 million units of made-in-America products per day, of which 57% are exported to Mary Kay Inc.’s international markets. As CBRE completes its analysis, construction sites for a possible new facility will be considered in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

“Whether we update our current Regal Row facility or explore options to build a new one, our investment could range from $80 to $100 million,” said Holl. “As we have been for more than 50 years, Mary Kay is committed to ensuring that our products consistently meet or exceed consumer expectations. The analysis from CBRE will help point us in the right direction as we continue to provide best-in-the-industry products to our Mary Kay brand lovers worldwide.”

Following the completion of CBRE’s analysis, Mary Kay Inc. is expected to make a decision regarding the manufacturing and research and development facility by the end of 2015.

Mary Kay Inc. employs approximately 600 manufacturing and R&D employees in Dallas.

Sales: $3.5 billion

The company celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 13, 2013. Beauty by Mary Kay was founded in a 500 square-foot store front in Dallas, TX, with five beauty products displayed on a single metal shelf and nine independent beauty consultants. Now, Mary Kay Inc. has more than 200 products that are sold in 37 countries around the world by three million independent beauty consultants.

Mary Kay Ash may be gone, but she would certainly be pleased with the company that she created. Sales jumped more than 16% last year, as the company added 350,000 new independent sales force members.

“Our 50th anniversary has been a record-setting year for our company,” said David Holl, president and chief executive officer for Mary Kay Inc. “Women of all backgrounds and ages continue to turn to Mary Kay for the products they love and trust as well as the unparalleled opportunity.”

To engage with the next generation of Mary Kay brand lovers, the company introduced Mary Kay At Play, a new line of color cosmetics that is specifically for younger consumers. Those younger, web-savvy consumers voted Mary Kay the best beauty website, at the First Beauty 2.0 Awards held in Paris in November. Mary Kay beat out more than 300 entries. The site attracted about 67 million visitors last year.

Sales: $3 billion

Sales were flat last year at Mary Kay, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013. The company notes that more than 2.5 million people around the world are Mary Kay consultants—and a growing number of these consultants are based in India.

Mary Kay India will spend approximately $20 million during the next five years, as it eyes expansion in a country with a fast-growing middle class.

Plans include expansion in Goa and Maharashtra with a new warehouse and more offices, according to the company, which first entered the country in 2007.

“I am happy to be back again to see Mary Kay India expanding,” said K.K. Chua, president, APAC, Mary Kay Inc. “Mary Kay entered into the Indian market in 2007 with a commitment to initially invest $20 million over a period of five years and additional $10 million announced last year. Mary Kay products are sold in more than 35 global markets. Women around the world, and now in India, know that Mary Kay offers products they can trust from a company in which they can believe.

“Our expansion strategy is all about understanding Indian consumer needs and offering them the best value for their money. We will continue to expand in terms of more corporate offices and warehouses in the future too. We also periodically launch exciting campaigns to connect with our consumers,” added Hina Nagarajan, country manager, Mary Kay Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd.

India isn’t the only growth region for Mary Kay. In an interview with Happi earlier this year, Marie Swisher, the company’s vice president of brand development, noted that March 2013 was a record-breaking sales month for the company due, in large part, to the continued success of recruitment efforts in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

“Every region has momentum,” she told Happi. “But Asia-Pacific, China and Latin America are leading the way.”

For the foreseeable future, Mary Kay expects steady growth around the globe, but driven by different product categories in different regions. For example, in Latin America, fragrance sales are expanding; in Asia-Pacific, it’s skin care and in Europe, it is all about color, according to Swisher.

Sales: $3 billion.

The company says sales rose 15% last year to top the $3 billion mark. Once again, Mary Kay was recognized by Brand Keys as a “brand that delights” because of the company’s high level of customer engagement and satisfaction. Brand Keys’ 2012 Customer Loyalty Index Survey examined customers’ relationships with 598 brands across 83 categories. MaryKay tied for first as the top brand in the cosmetics category and was listed as one of the top 20 brands overall in the “Brands That Delight” category.And, it was the only cosmetics brand to crack the top 20.

Mary Kay Lash Primer is new for Summer 2012.

“Being recognized as a brand that delights by Brand Keys offers additional validation to Mary Kay’s steadfast commitment to offering a great opportunity for women, exceptional customer service and products that are simply irresistible,” said Sheryl Adkins-Green, MaryKay Inc.’s chief marketing officer. “These three critical pillars influence all aspects of our business. We hope that anyone who interacts with the MaryKay brand can say with confidence, I love Mary Kay.”

The company has 2.4 million independent beauty consultants who operate in more than 35 countries around the world. To celebrate International Women’s Day, March 8, 2012, thousands of “Mary Kay family members” helped their fellow neighbors by volunteering more than 197,010 hours of community service—or more than 22 years of service valued at more than $4 million.

Sales: $2.5 billion

Mary Kay’s Apricot Twist eyeshadow.

Sales were flat last year. Mary Kay products are sold in more than 30 markets worldwide, and the global Mary Kay independent sale force exceeds 2 million. Loyalty has always played a big role at the company and with consumers too. In a 2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) survey, Mary Kay, along with Lancôme, Elizabeth Arden, Clairol, L’Oréal, Aveda and Suave received high marks. According to Brand Keys, innovation is key, whether it’s innovation in the products themselves, or innovation in how those products are put into the hands of consumers—from rapid delivery to product introductions—and the after-life of service and support that the consumer experiences.

In product news, Mary Kay TimeWise Liquid Foundations comes in a wide variety of shades and choice of finishes for different skin types and the bonus of age-fighting benefits.

Over the years, the company has been involved in an array of programs in support of women. One of its latest is the Beauty That Counts Initiative. On sale from Sept. 10 to Dec. 15, Mary Kay will donate $1 from each sale of limited edition Beauty That Counts Creme Lipsticks to The Mary Kay Foundation in its efforts to end domestic violence.

Sales: $2.5 billion

Sales slipped 3% last year at privately-held Mary Kay, but maybe India can turn that around. In March, the company announced plans to expand product development and infrastructure in India. It will reportedly invest approximately $20 million for the same in the next five years. Mary Kay entered India in 2007 and currently has 4,000 direct sellers in the country.

Mary Kay’s new TimeWise Body Hand & Décolleté Cream Sunscreen SPF 15 is powered by superfruits to simultaneously target the skin on the hands and décolleté, according to the company. A patent-pending açai berry extract is combined with lipid-rich pomegranate sterols to help strengthen the skin barrier and increase hydration.

Over the years, the company has been involved in an array of programs in support of women. One of its latest is the Beauty That Counts Initiative. On sale through Sept. 15, Mary Kay will donate $1 from each sale of limited edition Beauty That Counts Creme Lipsticks to The Mary Kay Foundation in its efforts to end domestic violence.

Mary Kay products are sold in more than 35 markets worldwide, and the global Mary Kay independent sales force exceeds 2 million.

Sales: $2.6 billion.

The Mary Kay compact can be customized for the new color season.

Sales rose more than 8% last year. Mary Kay products are sold in more than 35 markets worldwide, and the global Mary Kay independent sales force exceeds 1.9 million.

In October, The Mary Kay Virtual Makeover tool launched around the world and in May, the company introduced an option for brides on Virtual Makeover on its website at: www.marykay.com/whatsnew/virtualmakeover.

In March, Mary Kay expanded into Singapore.

What Women Want…Courtesy of Mary Kay
Mary Kay has always been a company devoted to women, so it’s no surprise that earlier this year it completed a global research project to find out exactly “what women want.” The company conducted learning sessions in seven countries: the U.S. (including Latina women), Mexico, China, Russia, Brazil, Korea and Ukraine. Women were randomly selected from among a larger group who met the age, lifestyle and other factors of interest to Mary Kay. So what are the 10 things that women want now?
1. Completeness
2. Strength & Independence
3. Family + Choice
4. Fulfilling Career
5. Connection/sisterhood
6. Personal Income
7. Men, sometimes
8. Pampering
9. Social Media
10. Trust
To find how these wants fit into women’s lives, visit http://reflections.marykay.com.

Sales: $2.4 billion.

Mary Kay Inc., one of the largest direct sellers of skin care and color cosmetics in the world, achieved a 9% gain with $2.4 billion in wholesale sales.

Abroad, Mary Kay entered India with a successful opening on Sept. 13, 2007—exactly 44 years after Mary Kay Ash started the company in the U.S.

Through the end of 2008, Mary Kay will introduce a first-of-its-kind Mary Kay global campaign. During the Beauty that Counts promotion, Mary Kay will donate 100% of its profits of the sale of Mary Kay Crème Lipstick in Apple Berry to global causes.