Maybelline Logo

Maybelline Logo PNG

The Maybelline logo, representing the fashion brand, has become a classic that combines two opposites: simplicity and sophistication. On the one hand, there is nothing extraordinary in the usual inscription. On the other hand, a minimalist font with wide letter spacing is all the rage right now, while black looks elegant and reminiscent of rich mascara.

Meaning and History

The brand’s first graphic sign appeared in an ad that advertised Lash-Brow-Ine mascara. It was “Maybell Labs” in antiquated type. The name of the company comes from Mabel, the younger sister of Thomas Lyle Williams.

In 1930, the company owner introduced a new emblem with the red word “Maybelline.” It is handwritten in neat calligraphic handwriting. Uppercase “M” is separate from lowercase letters. The font is still handwritten, but the characters’ size and shape have changed: they are now slanted slightly to the right. The bottom ends of the “M” are gracefully curved. In general, the word has become more readable and harmonious.

In the 1960s, there was another version of the logo with the brand name written by hand. The style has changed a bit: it does not look as strict as before. The color remained red. The letters are straight, without the usual slope.

The next redesign coincided with the launch of the first series of lip color cosmetics. The brand’s products were adorned with the strict “Maybelline” lettering, executed in a typographic font with small serifs. The spacing between characters is very narrow – the printed characters touch and even overlap. Another update is reflected in the palette: the traditional red is a thing of the past, giving way to dark blue.

What is Maybelline?

Maybelline is the brand name of Maybelline New York, a company offering a wide range of makeup products, including eyeliners, blushes, eyeshadows, mascaras, foundations, and much more. The brand was founded in 1914 and first entered the market with the product Lash-Brow-Ine. It is now owned by the French cosmetics company L’Oreal and continues to evolve, following the latest trends in the beauty industry.

1920 – 1956

Italic lettering is what was on the cosmetic brand’s debut logo. But still, it had its specificity – double letters. The left half of each mark was colored black, and the right half was dark green. This design made the emblem unique and quickly recognizable. The text was handwritten, expressive, with neatly drawn characters. In style, he belonged to the semi-connected because the first letter was separate from the rest. “M” was framed with calligraphic curls and had an additional deviation to the right – its tops were slightly curved.

1956 – 1979

The emblem of these years has become the complete opposite of the first logo. It was thin, not bold, tilted to the left, not to the right; the “M” was turned away from the rest, not turned towards it. The thread marks looked like they had been written in a hurry on a piece of paper – they were like a reminder of something to remember. In this case, the name of the Maybelline cosmetic brand. Black letters were on a plain white background.

1979 – 1992

In 1979, the company adopted a new single-name logo. The icon never appeared in it. The cosmetics manufacturer decided to focus on simplicity. And it is much more convenient to label products this way, regardless of their shape and volume. The letters were printed, large, with miniature bulges at the ends, resembling small serifs. The main feature of the text was the very close arrangement of characters. They stood so tightly that they connected. Only two “l” and “i” were isolated.

1992 – 1996

In 1990, the trademark was acquired by the Wasserstein Perella investment company from New York. Shortly after that, Maybelline had a new logo – with wide printable sans serif characters and a narrow underline. It has been featured in video ads featuring Marcus van der Loo and Christy Nicole Turlington.

1996 – 2002

In 1996, the brand became part of the French concern L’Oréal. The designers changed the style of the logo, making the font smaller and making the letters bold. And to the word “Maybelline,” they added the name of the city of New York, where the headquarters was moved.

2002 – 2019

At the beginning of the third millennium, the developers brought back the logo of the 1990s. They modernized the old version by removing the long horizontal line and placing the phrase “New York” in the lower right corner under “Maybelline.”

2019 – today

After a series of experiments with type, letter spacing, and character size, the designers settled on their optimal ratio. Now the signs’ size is perfectly comparable with the distance between them and the width of the legs. At the bottom right is the name of the city where the brand comes from. The word “New York” is in small uppercase letters and takes up space under “LINE.”

Font and Colors

From 1915 to the present day, the logo of the American cosmetics brand experimented with lettering style. Its evolution moved unevenly – in jerks because thick letters alternated with thin ones. This is how the eras and design changed: the debut version has the widest symbols, the 2002-2019 version has narrow ones. The bold version is currently in use. It is characterized by clarity, optimal lettering, and good legibility.

The developers opted for the Sanzettica 3 Regular Expended typeface. It fits perfectly with the concept that the company’s management wanted to emphasize. Therefore, the emblem is easy to perceive, looks presentable, and easy to read. In terms of color, the brand adheres to the classic canon – black and white. Based on this, her logos always use dark letters on a light background.

Maybelline color codes

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