13. Mary Kay
Dallas, Texas
www.marykay.com

Beauty Sales: $3 billion

Key Personnel: Richard Rogers, executive chairman; David Holl, president and chief executive officer; Sheryl Adkins-Green, chief marketing officer; K.K. Chua, president Asia Pacific region; Tara Eustace, president European Region; Darrell Overcash, president North America region; Jose Smeke, president Latin American region.

Major Products: Skincare, makeup, body care, sun care, men’s and fragrance marketed under the Mary Kay and TimeWise brand names.

New Products: TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Set, TimeWise Age-Fighting Lip Liner, The Limited Edition Hollywood Mystique Collection, Mary Kay Brow Gel, Gel Eyeliner with Expandable Brush, Cooling Aftershave Gel, Mary Kay Lash Love Waterproof Mascara.

Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu Firm Eye Renewal Cream is part of the New MK anti-aging five-product regime, TimeWise Repair.

Comments: It seems that an influx of younger sales consultants are helping to boost Mary Kay’s bottom line. At a time when finding employment can be difficult for college grads and young people, many are taking advantage of the possibilities of an entrepreneurial opportunity in selling Mary Kay products. In the states most affected by a down market, almost 20,000 people between the ages of 18 and 30 signed on to start MK businesses. Of the 94,000 people with startups in the second quarter of 2012, a third of them were reported to belong to Gen Y. In total, the company has more than 2.4 million independent beauty consultants who operate in more than 35 countries around the world.

Sales in 2011 slightly exceeded the $3 billion mark.

In July 2012, Mary Kay launched a new Virtual Makeover app for smartphones and tablets. The Mary Kay Virtual Makeover app has the same features as the online version but in the convenience of a mobile device. The makeover app won the Direct Selling Association’s 2012 Ethos Award in mobile technology.

Perhaps, due in part to the popular online version, in July, the corporate website reached its 1 millionth Facebook fan—the number recognized by brands as the benchmark for successful consumer engagement.

Mary Kay is known for its commitment to social responsibility and its programs for helping women.

From Sept. 15–Oct. 31, 2011, Mary Kay donated $1 to the Mary Kay Foundation from each purchase of Give Hope, Give Joy and Give Dreams, lipstick shades to assist the Foundation’s efforts to end domestic violence.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, in March 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.

Earlier this year, the Mary Kay Museum—the exhibition at the cosmetic direct seller’s corporate headquarters—was voted the No. 1 sightseeing destination in Dallas—outranking the JFK Memorial, Cowboys Stadium and other popular Dallas-area attractions including the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Last month, Sheryl Adkins-Green, Mary Kay’s chief marketing officer received the Academy of Marketing Science’s 2012 “Global Marketer Award.”

The newest addition to Mary Kay’s popular TimeWise skin care line, the TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Set, recently earned the Good Housekeeping Seal from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.