Stila is a company that is taking makeup to a whole new level. Learn more about their history, their cosmetics, and their philosophies below:

It all started with a single pan eye shadow and a lip color, packaged plainly in recycled cardboard. It was beauty stripped down to the bare essentials, the logo in simple typeface without any of the usual trappings. In 1994, when makeup artist Jeanine Lobell first sold her idea for a new brand of cosmetics called Stila, the industry was a very different place: It was a little stuffy, a little staid and starving for something new.

“I was inspired to create Stila by everything else that was going on in my life — I was always wanting products and colors for my makeup kit that didn’t exist. I was motivated to develop my own packaging by the family recycling bin-what went in it, and more importantly, what didn’t. I was inspired by people on the street, books, vintage photography, fashion, you name it …I was actually stunned that people “got” what I was doing, and seemed to want more.”

The colors were fashion-focused but wearable, and the formulas were designed to be easy to use for both makeup artists and novices. The lip colors were named for influential women in Lobell's life, and the lid of each cheek color and eye shadow package was inscribed with thoughtful quotes and lyrics from strong-minded, soulful, and undeniably stylish ladies. That’s a combination of traits that came to define the “Stila girl:” smart, confident, inherently stylish and up on what's happening in the world.

Well, needless to say, the industry got the shot of innovation it was craving, and the Stila star was formed. And the brand grew along with the success of its founder, Lobell, who had started her career working with music videos and had become a trusted makeup artist among style-conscious movie starlets.

As Lobell’s career (and Lobell’s regular clients) gained momentum in the entertainment industry, her editorial assignments broke through the magazine stratosphere, as well. Cover shoots for Vanity Fair, In Style, Elle, Marie Claire, and Glamour became regular events. And if the stars seemed to shine just a little brighter on the red carpets, you tune in to the Oscars and see Diane Lane, Cate Blanchett, or Natalie Portman looking even more gorgeous than ever, then you knew that Jeanine had a hand in it somehow.

Clearly, Lobell is a multi-media makeup superstar. But to hear her tell it, this NYC-based mother of four just happens to be in the right place at the right time. “It’s all about timing,” she says. “This is definitely the era of celebrity mania, and these are people I’ve worked with for years. It’s so exciting to see them get all these magazine covers. And of course it’s great for me to do the makeup.”

Not only does the steady work with actors bring Lobell and the brand a high level of exposure, the sets of magazine shoots, film, and television serve also as a testing ground for new products. Convertible Color and Lip Glaze are perfect examples of on-the-job ingenuity. On shoots, when it came time for cheek color, Lobell resorted to smudging on lipstick for a natural-looking flush of color rather than use a stuffy old powder blush that sat, lifeless, on top of the skin. Deciding she wanted to perfect the lipstick-as-blush concept, Lobell invented Convertible Color: A creamy color compact made for both lips and cheeks. She created Lip Glaze for Cameron Diaz’s character in Charlie’s Angels, the now-classic lip gloss in a twist pen that’s launched a thousand imitations.

It’s that constant link between Lobell’s magazine, runway and TV work and the that stila’s fashion-obsessed customers adore. products

“The Stila customer crosses all categories,” says Lobell. “We get all types of chicks - from the super trendies to corporate executives. But they all have some things in common: They love fashion, beauty.”

Again and again, new Stila formulas and products are praised for their wearability and creativity. But the foundation of the brand is where the success is bred: The talent of its creator, inventive ideas, the thoughtfulness in the packaging and presentation, a sense of humor, and its intrinsic style make it a brand that’s in for the long haul. (Incidentally, if a makeup brand can be modest, then it’s that, too.) Above all else, it’s an attitude. The Stila girl knows that makeup is fun. That perspective, plus a little imagination (and maybe a good set of brushes), is all you need to put your best face forward in the world.

To learn more about Stila cosmetics visit their website at www.stilacosmetics.com, where most of this information was obtained from.