[8][9] In 1963, Mary Kay Ash founded the company based on a line of cosmetics she had been wearing for several years.

The following year, Ash rewarded the company's top five salespeople with similarly painted 1970 Coupe de Ville cars.

GM had an exclusive agreement to sell cars of the specific shade only through Mary Kay.

Meeting the qualifications entitles the consultant to pay no monthly lease and 85% of the car insurance, or a pre-determined cash compensation award.

[30] In 2014, a black BMW was introduced in its place, although the pink Cadillac remains the top reward for those consultants whose units purchase over $100,000 or more of MK products at wholesale cost in a year.

An 85% per annum turnover figure has been calculated, based upon the data supplied by Mary Kay (Canada).

[34] In 2023, Mary Kay announced a partnership with the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR), a non-profit, to create a grant program.

[35] Mary Kay stated that the goal would be to treat people who suffer from skin and venereal diseases.

[35] The 2004 court case Woolf v. Mary Kay Cosmetics argued that workplace rights could be applied to independent contractors who worked from their home.

[36] In this case, Woolf was terminated from her position as Independent Sales Director because her unit failed to make production for three consecutive months.

The company claims that Touch of Pink interferes with its business by offering to purchase inventory from discontinued Independent Beauty Consultants, and that Touch of Pink's use of the Mary Kay trademark in reference to Mary Kay products it sells is deceiving.

[citation needed] On 20 July 2009, Mary Kay, Inc., sued Pink Face Cosmetics for trademark infringement.