Maybelline New York unveiled a permanent evolution of its 35-year-old tagline on Monday, November 10, 2026, replacing the iconic 1991 phrase with a punctuation and pronoun update.
- The historic 1991 slogan “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline” is changing to “Maybe. We’re born with it. Maybe. It’s Maybelline.”
- Global brand ambassador Miley Cyrus features in the launch campaign supporting the new global brand platform titled The Beauty of Infinite Possibility.
- Brand executives state the adjustment aims to remove ambiguity and extend the tagline’s focus from a single model of femininity to all consumers.
The updated campaign alters the famous jingle originally introduced with Christy Turlington. The pronoun “she’s” shifts to “we’re,” while commas make way for a pair of full stops.
The Guardian reported that the alterations transform the observer’s perspective into something more self-directed and inclusive. Yet, the grammatical choice immediately triggered discussions across social media channels regarding the punctuation change, with one remark on WWD’s Instagram post highlighting users running to the comments to find other Virgos with an eye twitching at these misplaced periods, while another comment described them more bluntly as terrible grammatical choices.
We’re born with it. Maybe.
Sandrine Jolly, global brand president for Maybelline, addressed the strategy behind the modification.
The “maybe” is not a doubt or a hesitation any more. “Maybe”, period, is a statement of possibility, and that is what we want to be for women.
Allen Adamson, co-founder of brand consultancy Metaforce, told Marketing Brew that altering the text remains a delicate task due to its cultural footprint. He explained that the brand cannot walk away from such an iconic set of words, noting the updates remove judgmental framing to establish a direct statement of confidence.
Jolly further explained that the evolution conveys that consumers are born with something very unique and very special, and that the brand helps them stay true to themselves while addressing all people who love makeup.
Miley Cyrus for Maybelline New York pic.twitter.com/qjyiHX9zNS
Data from YouGov cited by Marketing Brew indicates that 49% of American women wear makeup for a confidence boost, while 26% point to self-expression and 13% cite societal expectations.
Additional industry findings from a State of Beauty industry trends report by McKinsey indicate that just over half of global consumers define beauty through feelings of confidence. A Consumer Perception Study published by Cosmetics Europe notes that 79% of European respondents view makeup as a tool for personal expression.
Miley Cyrus anchors the promotional rollout across social media channels, featuring in a 45-second spot detailing the updated platform. Marketing Brew reported that Maybelline plans to build further upon the campaign throughout 2027.
Having previously recorded a new jingle for the tagline last year, Cyrus draws on a career marked by creative reinvention to introduce its new meaning.
Moving through distinct creative chapters with distinct sounds, styles, and points of view, Cyrus has allowed makeup to play a starring role in each era as a way of saying, This is who I am now.
Describing her perspective on the campaign, Cyrus stated, I think of ‘Maybe.’ as all the doors being open.
Miley Cyrus when she sat down with the president of maybelline pic.twitter.com/hs4tNLl7A3 https://t.co/vXs0BW5uXm
