Stila

Stila

Stila Cosmetics was founded in 1994 by celebrity makeup artist Jeanine Lobell. The name Stila (pronounced STEE-la) was derived from the Italian word "stilare," which can mean "to pen". Stila's official website is quoted as saying that they chose that name because they believe every woman’s makeup should be as individual as her own signature.

Estée Lauder Companies bought Stila in 1999 and sold it to Sun Capital Partners, Inc in the spring of 2006. As a result of the new ownership, the brand had become a standard at Sephora and is also sold on its Web site, but it has been pulled from most of its brick-and-mortar retail outlets, including Nordstrom. Upon its sale to Sun Capital Partners, Inc the three dedicated boutiques were closed (the locations seem to belong to Estee Lauder as they were replaced with boutiques for other Estee Lauder brands.

In 2009, Stila became a Lynn Tilton company when it was sold to the private equity fund Patriarch Partners, LLC.