# Mary Kay-Yay or Nay?



## Obreathemykiss (Apr 24, 2008)

Hi ladies and gents.  Last night I attended a Mary Kay seminar type of thing because I talked my best friend into selling it a few months ago so she could get a discount on the package she wanted and she wanted a hobby.  So far, she really loves it and I guess the meetings and stuff they have are really fun and inspiring.  Last night was a color certification class for the reps and I was her model.  Of course they try-don't push, but still try-to get you to sell it and buy it.  It seems to be a really good company, IMO.  The directors make loads of money, get cars and other prizes, and seem pretty tight knit.  My mom has tons of Mary Kay stuff and the quality is usually pretty good.  Something that surprised me was what the director said-she said Mary Kay is number 1 over MAC, NARS, Drug store brands, and all other cosmetics brands in the world-meaning their sales are higher.  I was very surprised by this considering there are beauty freaks everywhere and something like Mary Kay sells THAT much?!!  I was also surprised because many of the women there have never worn makeup before.  Anyway, the foundation I bought from them a few months ago was absolute crap because it wore off within a few hours, but their minerals I got to play with last night are beautiful!  There's this blush called Shy I adore and am buying-it's a coralish color with a gold sheen to it.  It is beautiful!  I don't know how I feel about the mineral foundation quite yet...  My question to you guys is-have you ever sold/considered selling Mary Kay?  Do you own any products from Mary Kay?  What are your thoughts on the brand/product?


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## Beutyjunkie84 (Apr 24, 2008)

Some of Mary Kays products products are decent. I have a few of their products.I prefer their lip products and blushes over the eyeshadows they are just ok to me...MAC spoiled me.lol. Their mineral makeup is decent. Mary-Kay is a very well respected cosmetic line-so I say Yay


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## elegant-one (Apr 24, 2008)

Mary Kay is a MLM & the line they say that they are the No1 cosmetics co. is a lie that the company perpetuates - it is not true. Plus, many, many, many of the women don't sell makeup (or if they do it is in very small quantities) they RECRUIT!   Its a pyramid scheme

There are unbelievable horror stories of the debt & lies that go in in this company. There are whole sites dedicated to help women trying to get out of debt & mental help for cult mentality that takes place. 

If you do honest research you will find this out on your own.


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## Obreathemykiss (Apr 24, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *elegant-one* 

 
_Mary Kay is a MLM & the line they say that they are the No1 cosmetics co. is a lie that the company perpetuates - it is not true. Plus, many, many, many of the women don't sell makeup (or if they do it is in very small quantities) they RECRUIT! Its a pyramid scheme

There are unbelievable horror stories of the debt & lies that go in in this company. There are whole sites dedicated to help women trying to get out of debt & mental help for cult mentality that takes place. 

If you do honest research you will find this out on your own._

 

This is kind of the impression I get from them.  They all seem to be very nice, but I don't understand how they are all racking in the cash.  The more people on their team, the more money they are making, but what about the reg reps?!!  Thanks for this info.  I'm going to research.


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## elegant-one (Apr 24, 2008)

They have downlines - so ONLY the people at the TOP of the pyramid make money off of the lowest of the totem pole going into debt.

Plus, they don't WIN cars (company rules - they are legally not even allowed to say this) the get it again from downlines CHARGING orders. And, those prizes & trips - for what you charge  & recruit - you could buy that cheap dollar store prize for 1/4 of the price.

Its a lot for me to write here. I have done extensive research on it. It has destroyed finances & marriages like you would not believe.

Personally, I know a MK lady that lies, lies lies to everyone just to RECRUIT them in & if they don't join - she totally ignores them. It has EXTREME mental CULT activity. Just research it on the internet - you will not believe the lives that it has ruined. It is not what everyone thinks that it is on the surface. Too, a lot of women that drive those cadillacs - they pay for them or co pay just to make people think they are doing well. Ugghh, there is waaaay too much to even type here.


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## elegant-one (Apr 24, 2008)

Just one informative site is pinktruth.com  - she is a private investigator - that actually went inside MK to get the facts. Also, I have a wonderful friend who was very very high in kary kay that finally gave it up & revealed the truth. It has taken her years to come out of the whole brain washing & physical problems that the stress caused her from keeping up the lies & overworking etc. this co. created.


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## Obreathemykiss (Apr 24, 2008)

Oh my...I did a google search and I am apalled by what I found!  Yikes!  Those pretty white fences are hiding the lies, dangers of products, and tactics!  Thanks for this info.  I would have NEVER in a million years thought about this or even figured such a thing.  

That website- pinktruth.com-just wow!  Pretty bad when directors are complaining about the system and products!

*emailed bf this info*
Now I feel awful for talking her into it! :/


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## elegant-one (Apr 24, 2008)

I would've never guessed either! But I witnessed it first hand - then I did the extensive research to be sure. I'm appalled at anything that preys on the fears, insecurities, money & the desire for female friendships with women. Its unbelievable dear.  And, those that are deeply entrenched in it will defend it all the way...until they get burned.


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## HySeXtTh19 (Apr 25, 2008)

I just started selling mary kay, I LOVE most of the products especially the mascara!!  The skincare is great (cleared my sisters acne up in 3 days!)   Alot of people say "mary kay puts you in debt, it'a pyramid blah blah blah)  I have not spent one penny other than my starter kit and have already made "hobby money"  I think it's a really fun thing to do if you love makeup and like showing others how to apply it and stuff!  I went to 2 meeting and they are really fun and have loads of good advice!  I think if you take it slowly and don't fall for the "you have to have inventory!" lines you will love it!  I buy the products let people test them and sell from my stuff people only have to wait like 3 days until their order comes in so you really don't need stock kwim?  I love selling it so far and I don't plan on making a huge investment anytime soon unless I get tons of clients lol!  I am just in it for fun and the money is a bonus right now, if it becomes bigger than I am all for it!

Tracy


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## macchristyy (Apr 25, 2008)

ive heard a lot of great things about their skincare =)


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## SkylarV217 (Apr 25, 2008)

Just type  mary kay in your search engine there is a website titled something about pink. It goes into detail of all of the bad experiences ...Pink Truth - Facts, opinions, and the real story behind Mary Kay Cosmetics read it and you'll probably change your mind


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## Obreathemykiss (Apr 25, 2008)

FYI- I saw on pinktruth there's a lot of directors and customers complaining about the reactions they are getting with the new mineral line...awful things like red eyes, red streaks, itchiness, rashes, etc.  I guess their minerals are full of talc as well..

I certainly did change my mind.  I am nervous to talk to my best friend about it because she spent loads of money on her inventory and she might think I'm crazy.


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## HeavenLeiBlu (Apr 26, 2008)

I think their products are decent, but I don't see why I would go out of my way to get them, when there are plenty other products of equal or better value out there. Plus, they d/c'd the one product I DID like to get especially from them. 

For me, the turnoff with the company is the reps. they all seem rather pushy and extremely put off when you're not interested. It makes me wonder what's going on behind the scenes. A previous poster said they seem cultish, and I agree. I have a friend who sells it and she's the only one I've met who doesn't seem to be nuts.


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## stacylynne (Apr 26, 2008)

I never tried mary kay products. I met a woman who does & she kept harrasing me to buy their produdts. I told her point blank I'm not interested. Finally she stopped asking me.


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## HySeXtTh19 (Apr 26, 2008)

Quote:

 For me, the turnoff with the company is the reps. they all seem rather pushy and extremely put off when you're not interested
 
 



That is the only reason I was scared to start selling I didn't want people to see me as " oh man here comes the annoying mary kay lady" I tell people ONE time that I sell and if they want to try any of the products they can let me know then I never mention mary kay again unless they do! ( of course I bug the crap out of my sister lol! ) 

Also when I started I was so excited about the "mineral foundation" but was VERY dissapointed to find out the main ingrediant was talc





 I have told everyone NOT to buy it unless mary kay fixes it.

IMO the pink truth website is so stupid who spends $10,000 on Mary kay makeup to "get started"??? That is ignorant lol! I think that website is filled with the dumb ex-consultants who dove straight in took out HUGE loans and now they are just mad but like I said that is my opinion! 

Mary kay is not for everyone especially if you are looking for a "get rich fast" thing it is definatly more of a hobby fun thing I love having bags full of lotion, perfume, makeup, skincare, ect and saying hey I have lot's of products you are more than welcome to try! I do it for fun that is my mind set on the whole thing. I am not going to dress a certain way or cut my hair or even wear my makeup a certain way!! 

Tracy


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## SkylarV217 (Apr 27, 2008)

I agree that Selling products like beauticontrol or Mary Kay is not for every one . But the Mary Kay reps do have the stigma of harassing people to death. It's to the point that you avoid all of the products good and bad simply to avoid the consultants. The worst thing in the world to do is to give one of them your phone number.

Tracy I think it's great that you inform people once that you sale. I wish all consultants were like you. They would probably get a lot farther, But the the pink truth website has stories of real people that didn't approach it the same way you did. They were lead by greedy women wanting to get higher up the "ladder" and lost a lot of money. I think It's important foe people to see the full spectrum before the go overboard. To me I think buying even $400.00 of inventory could put some people into somewhat of a money crunch ( I say 400 because I believe that is the minimum order at the beginning). That then may leave those women with a bunch of "inventory" they can't sale and without money that they needed. The Pink Truth website might allow some people to make a more educated decision before jumping into something like that with big ideas that may not necessarily be right. 

It can be a lot of fun and a great way to get wonderful products at a discount but it could also be a way to loose a lot of money.


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## Firebabe (Apr 27, 2008)

*Here is my experienced !! No I dont sell*

*From the ages of 12-23 I had very oily and pimply face, I had little pimples all along the sides by my ears and along on my cheeks where My glasses rims are and all over my forehead, Finially when I was about 23yrs old I started buying drug store face wash,every single brand made my face extremely red and blotchy,I had to stop using them and use just water, I had many almost unused differnt kinds of face wash I couldnt use, I discovered I had the most sensitive skin especially around my chin area. Then I discovered Mary Kay .I was willing to try anything to get rid of my horrible red face, I was shown the facewash,toner and the mask, *
*The face cleaner was the original (not the Timewise 3 in 1) before Timewise came out*
*I bought the Revitalizing  mask and Toner for oily skin,* 
*PS, I dont know why but I cant stand my face being dirty after 2-3 hours it feels dirty and I wash it (with Timewise 3 in 1 for dry skin) aprox 4-5 times a day *complusive or what!!**
*But it makes my skin so beautiful,*
*Truthfully and honestly The facewash,toner and mask got rid of my pimples ,every single one of them, and I havent had bad skin since.* *PS. just the ocassional pimple*
*I wanted to tell you ladies my good experience with MK.*


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## mreichert (Apr 27, 2008)

I used to be a MK consultant (up until a few years ago).  I did not make any money- but you really have to push the sales and work hard at locating people to try to buy from you.  So, I quit selling it.  It's very difficult to make money as you need to keep a well stocked inventory at all times as you never know what people will be buying, and they usually don't want to wait a week or two until their shipment comes in.  

BUT..... the skincare is excellent! It is the only products out of multiple lines that does not break me out, keeps my skin hydrated, and helps with skin flaws.  Here's my recs based from my experience:

-Skincare is excellent- all of it: eyecreams, cleansers, moisturizers, etc.
-Eyeshadows are too powdery and not very pigmented
-Blushes are decent
-Lipsticks and glosses are pretty good
-Foundation is crap. I used it for years and had no idea how much better my skin could look if I switched to something else

HTH someone


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## elegant-one (Apr 27, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *HySeXtTh19* 

 
_
 IMO the pink truth website is so stupid who spends $10,000 on Mary kay makeup to "get started"??? That is ignorant lol! I think that website is filled with the dumb ex-consultants who dove straight in took out HUGE loans and now they are just mad but like I said that is my opinion! 

 Tracy_

 
To call these women 'dumb' & 'stupid' is just absolutely immature.  The very, very high up director that is my friend, is one of THE most intelligent women I have ever met. You speak the very language of a kbot - degrading other women - point made.

Its not really about the makeup itself. Its fine if you like it & it works for you. And, the problem is not even someone wanting the kit & discount makeup. I'm sure that there are many well meaning & great woman who do still sell this line. The problem is the MLM Pyramid scam that the company as a whole is set up as & the directors at the top.

A high up pink Cadillac driving Mary Kay director move into my neighbor hood a while back. It was like a wolf moving into a sheep farm. She seemed so nice - on the surface.  I watched this women lie, scam, do anything she could to the other women in the neighborhood. She is so crafty at her lies. I think she is so brainwashed into believing them herself. Finally, all the women now hate her & avoid her like the plague. But that's ok, there is always someone else to scam. This woman cannot talk without sounding like a robotic recording. 

Because of watching this first hand &  never seeing anything like it, I spent a year doing extensive research about the company. I have read legal briefs, documents, laws suits filed against MK, company policy documents, & hundreds upon hundreds of real life testimonials from women who's lives, finances & marriages have been destroyed by this MLM company. The top directer that I know (& she is one of many that have come out to tell the truth) is still mentally trying to walk through the shame & brainwashing that this company created. Sometimes its not what women who sign up for MK  would ever dream would happen to them - but it does. I can't begin to tell you the bankruptcies, divorces, and over all destruction it has caused.

I could go into greater detail, but thanks to the wealth of internet information out there, anyone can do the research. I was hoping that this board would be a mary kay free zone.


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## SkylarV217 (Apr 27, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *elegant-one* 

 
_I could go into greater detail, but thanks to the wealth of internet information out there, anyone can do the research. I was hoping that this board would be a mary kay free zone._

 
I aggree one hundred percent with you It's not about the products b/c while some of them are bad , a lot of them are really good. It's about all the harm the pyramid does . while I'm not sure about it being a Mary Kay free board simply because since this girl asked about it she know knows the truth and won't be so easily sucked into the chain of devastation. I also completely agree with you 100% about the ladies on Pink Truth not being stupid. There were some very intelligent women that believed they were making a career move only to find out it was the WRONG one.


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## SkylarV217 (Apr 27, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *HySeXtTh19* 

 
_


IMO the pink truth website is so stupid who spends $10,000 on Mary kay makeup to "get started"??? That is ignorant lol! I think that website is filled with the dumb ex-consultants who dove straight in took out HUGE loans and now they are just mad but like I said that is my opinion! 
_

 
Not all of the ladies on the website took out loans to start inventory. But if you're told by several different women that they live of off MK and how great the business is and then you spend a ton of money to get the necessary inventory thats a big deal when you've been lied to and lied to. You don't have to take out huge loans to lose a lot of money. If you had read more of the stories you would realize they are average women that were taken by the company. And yes they are mad, If i were them I would be MAD ad hadies to have something like that ruin my family or hurt the people I love and yes MK does that. Simply loosing 100 - 200 would make me MAD.


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## SkylarV217 (Apr 27, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *elegant-one* 

 
_They have downlines - so ONLY the people at the TOP of the pyramid make money off of the lowest of the totem pole going into debt.
_

 
And I think from what I've read it's typically only equivalent to a minimum wage job. Something like 20,000 a year


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## elegant-one (Apr 27, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *SkylarV217* 

 
_ while I'm not sure about it being a Mary Kay free board simply because since this girl asked about it she know knows the truth and won't be so easily sucked into the chain of devastation._

 
That's just my feeling about the whole MK thing. I don't fault the poster at all for asking - she is quite charming


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## HySeXtTh19 (Apr 27, 2008)

Quote:

  To call these women 'dumb' & 'stupid' is just absolutely immature. The very, very high up director that is my friend, is one of THE most intelligent women I have ever met. You speak the very language of a kbot - degrading other women - point made.

 
I mean the smartest people in the world make "DUMB & STUPID" choices!  

 Quote:

  Not all of the ladies on the website took out loans to start inventory. But if you're told by several different women that they live of off MK and how great the business is and then you spend a ton of money to get the necessary inventory thats a big deal when you've been lied to and lied to. You don't have to take out huge loans to lose a lot of money. If you had read more of the stories you would realize they are average women that were taken by the company. And yes they are mad, If i were them I would be MAD ad hadies to have something like that ruin my family or hurt the people I love and yes MK does that. Simply loosing 100 - 200 would make me MAD.  
 

and to me that is "ignorant to go off of blind faith, I don't care how much so and so is making that is not going to make me spend $50, $100, $10,000 to get there!  That's like saying I am going to spend thousands of dollars on acting classes because if I get to the right people I will be a millionaire!!  I knew right from the start that you don't have to buy ANY inventory to sell MK.  These "very intelligent" Women are now mad because they made dumb, stupid, ignorant whatever you want to call it choices!  If they were so smart they would have built up clients before they splurged but I said my points and that's all I will say now.  go ahead and bash me for speaking my opinion I know I am immature and these "pink truth" women are hurt and mad for making stupid choices!


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## thebreat (Apr 28, 2008)

You can't believe everything you read on the internet. Just because some women went completely crazy over selling and the pyramid scheme doesn't make the company itself bad or the products bad. Not every mary kay lady is like that. I'm not saying that the ex-mary kay ladies are dumb either in case anyone wants to get defensive. There are women out there who will go crazy over ANYTHING. They will rack up debt over ANYTHING. It has nothing to do with the fact that the company forces you purchase, that is each representatives choice on how much she is going to buy. Being a representative in Mary Kay is about starting your own business. If these women did not have the money to keep products in stock, then they did not have the revenue to start a business. This is basic accounting here.

The company does not force these women to buy. Women will go nuts over anything. Just because some website has all these awful things to say about it doesn't make everything they say true. I'm not saying there isn't anything wrong about the company, but it's not this veil of lies and deceit that people want to make it out to be. Why look at all the negative and ignore the good? How can all these debts be one company's fault? Look at who took out those credit cards and charged that money.

My mother sold mary kay for years, and when the woman over her challenged her to sell more, she stopped going to meetings. She quit selling as much, because she didn't want to anymore. These women could have pulled out at anytime if they wanted to. If they couldn't afford it, that means they shouldn't have started a business.

As for the new mineral line, if you are sensitive for talc, or want a mineral makeup that doesn't have talc. Don't buy it. Personally, I'm glad it has some talc mixed in with the minerals, because I think bare minerals is rough and scratchy. I have very sensitive skin, and it hurts. The mary kay works great over their tinted moisturizer. I use mainly MAC, but Mary Kay has some nice products too. Try stuff out. Don't be afraid to try companies other than MAC. Just because someone has a bad experience doesn't mean you will.


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## pennybeau (Apr 28, 2008)

I think the first time I tried Mary Kay was in the 10th grade. I love the blushes and mascara.


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## Antigone (Mar 9, 2013)

I think they have great concealer. The one in black tube.

  	I've tried their moisturizer and cleanser (Timewise?) and was not impressed.

  	I have not tried their other products/makeup.


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## makeupbyvee (Nov 1, 2013)

Let me just say this Mary Kay is NOT a pyramid  scheme. All this negative talk about a company that is gear to enriching women's lives. A pyramid imply's that you only make one when you either 1. Bring other people in or 2. You only make money if the person at the top is making money. You are a independent contractor, and your income is based on what you do. Mary Kay the company reward you when you share this amazing opportunity with others. If you never gain team members, your still making money. Your income earnings are based on you, and you only.  Yes, I'am a consultant, and have been for 12 yrs. Just make sure you get the facts straight. Mary Kay is a choice & a lifestyle. It's not for everyone


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## Kaori (Nov 1, 2013)

makeupbyvee said:


> Yes, I'am a consultant, and have been for 12 yrs. Just make sure you get the facts straight. Mary Kay is a choice & a lifestyle. It's not for everyone


I agree that MK is not a pyramid scheme. But it's an MLM just as Amway, Herbalife and others.

  from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing

  Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a marketing strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of the other salespeople that they recruit. This recruited sales force is referred to as the participant's "downline", and can provide multiple levels of compensation. Other terms used for MLM include pyramid selling, network marketing, and referral marketing.
  Most commonly, the salespeople are expected to sell products directly to consumers by means of relationship referrals and word of mouth marketing. Some people use direct selling as a synonym for MLM, although MLM is only one type of direct selling, which started centuries ago with peddling.
  Companies that use MLM models for compensation have been a frequent subject of criticism and lawsuits. Criticism has focused on their similarity to illegal pyramid schemes, cult-like behaviour, price fixing of products, high initial entry costs (for marketing kit and first products), emphasis on recruitment of others over actual sales, encouraging if not requiring members to purchase and use the company's products, exploitation of personal relationships as both sales and recruiting targets, complex and sometimes exaggerated compensation schemes, the company making major money off its training events and materials, and cult-like techniques which some groups use to enhance their members' enthusiasm and devotion.
  In contrast to MLM is single-level marketing, where the person is rewarded only for the immediate income between the exchange of a product and monetary benefit.

  From http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/multi-level-marketing.asp

  Definition of 'Multi-Level Marketing'
A strategy that some direct sales companies use to encourage their existing distributors to recruit new distributors by paying the existing distributors a percentage of their recruits' sales. The recruits are known as a distributor's "downline." All distributors also make money through direct sales of products to customers. Amway is an example of a well-known direct-sales company that uses multi-level marketing.
Investopedia explains 'Multi-Level Marketing'
Multi-level marketing is a legitimate business strategy, though it is controversial. One problem is that pyramid schemes, which use money from new recruits to pay the people at the top, often take advantage of people by pretending to be engaged in legitimate multi-level marketing. Pyramid schemes can sometimes be spotted by their greater focus on recruitment than on product sales.


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