Mary Kay MLM Review (2024 Update): 8 Things You Need To Know!

By: Brittney

Welcome to my Mary Kay MLM Review Review. My goal is to help you understand what the program is all about, how much it costs, if it's a good use of your time, your money, and much more! It should be less than 10 minutes start to finish, so let's dive in!

Disclaimer:

This Mary Kay MLM Review review has been thoroughly researched with information and testimonials that are available to anyone in the public. Any conclusions drawn by myself are opinions.

The Good Stuff

  • It teaches the technique of cold calling.
  • Individuals who use Mary Kay feel fantastic due to their appearance.
  • Commissions are earned through sales and recruiting.
  • Commissions are earned through sales and recruiting.

The Bad Stuff

  • There are fees involved.
  • Negatives are overlooked or ignored.
  • The representative is responsible for marketing costs.
  • The majority of repeat customers are family and friends.

Firstly, Why Am I Writing The Review?

Nice to meet you, my name is Brittney!

My story starts like many do… “slaving away” at a 9-5 job that I didn’t really enjoy, but hey – it paid the bills.

I worked for a large Fortune 500 company that performed background checks for other companies when they wanted to hire a new employee… so you know, not exactly exciting stuff.

For a lot of people, a nice stable job and predictable check coming in every month is the picture of success, but for me, it felt like I was missing out on life.

Clocking in every single day, doing the same tasks over and over again, getting home with barely enough time to make dinner and enjoy some time to myself… only to wake up again the next morning and do it all over again.

I just wanted to enjoy life without being shackled to an unfilling job.

I wanted to be able to take vacations whenever I wanted, for however long I wanted.

I didn’t want to have to beg my boss for a salary increase that barely matched inflation.

I just wanted to be free and happy.

Then about 4 years ago (as a stroke of luck), I stumbled across a program that taught me how to make money online by actually helping real people (local US businesses).

Who Cares About That?

99% of reviewers out there don’t have experience running an actual business. They’re writing about stuff that they have no real experience with.

Why would they do that?

They just want you to click through and buy the program that the review is about!

I have absolutely no relationship with J Rich, so you can rest easy knowing that I’m going to give you my honest opinion.

This review is written based on my own experiences with this business model.

All that being said, let’s jump into things.

Contents

Who Is Virginia Sole-Smith?

We’re rather sure you’re familiar with the name Mary Kay. Naturally, it has been in the cosmetics business long before most of you were born. Mary Kay Cosmetics is nothing to scoff at – it enjoys nearly the same level of prestige as the industry’s big names. Consider the brands L’Oreal and Sephora.

However, one might liken it to another of those make online money schemes revolves around selling a saturated membership that allegedly earns you money by selling marked-up products.

It is marketed by motivated individuals to join the company or purchase their items.

It is meant to teach you how to become a “six-figure network marketer,” however, most members make no money promoting other people’s items.

That is the truth…

You will not become wealthy with a $6 commission.

But before I say more…

Chances are you heard about Mary Kay because someone – a friend or family member – introduced you to the company. Maybe you attended an online workshop or webinar, or maybe an in-person information session.

Your head’s probably spinning. This might be the first time you’ve heard about a real way to make money outside of a typical job.

So first off, congratulations!

You’ve just entered a whole new world…the world of making money on your own terms.

However, you came in through the wrong door.

Because Mary Kay is – plain and simple – an MLM. Throw whatever fancy name you want on it…multi-level marketing (MLM), network marketing (NWM), direct sales, or anything else, it’s the same concept:

You pay some money upfront for the “opportunity” to sell products.

The products are typically low-quality but with high price tags (because of fancy labels and stuff).

You’re told that the key to building your own successful business is selling these products to friends and family, and getting them on a subscription (so you get “monthly recurring revenue”).

Unfortunately, like most people who get taken in by these types of schemes, you’ll quickly discover that the well runs dry faster than you imagined.

After all, they make it sound really simple. “Just get 5 people you know onto this magic widget, and things will just grow from there.”

And in your head, you think “How hard can it be? I know plenty of people, 5 will be easy.”

But then you do it, and you realize people look at you like you’ve joined a cult. You’ve become “that person”, who joined an MLM and is now trying to sell questionable products or services to everyone they meet.

It puts a strain on your relationships, and you end up stuck between two worlds.

But it’s not your fault. These companies spend millions of dollars each year figuring out exactly how to brainwash and recruit people. And that’s why we’re here.

To help you find a better way before it’s too late.

So, what if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?

An income stream that doesn’t require:

  • Inventory
  • Selling to friends and family
  • Selling to strangers
  • Recruiting people
  • Dealing with questionable products that weigh on your conscience

An income stream that brings in consistent revenues every single month (from a couple thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?

An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day chasing, selling, or managing anything?

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Leasing. 

This is nothing like MLM, and that’s probably a good thing.

However, if you’d still like to know more about Mary Kay, keep reading.

Mary Kay Company Quick Overview:

Mary Kay Ash launched the company in 1963 in Texas. A cosmetics business established in the United States sells its products through the MLM business model.

Mary Kay Company

To date, Richard Rogers serves as Executive Chairman. He is also the co-founder and the son of Mary Kay.

President and Chief Executive Officer is David Holl.

Richard Rogers

Mary Kay recruited or recruits independent beauty consultants, referred to as beauty consultants, to sell and distribute items directly to their network of contacts.

The organization operates on five continents and serves more than 35 markets. To name a few, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, China, and Australia.

Mary Kay Products

Mary Kay Products

Mary Kay’s product line includes makeup, skincare, body & sun care, “men’s grooming,” and fragrances.

The TimeWise®, Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, and the Miracle Set® are their best-selling products. It contains a moisturizer, a cleanser, sunscreen, and night cream. The Mary Kay products described previously are the most popular.

Is Mary Kay An MLM?

Yes, Mary Kay is a multi-level marketing (MLM) company that develops and distributes cosmetics and skincare goods. Mary Kay has been in the business for many years. Its beauty consultants are regarded pioneers in the beauty field, giving them a competitive edge over other multilevel marketing organizations.

Is Mary Kay An MLM?

According to some reviews, Mary Kay is not involved in affiliate marketing and does not appear to be supplying services for an affiliate program.

As previously stated, Mary Kay Inc. is a privately held multilevel marketing corporation based in the United States.

Thus, Mary Kay is forthright because it is a network marketing company that sells cosmetics and beauty products.

Mary Kay beauty consultants operate MLM businesses in which they sell and distribute the company’s products directly to members of local communities.

These beauty consultants are independent contractors and so do not receive compensation. Recently, the business model has come under fire.

Numerous news organizations have investigated multilevel marketing enterprises and their get-rich-quick schemes and services. They considered it inconvenient and somewhat reminiscent of the pyramid scheme structure.

Mary Kay was the 6th biggest network marketing company in the world, according to Direct Selling News, with a wholesale volume of a stunning $3.25 billion USD in 2018.

That is a huge sum of money in the highly competitive beauty sector and certainly qualifies as a million-dollar firm. Perhaps this allows them as a cosmetics behemoth.

When Mary Kay Ash launched the company, she probably had no idea those skin products would become popular!

Is Mary Kay A Pyramid Scheme?

So, is Mary Kay a scam?

Not technically. You can make money with this program, but it’s definitely not as easy as the company makes it sound.

There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and – most importantly – the actual commissions are pretty small.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.

But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months and then your reward is a $50 commission, it’s not really worth it.

What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?

And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?

And what if you could double it next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing

And, unlike an MLM, you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.

Your laptop and an internet connection is all you need.

Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:

  • A camper in the middle of the woods
  • A beach chair on the water in Mexico
  • A small villa in Greece

They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.

Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.

So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.

And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.

If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Leasing.

Pink Truth Pyramid Scheme Rumors

Pink Pyramid Scheme Rumors

Despite Mary Kay’s enormous success, rumors about the company being a pink pyramid scheme abound.

Is Kay, then, a pyramid scheme? And is it true that this organization, created by Mary Kay Ash with a $5,000 initial investment, is not truly about empowering women, providing services to them, or making business possibilities, but rather about luring women into what is known as a pink pyramid scheme?

Is that true? How can a corporation that has existed for more than half a century suddenly become suspect? Let us continue our investigation.

What Is A Pink Pyramid Scheme?

What Is A Pink Pyramid Scheme?

pink pyramid scheme is mostly used to exploit salespeople.

The company’s sales team is encouraged to purchase the products and then sell them to its clients under this business model.

For many Mary Kay consultants, financial rewards are frequently insignificant — a far cry from the massive income that the corporation promises women may earn by selling their items.

That is why many individuals frequently ask whether Mary Kay is a pyramid scheme or a pyramid scam.

Pink Pyramid Scheme Report Of Virginia Sole-Smith

Virginia Sole-Smith wrote this to share her Mary Kay experience.

“Pink Pyramid Scheme – How Mary Kay Cosmetics Preys on Desperate Housewives,” is the headline of her report.

Smith detailed her experience with Mary Kay goods and subsequent involvement in the business in the report.

She went into detail about how members were pressed to sell the merchandise.

Additionally, she mentioned that this is not a company for the faint of heart.

Other sources indicate that, despite claims of a $3 billion yearly sales revenue, Mary Kay’s salesmen are in debt with boxes of unsold face treatments, lipsticks, and other products.

While a handful of them generate revenue, most do not.

It appears as though the sales director receives a more significant portion of the pie, while the sales team receives only crumbs or none at all. You can’t blame folks for wondering whether Mary Kay is a pyramid scheme or a pyramid fraud.

Now, a business in which just a few people get a living wage while the majority pay to play does seem suspiciously like a pyramid scam.

The Federal Trade Commission distinguishes between hiring salespeople to promote a product, which is ideally permissible and earning money exclusively through participation fees, which is not.

Although a price is not specified, the FTC has charged some multilevel marketing organizations operating pyramid schemes.

Mary Kay rejects this and maintains that it is a straightforward business strategy. An individual enters into an arrangement directly with the corporation, purchases things wholesale, and sells them to her consumers at a suggested retail price.

Profit is entirely hers to keep. It is essentially up to the individual to decide how much she wishes to purchase from the corporation and sell to the clients.

Pink Pyramid Scheme Report Of Virginia Sole-Smith

Additionally, as some have stated, Mary Kay does not engage in affiliate marketing.

Thus, we arrive at the following question—

Is Mary Kay A Makeup Pyramid Scheme?

According to the FTC, a pyramid scheme is a business where the primary means of earning money is recruiting and enrolling others in the program and charging them participation fees – not through product sales to the general public.

As a result, the short answer to “Is Mary Kay a pyramid scheme?” is NO.

Mary Kay is not a pyramid scheme on paper. However, in practice, some claim that it resembles a pyramid scheme.

How Does One Join Mary Kay?

To get started as a Mary Kay beauty consultant, you’ll need to purchase the Mary Kay® Starter Kit‘ for $100USD.

It includes retail-sized products to demonstrate to guests at parties, samplers for potential clients, business tools, and booklets with sales recommendations.

Mary Kay distributors can earn money in two ways. One is through direct sales to clients, and the other is by a commission on sales made by their downlines.

According to one review, Mary Kay consultants can earn up to 50% gross profit on products sold at total retail price to customers.

This is known as a “earned discount privilege.” However, if one examines the fine print or details, one is compelled to raise the following crucial question –

Can You Really Make Money Selling Mary Kay Products?

To begin, the corporation specifies in the tiny print that to qualify for the huge 50% gross profit, known as an earned discount privilege, one must place a $400 retail order every quarter to maintain an active position.

As with all other networking companies in the cosmetic sector, Mary Kay distributors promote their cosmetics and skincare goods through a party plan, pop-up boutiques, or online services, as well as through secret VIP groups on Facebook or social media advertisement.

As a result, there are numerous aspects of Network Marketing that many people struggle with.

In fact, check out the Top 5 Reason Why Most Network Marketers Fail.

Now, don’t get me wrong…

You can certainly make money with Network Marketing, but if you’re gonna put in the amount of grueling work with this business model (which, trust me, isn’t easy), you might as well bring in some REAL money while you’re learning the ropes.

How Much Do You Have To Sell To Get A Mary Kay Car?

How Much Do You Have To Sell To Get A Mary Kay Car?

Yup. It is feasible to obtain a Mary Kay automobile.

Beauty Consultants who reach the level of Mary Kay Independent Sales Director or higher may earn the use of a Mary Kay career car or incentive travel.

According to their website, “62 percent of the 485 Independent Sales Directors and Independent National Sales Directors engaged in the Career Car Program, and 42 percent attended an incentive trip as of December 31, 2019.”

Speaking of automobiles, I’m sure you’ve heard of the infamous Mary Kay Pink Cadillac. A showy pink car will undoubtedly appeal to the ordinary female.

According to a study, this is typical of multi-level marketing organizations like Mary Kay.

They depend on a constant stream of new consumers who purchase inventory packages to increase income and sales from the bottom to the top of the, well, multi-level marketing structure.

It’s similar to a device used to draw customers into a business. As a result, the following query persists…

Is MLM A Pyramid Scheme?

Is MLM A Pyramid Scheme?

Mary Kay is sometimes referred to as a product-based pyramid scheme, which means that many people at the bottom must purchase an extraordinary amount of products for those at the top of the pyramid to earn large commission checks, win a car, and travel on a fancy vacation.

To address the topic of whether MLM is a scam, let’s examine the distinctions between the two.

Multi-level marketing, or networking, is a marketing approach that entails directly selling products to clients– most frequently via word of mouth. They earn commission based on the compensation plan set.

The distinction between this type of scheme and a legal MLM program is that a pyramid scheme does not involve the sale of an actual product.

As a result, not all mul tilevel marketing companies are pyramid schemes. As with any venture, your financial success is contingent upon your ability to sell things or provide services.

Be cautious of any company that promises you money for doing nothing. The likelihood is that they are not being completely candid with you. It’s merely a ruse to deceive folks.

Is Mary Kay A Pyramid Scheme?

Mary Kay, on the other hand, is not a pyramid scheme. It is a respectable cosmetics firm with a history of offering customers high-quality beauty goods. While recruiting salespeople is critical for other MLM companies, Mary Kay consultants can still earn money without recruiting others.

Why Is Mary Kay So Expensive?

Why Is Mary Kay So Expensive?

It’s probably because its items are of average quality and are expensive or overpriced in most people’s opinion. Apart from that, ladies have an overload of online and in-store options.

There is no reason to go through the bother of locating a Mary Kay consultant who would almost certainly attempt to recruit you into her downline.

Is Mary Kay A Global Brand?mary kay cosmetics

Yes, technically. Their trademark products are offered in more than 35 countries worldwide, from the US to Mexico, China, and Russia.

Are There Alternatives to Mary Kay?

alternatives ggmoney

Yes, there are plenty of MLM companies to choose from if you want to pursue this business model.  Here are just a few:

What Is Our Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2024?

Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:

Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With MLMs and Network Marketing, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own your “team”.

Look at the fine print for most of the agreements folks sign when they join one of these companies. At any point, the company can change your commission structure, reduce your profit margins, or kick you out entirely.

With Digital Leasing, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

4) No Inventory: Alright, so most MLMs don’t make you buy the products and fill your garage with them anymore (unlike the good ol’ days), but you’re still in a physical products business.

And physical products always have physical limitations. Even if you don’t have to manage the inventory, you still have to deal with supply chain shortages that cause major delays.

Imagine finally landing your first customer, and then losing them after one sale because they had to wait 6 weeks to get their order.

With Digital Leasing, a 100% online business, you never even have to think about that risk.

5) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.

If you wanted to double your income with an MLM, you’d have to double your customers OR double the average order size of your existing customers. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

6) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. In an MLM, your “upline” might convince you that what you’re selling improves people’s lives, but deep down, you likely know that’s not true.

Most of the time, you’re either selling a dream or a poor-quality, overpriced product with a fancy label.

And that makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.

But with Digital Leasing, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money.

Not a big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.

Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

Now, the choice is yours.

You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Mary Kay which could one day make you money.

You could continue researching, never making a decision.

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Leasing.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.

Brittney Here!

I get to travel the world and live life without financial worry thanks to the system below!