Written by Juliana

I was in Mary Kay for five years. I enjoyed it at first. Made some money. But then my director “won” THE CAR and after that she became nothing more than a Holy Terror. She bullied some of the girls to tears, harassed me late at night and early in the morning knowing I had another job.

She started stalking me at the coffee shop I went to because I’m a freelance writer and I go there to write sometimes. I switched places and she found that too. I explained I had some health issues, I was about to have knee surgery, and spinal work after a car accident. I wasn’t trying to “rise in the ranks”, I was a part time make up artist and this was just a fun little money making side gig.

I explained we couldn’t afford to place a $600 order at this time. My customers ordered from the site and that’s how it was. She tried to get me to get a credit card or steal my husbands and do it. Because I’d make the money back in a few days.

Are you serious lady??

She insisted I have a team. I didn’t want a team. Somehow she signed my sister and two of my friends up while I was outside taking a call! I begged them to get a refund and they wouldn’t. They’d seen me doing it and they wanted in on the “fun”? They signed up some of their friends and suddenly I was in a program called DIQ which made this crazy woman think it was okay to call me out of bed at 7am and go out with her to find customers. (Walk around the mall all day begging people to buy this.) she told me my freelance job, that paid the bills, was not “that” important and that this was the real money maker.

Shortly after, a slew of people had allergic reactions to Mary Kay and I watched business drop way off. She told me I wasn’t making more sales because I wasn’t coming to meetings. What? Okay, I decided to go. They weren’t far from my house and they were in a nice hotel. They CHARGED us $10 a head to get in.

When several of us stopped going she switched to her house. The meetings were prayer meetings. That’s it. She had a lackey go ahead of her and announce her whole life story and play music before she burst into the room. The most narcissistic thing I’ve ever witnessed. Then she’d tell us all her story— every week. Then there was prayer time. And awards if anyone got one. And more praying

I’m a Christian. But that was the most absurd overdone thing ever. They were trying too hard. There was a dress code— all formal business. God did not call you to sell crappy make up and con women into spending money and doing dishonest things. Quite the opposite. I could see this being a great way to fellowship but— yeah no.

The weekly make over parties/facials are just a scam to get people to join. Forget finding anyone to go cause everyone knows? One time a new girl was so brow beaten she got two homeless women to go with her to a meeting because we often had food. They hung around and got food and made over. My director tried to recruit two homeless women who looked like obvious drug users. She’s like “I bet there’s “something” you can do to get the $100.” She made a date for the four top reps (I was one) to go to a homeless women’s shelter and give them a make over. She said, and I quote, “these women have low self esteem- you can sell them just about anything to feel better.”

I left. I was eligible for the repurchase program and I sold everything back.

Once you return everything you are banned from rejoining. I didn’t tell her I was selling the stuff back. I just removed her from Facebook and did it. She started calling me frantically and saying it wasn’t too late she could get me back in. I blocked her number. I don’t take calls from strange numbers. I’ve had to block her on all social media and report her for harassment. I moved so she wouldn’t know where I was. I was only out about $300 which is amazing compared to what I’ve seen some women lose. It is absolutely pathetic to feed off these women and their need to “belong”. My husband was supportive but he told me up front he didn’t think it was worth me going head over heels in debt because he knew MLMs were like that. And I agreed. Thank God.

I made it out alive.