Written by Frosty Rose

Building schools for girls in developing countries. Saving women from domestic violence. Curing cancers that affect women. “Enriching the lives of women everywhere.” That’s the tagline of the Mary Kay Ash Foundation, and if the company says it, it must be true, right? Of course not!

In yet another attempt to whitewash its predatory practices that exploit men and women from every economic sector, but especially those who struggle most with poverty, Mary Kay set up a virtue signaling charitable foundation before virtue signaling was known as such. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s vitally important to support domestic violence survivors and continue the hard fight against cancers of all stripes. However, if you’re looking for somewhere to donate your hard-earned money, look elsewhere.

Of course, if you’re looking for somewhere to donate your hard-earned money, you’re probably not thinking of the Mary Kay Foundation anyway. In my experience during 14 years as a consultant and director, the only people donating to this foundation are consultants themselves. Every event featured some kind of rah-rah contest that pitted consultants against each other (typical!) to see who could raise the most money for the foundation. And if you look at their website, there’s even a helpful chart about how foundation contributions are “credited,” which essentially boils down to which activities earn you a sticker on your name badge at which ridiculously overpriced event, and who gets a tax receipt—you or the organization you represent.

Consultants have been trained (though rarely in writing) to crow that the foundation donates 99 cents of every dollar it takes in directly to the charities that need it. But is that true? Again, of course not. Charity Navigator reports that in 2022, only 84% of expenditures were on programs. And if we look at 2020, it was only 76%. Compare that, just for funsies, to the American Red Cross, which spends between 90 and 91% of its money on programs, and Mary Kay just doesn’t stack up. Again.

Aside from how they choose to spend their money, how about who they are? The foundation sets itself up as a beacon of hope for survivors. But what good does it do to rescue a woman from a domestic violence situation with one hand while the other tries to recruit her into an even more abusive system with the other?

This peach of a promotion from Anastasia Szymkowski, a director in Jaime Taylor’s national area, attempts to sell overpriced packages to donate to women coming into shelters. I promise you, those women need a roof, a locking door, and maybe a hot bath. What they don’t need? Mascara and lip gloss, with a side of a recruiting pitch.

We regularly see posts on social media about women giving makeovers in domestic violence and homeless shelters. While I’m all for looking and feeling your best, these women don’t need your overpriced eyeshadow, your loser of a “business” opportunity that’s almost guaranteed to lose money, or your pity. They need a real hand-up, so stop trying to sell them Mary Kay crap.

What good does it do to build schools in an obscure village in Africa while you actively discourage women in your markets from doing any real research on your products or “business opportunity”?

Or label people as negative just for asking reasonable, business-minded questions? Just trust the company and your upline! Said every tyrant and dictator in known history!

If you need a real glimpse of what happens at the director level, just take a look at the lovely posts from our friend, MK sales director Ellen Bowman Cox. With every keystroke on the “private” directors-only Facebook post, she simultaneously rags on people for being negative and questioning the Almighty Company, and blasts them for not doing their own research if they dare to ask a procedural question. As my Granny would say, “Education, my foot!”

And let’s be honest, here. The only reason Mary Kay is interested in cancer research is because it’s buzzy and gives them instant goodwill points. Well, that and new lead sources, according to the regular behavior of directors and consultants. Sell a bunch of “Cancer Care” packages, take the profit AND the tax write-off, and be sure to warm chat the nurses while you’re dropping them off. And, of course, get a picture for social media cred.

In short, much like all the other pink fluff and glitter surrounding the iron fist of MLM that is Mary Kay, the foundation is mostly for show with just enough substance to throw off the unsuspecting masses.

I have told this story before on this platform, but it’s worth repeating here. I have been in two abusive relationships in my life. After escaping one, I had access to shelter if I’d needed it, free counseling, and the support and empathy of my community, as well as legal remedies available to me.

After escaping the other (I’m talking about Mary Kay, here), I was ostracized from my circle of “lifelong girlfriends.” I was in debt up to my eyeballs with a resume gap and no financial assistance available to me other than bankruptcy. I had, on the training of leaders I trusted, isolated or alienated myself from my friends and family outside the Pink Bubble. And I was subject mostly to eyerolls from the community due to my ridiculous behavior leading up to my inevitable crash.

And then I found Pink Truth, and all the pieces started to fall into place. My issues with Mary Kay were not all my fault. It wasn’t because I didn’t work hard enough. It was because the system was rigged against me, and there was just enough marketing and PR done, like through the Foundation, to pull the wool over my eyes. I pray that through this site, more eyes are opened to the damage done by Mary Kay, even when the surface looks benevolent.