What began as a loosely organized group of women casually discussing their dislike of the “business opportunity” offered by multi-level marketing companies like Mary Kay Cosmetics, has been slowly developing into an organized, credible attack on the tactics that abuse participants.

Pink Truth, a website created and maintained by me, systematically exposes the lies and half-truths told by those trying to recruit new independent beauty consultants. I thrive on numbers, and regularly expose the pathetic reality of the Mary Kay business. While women regularly brag about bringing home “executive” incomes for part-time work, the reality is that the vast majority of the so-called executives in Mary Kay (sales directors) make annual incomes in the $20k’s, if they’re lucky.

The recruiting process includes parading around “high checks”, which are the largest commission checks sales directors have received. These don’t even come close to representing the normal commission checks, and they don’t reflect any of the expenses that go into running a Mary Kay business.

Half-truths about “free” cars are told. The amount of time required to earn an income is generally downplayed. Recruiters brag about the 50% profit that can be earned on the sale of the cosmetics, but never mention that most products are sold at a discount and therefore that 50% will never be realized. (That’s if they can actually find anyone to buy the products.) New recruits are encouraged to buy large inventories without any sales experience or a customer base to support the inventory.

These realities are exposed daily on Pink Truth, much to the chagrin of the sales force that is attempting to recruit new blood into the Mary Kay pyramid. The longer the site exists, the stronger and more refined our message becomes. And people are listening. Mary Kay Inc. is listening.