5 Top Cosmetic Direct Sales Companies

Do you love makeup? Do you think you have what it takes to make at least a part-time income in selling cosmetics through a direct sales company? If you already know that is what you want to do, then now you need to wade through info on the many direct sales businesses to find the right one for you.

Below, I present 5 top direct sales companies that specialize in cosmetics. You most likely are familiar with most of them. Even if you haven't tried their products, you've probably heard their names. However, one of them is a new kid on the block but seems to be growing in popularity.

Like I did with my other article, 5 Top Direct Sales Companies for Women, I share the official company sites as well as links to adverse opinions I found online so you can make an informed choice.

The famous Avon cosmetics company was founded by a New York book salesman named David McConnell. He would give away perfume to entice people to buy his books. Since the perfume was more popular, McConnell decided to ditch the books and start selling perfume which eventually lead him to cosmetic sales.

Two of the reasons Avon products are so popular are their quality and affordable prices. Avon representatives also have a low start-up cost and receive discounts on products they buy for themselves as well. It's a well-known name, so if you want to stick to the tried and true, Avon may be the right choice.

Avon representatives can choose to sell cosmetics directly through face-to-face interaction or through catalog and online sales. If they're good motivators, they can earn even more by bringing in recruits to the company. To learn more about how to become a representative, visit the Avon home page linked below.

Mary Kay Ash is an inspiration. In 1963, she was faced with sexism in the workplace and decided instead of giving up, she would start her own business. One of her goals since then was to help other women do the same for themselves whether they wanted to have a full-time career or part-time supplemental income.

Like Avon, Mary Kay cosmetics are well known for quality and reasonable prices. There is a low start-up cost for the cosmetic kit. Mary Kay's main business model is the home party with the idea of allowing women to try products before they buy them.

Another advantage of this company is the Mary Kay InTouch website which is a community for Mary Kay consultants to help them manage their business. Consultants also earn by bringing others into the company.

Arbonne International takes pride in their line of botanically-based products and their commitment to the environment. Part of this commitment includes responsible harvesting of the plants used in the products and using as little packaging as they can. The packaging they do use includes as many renewable resources as possible.

The company began in Switzerland when a group of scientists and herbalists came together to create quality products and came to the United States in 1980. The company is now known worldwide. Arbonne consultants receive a 35% discount off merchandise and the initial start-up kit is within most budgets at $109 (as of this writing). I believe they have a home party business plan, but I can't find that info easily on their website.

Arbonne products are formulated without animal-based or petroleum products and no animal testing is done. They also sell nutritional supplements and weight loss products that do not contain animal products or byproducts or artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners and are screened for gluten and GMO (genetically modified organisms).

As you can imagine, the prices are generally higher than Avon and Mary Kay. You'll need to take into consideration your potential clientele, if more natural products are important to them and if they can afford it.

Jafra is known for its skin care and spa line but they have a full line of cosmetics as well. The prices are close to that of Mary Kay. Their signature is the Royal Jelly line of skin care products. Royal jelly is a substance produced by bees purported to have many vitamins and minerals to help rejuvenate the skin.

Jafra has a low start-up cost of $60 and is based on the popular home party system. A Jafra consultant has to sell $300 in retail products for three consecutive months to earn a 50% discount and become a member.

To maintain membership, consultants need to sell $300 for two consecutive months during Jafra's established periods of which there are four during the year. Basically, period 1 begins in January and goes until March, period 2 begins in April and goes through June and this pattern of periods of three months continues until the end of the year.

We've all seen the infomercials touting the best mineral makeup which usually corresponds to higher prices. This newer company, Affordable Mineral Makeup, has a large selection of mineral cosmetics for face and eyes.

From the company website: "We only offer the best quality, natural mineral makeup with only mineral makeup ingredients that are good for your skin. There are no fillers, chemicals or talc in our mineral makeup." They are a cruelty-free company with no animal testing.

Representatives earn commissions from 15% and have the option to sell through home parties or through other venues. I've seen personal websites from representatives who sell the product. There is no start-up kit, but the company gives a 30% discount on one order which they encourage you to make your start-up kit. There is also a representative resource website where you can sign in and interact with other reps.

They also have an affiliate program if you don't want to sell directly. Affiliates earn 8% commission from sales generated from their website and Facebook links.

This company was started in 2006. Since it's fairly new, I haven't been able to find negative reviews. Unfortunately, I also haven't been able to even find a listing for them on the Better Business Bureau website; however, that includes no negative listings as well.

Avon, Mary Kay, Jafra and Arbonne offer incentives such as prizes for meeting sales goals and conventions where you can meet other consultants and get hyped up on your business. I cannot find any info on the Affordable Mineral Makeup website that they offer these things, but they may as their business grows.

While I've introduced you to these companies, it's now up to you to do deeper research into each one before you make a decision. Good luck with your new business no matter which one you choose.

Sources:

All business info taken from the respective websites of the companies above.