How My Short Stint as a Make-up Direct-Seller Reframed My Consumerism
By Karina | January 4, 2010
I don’t mention this frequently, but have I told y’all that I was a once-upon-a-time a make-up lady? As in: a direct seller for one of the top 5 companies as listed by wikipedia, and if you’re curious, it was not for Number 1. My stepsister was selling, so it would help her bottom line by bringing myself in “under her” plus it seemed like a pretty simple program - 100% markup for sellers, so there was a lot of flexibility with pricing, and everyone was so NICE. And I did my research before and this company doesn’t test on animals, and hasn’t since the late 1980s.
Before much is said further, I should be clear that I’m not a very good sales person. I’m not persistent in that sales person way - if I don’t really honestly believe that you need something for an incredibly important reason, then I’ll take your “No” for a good answer. Exceptions to this include the vehemence with which I push the purchase of CFLs, compact shopping bags, and reusable travel mugs. But I really truly believe that these things are good and important! Skin care systems, on the other hand, I am more on the fence about. I went into my make-up selling days as a proud and happy user of the one-step oil cleansing method. My new director was shocked that I used olive oil to remove my eye makeup. The signature four-step cleansing method that I was selling was effective, but a lot more money than a jar of oil and a warm washcloth, and I wouldn’t say it worked any better.
Regardless of all I learned about how to apply eye shadow and mascara to best use, regardless of the samples I accumulated and handed out to my friends, and regardless of the product stock that I accumulated (and later donated to a woman’s shelter), the most important thing that I got out of being a make-up selling “consultant” was a better understanding of my own consumerism. Right after I started selling this product line, I found myself in a drugstore picking up some kind of essential. I was noodling around and I found myself wandering in the cosmetics section, scoping out liquid eyeliner and sparkly eyeshadow. I realized with a start that I couldn’t really buy any more impulsive cosmetics because I was a MAKEUP CONSULTANT and therefore really ought to only use the makeup I was selling. What was shocking was how disappointed I was! How was I going to get along without any impulse buys?
What I was really missing, of course, wasn’t the cheap drug store cosmetics. It was the SHOPPING - which is a surprise, because I hate to shop, hate hate hate it. I hate buying clothes, preferring instead to make my own. I hate crowded malls, I hate all the advertising tricks that stores use to get you to buy more stuff, I hate that it’s all wrapped up in piles of non-recyclable packaging. It drives me crazy! So what was it about shopping for cosmetics? I think that buying a new lipstick or eyeliner was a quick and easy way to buy SOMETHING. It was something relatively small and cheap, so no guilt. And I didn’t do it often enough for it to add up. It satisfied some deep consumerist drive to just buy SOMETHING.
That freaked me out! Since when am I a tool of “the man?” Since when am I a consumerist? I mean, I rail against planned obsolescence! I use things up! So you can imagine that I was really startled to learn this about myself, and it helped me to reframe my feelings on consumerism and why I buy stuff. Ever since then (and perhaps because I have a fairly big stash to work my way through of products that I do use regularly) I haven’t really made many cosmetic impulse buys. These days my impulse purchases are more likely to be books, though I’m so much better about going to the library than I used to be, and wool sweaters (it’s cold outside!). (Though I am not perfect! there was a $16 lipstick recently…) These things are much more useful and sustainable (and regiftable or resellable).
And these days I’m not a make-up direct-seller… when push came to shove, I was too uncomfortable selling things to people, and too uncomfortable trying to get them to buy things I didn’t think they needed. As the founder of Patagonia says: “The most responsible way for a consumer and a good citizen to buy clothes is to buy used” - and if the founder of a giagantic clothing and outdoor gear company can say that about their own market share, then we should be able to turn a clearer eye towards our own lipstick purchases too.
Have you had any wake-up moments that reframed how you feel about consumerism?
[[Photo from flickr user Kevin Krejci via creative commons license: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinkrejci/ / CC BY 2.0]]
Topics: General | 3 Comments »
3 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
[...] How My Short Stint as a Make-up Direct-Seller Reframed My Consumerism | Tiny Choices tinychoices.com/2010/01/04/how-my-short-stint-as-a-make-up-direct-seller-reframed-my-consumerism – view page – cached I don’t mention this frequently, but have I told y’all that I was a once-upon-a-time a make-up lady? As in: a direct seller for one of the top 5 companies as [...]
My rule of thumb regarding impulse buys is if I see or remember the item at least 3 times and if it’s still at the store then it is mine to buy. Also a great way to give in to the impulse buy is to go to the library and borrow. You come out with a stack of books and a movie for free (no packaging) and can take them back with no returns hassle.
[...] How My Short Stint as a Make-up Direct-Seller Reframed My Consumerism [...]