Why I Love Mary Kay--Cars!

I do have people ask me from time to time, "If you win a pink car, are you going to drive it?". I guess since I am a male Mary Kay Consultant, this would seem to be a surprise answer. But, my response is always, "It's free. I'll drive it whatever color it is". Why not? Why would I say no to a free car. I've never driven or owned a "brand new" car. I purchased a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser in 2007, which means it was already a year old. That was the newest car I ever owned.

In short, yes, I would drive a pink car. It's the only new car I will most likely every drive. I know it's a vehicle that is in a lease in my name, but that does not bother me in the least. And if I keep up production levels, Mary Kay will take the "old" one and give me a new one every two years. I don't see the downside to this.

Let me share with you some of the cars Mary Kay has in its Career Car line-up. In my opinion, they are amazing.

The first is a Consultant Car. It's a Chevy Cruz 1LT. How many companies do you know that allow "Consultants" who are not Directors earn a car? They Chevy Cruz is white, not pink. A Consultant earns this car based on her (or his) personal production and the production of personal team members--or those first line recruits. Downline does not count in the Consultant car prize. The qualification period is 4 months long. Some people may decide that they do not want this car, so they can choose to take $375 per month instead. Get whatever car you'd like or use that money to pay your current car payment.

Directors have a bunch of car options, but they are all based on the level of production. Mary Kay has a Premier Club, Premier Club Plus and the Pink Cadillac Club. To earn any of these cars, you must be a Director first. Production levels are based on your personal production, personal team member production and whole downline production. Basically, everyone who belongs to the Director's unit helps the Director earn a car (while earning their own Chevy Cruz).

The Premier Club options are the Chevy Equinox 1LT and the Toyota Camry SE. Both of these vehicles are black. The Director can choose either one, since they both belong to the same level.

If the Director and the unit do a little more production, the Director can choose another vehicle if they are part of the Premier Club Plus. This would allow the Director to choose a black BWM 320i. This vehicle joined the Mary Kay Car Program in January 2014. So, not many have earned this car yet.

The qualification period for all three of these Premier Club vehicles is six months and if none of these vehicles strike your fancy, you can opt to take $500 a month instead.

The top vehicle prize, the one everyone associates with Mary Kay is the Pink Cadillac. There are two options, the Cadillac SRX and the Cadillac CTS. Both are PINK, of course. These have the highest levels of production required and the qualification period is six months. Those who do not want to drive a Pink Cadillac can take $900 a month instead.

I would like to point something out. Every Consultant who has taken the Career Car instead of the Cash Option said it was easier to become a Director since they had physical proof that Mary Kay does give out cars and "regular people" earn them. Also, every Director who earned a Premier Club Car often earned the Pink Cadillac for the same reason. And my personal Director, Kerri Bunker of Denver, Colorado, stated that she makes more than $900 extra each month because she drives a Pink Cadillac (as opposed to the Cash Option). According to her, people take pictures of her car, leave notes on her car for product orders and know that she has the products they want since she is a Cadillac Driver. So, be cautious about taking the Cash Option instead of the free car. :) Let's not forget that Mary Kay pays for approximately 80% of the tax, title and insurance for your vehicle. You pay the balance, which comes out of your commissions (which you have since you are winning a car). Other than regular maintanance (oil changes, etc) and gas, you are truly driving a free car.

Anyone want to earn one with me? If you do, I want you on my team. :)

www.marykay.com/dmanor

Take Care!

Why I Love Mary Kay--Commissions!

I've had many people ask me why I sell Mary Kay, as a man. I mean, men don't wear lipstick, so why would I sell it? First of all, take a look at the Mary Kay website sometime. Mine is here. You'll find out that Mary Kay is more than just lipstick. Second of all, men sell everything from ladies lingerie to yachts. Does it matter if I make a living off of "just lipstick"? It shouldn't. Besides, the company is amazing.

I would like to share with you the marketing plan from Mary Kay--the commissions and prizes we earn from Mary Kay. Ask yourself, does your current job or Direct Sales company do the same? It is worth a shot to earn some of these? What I love about Mary Kay--the company posts the minimum requirements. ANYONE who meets the requirements earns the reward. If the company needs to give the same reward to a million people, they will.

You start out by signing your agreement and becoming an Independent Beauty Consultant under someone. For most, they start out under a Recruiter and a lot of others start out under a Director. Neither matters since everyone has a Director somewhere.

As a Consultant, you earn 50% off of everything that you sell. You buy the product from the company first (say a lipstick, for example at $7.50). You then sell it for the suggested retail ($15). This is no secret, so nobody in Mary Kay is going to be upset with me for sharing this information with you. The more you sell, the more you earn, but your commission is always 50%. You can choose to give away some of your commission by giving away free product to those who help you find more customers, but that is an individual thing. We all love doing it!

I know a lady who sold $100,000 in product each year. She was the Queen of Sales every year. That means, she was making $50,000 just in her commissions alone. She was not a recruiter. She was a retail seller. You can do this if you which. Nobody will make you recruit anyone. I have no idea how long it took her to generate such sales, but I do know she had done it for years by the time I met her.

If you choose to recruit people, you will start to earn bonuses off of their wholesale purchases to the company (the lipstick we buy for $7.50 and sell for $15). You make nothing off the $15. Your commission comes from the $7.50, which the company sends to you. We do not buy products from each other. We all buy straight from the company (to ensure everyone is getting a 50% commission). You will never give any commissions to your recruiter and none of your recruits will give you any. Like I said, it all comes from big Mary Kay.

If you recruit one or two people who start selling product, you become a Senior Consultant. You are eligible for 4% commission from everything they buy from the company. We call these "love checks" since they are not usually huge. Every $1000 in product they buy from the company, you earn $40. It is in YOUR best interest to make sure your team knows how to make money and sell product. The more they sell, the more you earn. So, make sure your team members are hooked up with your Director. It's her job anyway to train new people. That's why she earns the big checks.

If you have 3-4 personal team members, you continue to earn 4% commission, but you are now a Star Team Builder or a "Red Jacket". We call these people Red Jackets, because they get to wear one as a symbol of their status. You even get it nearly free the first time you buy one. The company gives you a voucher to get one at a big discount. You also earn a $50 bonus on the 4th team member and EVERY ONE after that, forever! Okay, not forever. As least as long as you are alive and in Mary Kay.

After the 5th team member, you are now a Team Leader. Your commissions move up to 9%, depending on activity. So that $40 commission just jumped to $90. Depending on your team's orders and your own personal orders, that 9% can jump to 13%. If you do it right, you can jump from $40 to $130 overnight. :) Also depending on production levels of your team, you can start to earn the use of a FREE CAR. At this point, the car is a white Chevy Cruz. We'll talk about how to win a car later. Just know that 5 personal team members is the minimum to go into qualification to earn a car.

At 8 personal team members, you are a Future Director. Commissions are the same at this point. Remember, it's 9-13% commission off of purchases of your team members from the company, plus $50 off of each one, starting with #4. At 10 personal team members, you can go into Director Qualification. We call these, Directors-in-Qualification or DIQs. You are not required to become a Director, just know you need at least 10 personal team members to consider it. Director Qualification is another subject, just like Car Qualification.

But, just so you know, once you become a Director, that $50 recruiting bonus jumps to $100. And the 4-13% bonus, jumps from 4% to as much as 36%. So your $40 commission off of $1000 jumps to a $360 commission, depending on levels of production and individuals (your personal team member commission is going to be different than your down line commission--which is also another topic).

Directors are the individuals who earn the Chevy Equinox, Toyota Corolla or AS OF JAN 1, 2014, a BMW 320i (all 3 are black) OR, if they are top Directors, a Pink Cadillac (SRX or CTS). Directors can also earn the Top Director Trip. For 2014, the trip is to Maui, Hawaii, with a bonus (if you earn it) to San Francisco--all paid for by Mary Kay (on top of all those bonuses and free cars you've earned).

This is why I love Mary Kay. And it only costs $100, plus shipping and tax to get started. Is it worth it to you? Mary Kay posts the monthly commission checks of many of the Directors each month. I know some National Sales Directors who earn $100,000 a month in commissions. Now, these are rare ladies indeed (and no men have ever achieved this level--but I will). Don't you want a shot at it? I know, I do!

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. But this marketing plan is why I LOVE MARY KAY!

Take care!

I'm very flattered

Well, it has been well over a year since I posted anything on this blog, made a video on Youtube, tweeted much, etc. Yet oddly enough, I still have people reading this blog. I even get emails, comments on my blog and a phone call or two from people interested. I'm very flattered that I have a following of some kind. My sole purpose is to assist those who have questions. Feel free to ask any questions. I'll do my best to answer them as quickly as I can.

So, it's a new year and some changes have happened in my life. Mostly, I plan on building my Mary Kay business. I want the things I talk about in this blog. I want to be able to drive a free car from Mary Kay (yes! I will drive around in a pink Cadillac if I earn one--why not? it's free!). I've never owned a brand new car before. Even though I won't technically own this car from Mary Kay, it's still brand new and I get to drive it. And I love that I get a new one every two years, so long as I meet the requirements to earn one. Where else can you go where they'll take your "old" car back and give you a new one every two years? I don't know of many places. Feel free to let me know where these places are. I'm sure others wouldn't mind working for such companies.

I want the trips around the world, the jewelry, the cash bonuses, etc. I am looking for people who want that as well. I want to be a Director, where I can inspire many people to achieve their dreams by teaching, coaching and guiding. I know many ladies who I think would be incredible Directors, if they would just give Mary Kay a chance. I can see them as powerful business women who mentor other ladies. I also know there are men out there who understand the opportunity. I want to inspire them to know that men can sell skin care and make-up just as well as ladies--and the ladies don't mind at all.

I want to find people who want free products from me just for being my customer. I want to spoil those who introduce me to new customers. The only way I am successful at Mary Kay is if I have customers who enjoy the product. I am not a pushy salesperson. I am a CONSULTANT. I consult with you on your skin care needs and help you find the products and tools that help you achieve those needs. And if you can't afford some of the products I have, I am willing to help you earn them for free. What would you buy from Mary Kay if you could get $100 worth of product for free? Contact me and I'll let you know what we can do together so you can earn this $100 shopping spree. I love to give away product (see, I'm not a pushy salesman or I'd not give you anything for free).

In short, I am going to be more dedicated to social media. I am actively interviewing people who want a job. For now, I can only interview those in the United States and its territories. International will come, but one step at a time. I am looking for hosts who want $100 in free product and I am looking for customers who want top customer service and expert consultation.

Feel free to share this with your friends.

Take care!

Color 101: Lucious Lips

It has been a while since I was able to create a post. I am now back in the States after nearly a year deployed in Afghanistan. It's good to be home, but it was an adjustment. In addition to getting home, I started college again. I haven't been in college classes in 12 years. It's definitely another adjustment. But, I have to finish a degree. So, that's what I am doing.

So, for today, we are going to talk about lips. Hopefully, I'll have some information in today's post that is new or helpful. Before we start adding color to the lips, we need to start at the beginning. Lipstick and lip gloss won't sit on the lips well if they are dry, chapped or rough. We start with Satin Lips ($18, plus tax for the set). This is a two step treatment to smooth the lips. Step 1 exfoliates and Step 2 moisturizes. You can use the lip balm (step 2) as often as you need. It's one of the items I use regularly (even as a guy). Step 1 should be used only once or twice a week. If you buy the two steps separately, you'll end up paying $1 extra. Save yourself the money and buy them together.

Another often skipped step is a lip primer. Mary Kay has Timewise Age-Fighting Lip Primer ($22, plus tax). We are back to another Timewise product--so we are anti-age and anti-wrinkle. Based on a 12 week study, 100% of women saw an improvement in the fine lines and wrinkles on and around the lips. Again, that is EVERYONE! Not only will this product help keep your lips soft and wrinkle-free, the Lip Primer will help keep your lip color in place--on your lips! I personally use this product underneath the Satin Lips Lip Balm (step 2) and find it helps keep the lip balm in place, too. Which is what I want. I use the lip balm to moisturize.

The last often skipped step is Lip Liner ($12, plus tax). Mary Kay has 9 shades of Lip Liner. These have been updated from the former concept. Previously, a person would buy a pink Lip Liner to go with a pink lipstick or lip gloss. A brown or chocolate Liner for a brown lipstick or lip gloss and so on. You needed a different liner for each shade of lipstick. Mary Kay as updated that. Now you pick a Lip Liner to match your LIPS, not your lip color. That way, you only need one Lip Liner, no matter which lipstick or lip gloss you use. Lip Liners help give you that Hollywood finished lip look and they help keep your lip color on your lips. If you are new to Lip Liners, try Mary Kay's Lip Liner in Clear. It does the same thing, but leaves no color.

Mary Kay Creme Lipstick ($15, plus tax). Mary Kay has 39 shades of Lipstick in a range of color families (Pink, Tawnies, Reds, Metals, Neutrals, Chocolates, Berries and Reds). If you wear Lipstick, Mary Kay has a shade for you. The Creme Lipstick is moisturizing and has vitamins C and E in them. Additionally, the Creme Lipstick fits in the standard Compact and the Compact Pro.

To finish your look, try Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss ($14, plus tax). 14 incredible shades. These can be used to amp up your lipstick color or to mute it a little. You can also use the Lip Gloss to add shine to a matte lipstick color. You can mix Lipsticks and Lip Glosses to make a custom lip color all your own! The NouriShine Plus Lip Glosses also fit in the Compact and the Compact Pro.

And new to the Mary Kay Lipstick family, Mary Kay True Dimensions Lipstick ($18, plus tax). This is an intense moisturizing Lipstick and comes in 10 shades. This Lipstick debuted in December 2012. The tube is also the right size for the Compact and the Compact Pro. Made with natural ingredients and age-defying benefits, this is a great Lipstick.

Again, I hope this information is beneficial. And as always, I welcome comments, questions and product reviews! Mary Kay has some great things happening this year. It is the 50th Anniversary of the company. Be sure to check things out. I look forward to hearing from you. www.marykay.com/dmanor.

Take care!

Mary Kay Make-up: Concealers, Highlighters and Loose Powder

It's been a while since I've given some tips or information about products. It's time to get back into it before the year is done. There are some great products that Mary Kay has to help you achieve the flawless look anyone is looking for.

Concealer ($10, plus tax). Concealers are meant to do what their name implies--conceal something. A blemish, discolored skin, a scar--whatever you have in mind. Concealers go on after your cleansing routine and after your moisturizer. Concealers also go on before your foundation. Concealers are meant as a spot treatment, but can be used more liberally if there is a lot of variations in skin tone. Concealers should be a tad lighter in shade than your foundation. This is to add a "lift" underneath the foundation, to hide whatever it is you want to hide. If you have no idea what foundation or concealer shade you should use, look to your decollete, that's the area between the chest and neck. Match your foundation to that area of your skin and adjust your concealer as needed--remember, a bit lighter than your foundation. If you have a lot of redness in the skin, Yellow Concealer would be the best choice to counteract the redness. Concealer is best applied using a brush, but you can use your fingers, too. Dab a little on and make sure the concealer lays flat or it'll be noticeable.

Facial Highlighting Pen ($18, plus tax). This is a fun product. The Facial Highlighting Pen goes on top of your foundation. This is meant to add lift to areas of the face, like the laugh lines, inside of your eyes, corners of the nose, etc. If you are going to highlight under the eyes, just highlight the darker area underneath puffiness, not the puffiness itself. This will make it appear less puffy. Reapply throughout the day as needed to keep yourself looking refreshed.

Mineral Highlighting Powder ($12, plus tax). This is more of an advanced product for a custom look. This is a mineral product, so it soaks up oil. And like all other mineral eye and cheek products, the Mineral Highlighting Powder has vitamins A, C and E. Use this product to give lift to the face. The Mineral Highlighting Powder can also be used all over the face or as eye colors. The Mineral Highlighting Powder is great for contouring the face.

Loose Powder ($14, plus tax). Mary Kay has an entire line of foundations. Some are liquid, some are powder, some are cream and some are a mix. Loose Powder is used to set your make-up. This is a Hollywood secret. After your concealers, foundation and make up, you can add a small layer of Loose Powder over the top to keep your make-up in place. It adds a layer between your make-up and the environment. As an added bonus, Loose Powder soaks up excess oil.

Well, that was short and sweet today. I hope you find this information helpful. Feel free to check out my website for more tips and product information. And (of course) shop anytime! www.marykay.com/dmanor

Take care!

Make-up 101: Eye Color

I've posted information about skin care, which is a critical step in making sure your make-up looks flawless. The clearer the skin, the more likely you'll get the results you are looking for with your make-up. If you have a great skin care routine that works for you, awesome! I'm happy you found something. If you haven't found that great skin care routine yet, you should really give Mary Kay a try. If you hate it after you buy it, you can get your money back. It's the Mary Kay guarantee! And the Consultant you return the product to does lose money for your returns. So don't be shy.

We've talked about primers, foundations and brushes. Each of these has a purpose to create a flawless look. Now we are going to talk a little about eye colors.

Eye colors serve one of three purposes: highlighter, midtone and accent color.

Highlighters are the lightest shade you are using on a given day. This is the color that gives lift to your eyes. Highlighters are usually applied from the lid to the brow bone. Highlighters can have shimmer or have a matte finish. The use of shimmer would be a personal preference. My own personal opinion would be to tone down the shimmer on business looks (that doesn't mean eliminate shimmer, just in case you were wondering). The Highlighter can also be applied to the inside corner of the eye, near the nose. Highlighters that are close to your own natural skin tone are a perfect start, especially for a business look.

Midtones are often a neutral or earth tone that goes all over the eye lid. The Midtones are usually blended near the crease of the eye lid with the Highlighter shade. The same as Highlighters, Midtones can be shimmer or matte finish. Having just a Highlighter and Midtone is perfect for a business look.

Accent Colors are the pop of color. These are usually your vivid colors, Gold, Green, Silver, Blue, Purple and even Pink. The most common place to apply the Accent Color is from the outside corner of the eye through the crease. The color is blended with the Midtone and Highlighters. Often the Accent Colors are applied along the lower lash line as well, particularly in a night look. It is common, but not necessary to use an eyeliner in a similar shade to your Accent Color. Accent Colors also come in shimmer and matte finishes.

What's great about an Accent Color--you can start out with your regular Highlighter and Midtone for your business look. When work is done, touch up your first to Eye Colors and add your Accent Color. Now you are ready to go out. And you can change your Accent Color daily, but keep your Midtown and Highlighter. It's simple and quick to go from a day look to a night look. For easy application of an Accent Color, try the Mary Kay Eye Crease Brush.

Mary Kay has two types of Eye Colors, in addition to their purpose. Mary Kay Cream Eye Color ($13, plus tax). Comes in 5 shades. Mary Kay Cream Eye Colors work as a primer as well as an eye color, so you don't need a primer underneath the Cream Eye Colors. Cream Eye Colors wear for 10 hours. How can you beat that? These colors can be layered with other Cream Eye Colors or with the Mineral Eye Colors. The Cream Eye Colors also go on better if applied with a brush. Check out the Mary Kay Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush.

Mary Kay Mineral Eye Colors ($6.50, plus tax). Each Mineral Eye Color comes in a metal square, made to fit in any of the Mary Kay Compacts. So you choose which colors you want in the compact and can change them as often as you'd like. Mary Kay Mineral Eye Colors come with vitamins A, C and E, so they are actually good for your skin. The Mineral Eye Colors are fade resistant and absorb excess oil as well. Eye Primer is recommended to help extend the wear of your Eye Color.

Finish your eye look with an Eyeliner ($12, plus tax). Mary Kay has seven shades in Eyeliner pencils and just Black in Liquid Eyeliner ($11, plus tax). Each of the Eyeliner pencils comes with a built in sharpener in the cap, wear for up to 8 hours and are smudge-proof and waterproof.

Top off your eye look with a Mascara. Again, I recommend Black/Brown and Brown shades of Mascara for the fairer ladies, those like Renee Zellweger or Nicole Kidman. The medium and darker skin tone ladies or fair ladies with dark hair should use Black Mascara. And of course, Black Mascara for all skin tones for the red carpet or night-on-the-town look.

Remember, at the end of the day, remove all of that great eye make up with Mary Kay's Oil-free Eye Make-up Remover. 

I hope this helps some of those ladies I've met who say they have "no idea what to do" with eye colors. I welcome pointers from the experts--ladies who apply eye color every day. Please feel free to chime in and share tips. I also welcome any questions, comments or product reviews. www.marykay.com/dmanor.

Take Care!

Mary Kay Tools: Compacts and Applicators

I figured I should continue the blog about Mary Kay tools, since there are a bunch more. Each, of course, has a different purpose and will appeal to a different customer. Mary Kay thinks of just about everything. Here are some great items from Mary Kay.

Mary Kay Compact Mini ($16, plus tax--empty). I actually think the Compact Mini is "cute". It fits in the palm of my hand. This compact has a magnetic well that will fit the Mary Kay Mineral Eye Colors, Cheek Colors, Bronzers, Highlighters or the Foundations that come in their own metal square (Pressed Powder, Cream to Powder and Cream Foundations). You can change the products in the well since they pop out. You can change them once they are empty or change them daily depending on the look you are creating.The applicators and brushes fit in a compartment underneath the magnetic well. Personally, I think this is an ideal foundation compact, but it is versatile.

Mary Kay Compact ($18, plus tax--empty). This compact was actually the first compact that came out with the redesign. This one features the same magnetic well as the Compact Mini, but has space for a Mary Kay Lipstick or Lip Gloss. The tools fit on the side instead of underneath the magnetic well.

Mary Kay Compact Pro ($35, plus tax--empty). This compact builds upon the other two. This one has three magnetic wells. The Compact Pro can hold a Foundation, two Cheek Colors and six Eye Colors, or any similar combination. This compact also has space for two Lipsticks or Lip Glosses, Eyeliner and Lip Liners, plus tools. The Compact Pro is perfect for the girl who just loves make-up.

Earlier, we talked about Brushes. Unfortunately, none of those Brushes will fit in any of the compacts. But, Mary Kay does have applicators that will fit. The first is the Mary Kay Eye Applicators ($2.50, plus tax). A small Eye Color Brush and a small Sponge Applicator come in this set. These are great for the teen, the individual just learning how to apply make-up or for the person who just uses make-up occasionally. They are also perfect for the touch ups throughout the day. The make-up fashionista should use the full size Brushes.

Mary Kay Compact Cheek Brush ($2.50). This Compact Cheek Brush fits in any of the compacts and is perfect to dust a little Cheek Color or Bronzer onto the cheeks. This brush is also perfect for touch ups.

Mary Kay Compact Foundation Brush ($4, plus tax). This Brush is a little larger and takes up the entire space reserved for the tools. This brush is meant to apply foundation and is perfect for touch ups throughout the day.

Mary Kay Cosmetic Sponges ($2.50, plus tax). Each pack comes with two sponges. These sponges are great for cream products, like Cream Foundation, Cream to Powder Foundation or Cream Cheek Color. These should be changed periodically for hygienic purposes.

Mary Kay Brow Tools ($4, plus tax). The Brow Tool set has three mini tools in it. The small angled bristle brush is great for using Mineral Eye Color to add color and definition to the eyebrows or to help spread the color from Eyebrow Pencils. Another brush helps tame the brows before using Mary Kay Brow Gel to set them. The third tool is a set of tweezers. And remember, you pluck a chicken, but you tweeze eyebrows.

Of course, all of the Brushes mentioned here can be cleaned with the Mary Kay Brush Cleaner mentioned in a previous post. 

As always, I hope you find this information helpful. Thanks for reading. I can see the traffic and it's from all over the world. And I feel like I should know some things about how to post links and such, but I am still learning. I'm hoping this makes my blog look a bit more professional. Please feel free to follow, comment or review a product. I welcome it. And I am always reachable at www.marykay.com/dmanor.

Take care!