I want to sell makeup ( or do I??)

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 1:39 pm

I am a makeup artist. I am constantly asked if I sell makeup as well, and after years of just saying No, I thought, well why not? I have the space in my house to store it, I have time, and I absolutely love makeup and working with people. Plus a little extra money never hurt😉

So if you currently sell makeup or ever have, can you tell me what it's like? Basically... where do I start? Or is it a huge hassle and I shouldn't even bother?

amother

Saddlebrown

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 1:42 pm

You need to decide if you want to sell for one company or have a variety.
I’m very into senegence makeup right now.
They have lots of guidance and support.
Others do Mary Kay or Careline.

Where are you located? In the US?

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 2:10 pm

Realistically you need to find out what brands will let you be a distributor because most department store brands have limited distributors so you probsboy wouodjt be able to legitimately sell Chanel, Urban Decay or MAC for example.

Why wouldn’t you sell those makeup items that you use. Those would seem to be the logical ones to carry since I would be interested in purchasing items that makeup artist used. Many makeup artists use professional stuff because the reality is that the name brands are expensive because of promotion and not because of higher quality necessarily. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 2:59 pm

amother Vermilion wrote:

So that's probably a great place to start but how do I do that? Do I buy from Amazon, Ulta, etc and then resell?

amother

Lily

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 3:03 pm

You could definitely do that. The only problem is, if you did my makeup and taught me how to do it I would definitely buy from you, the first time. But when I needed replacements, I would go to Amazon and Ulta and see if they carried it and price compare-but that is just me.

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 3:07 pm

m-u-a-mama wrote:

So that's probably a great place to start but how do I do that? Do I buy from Amazon, Ulta, etc and then resell?

That would make no sense as a business. You would be purchasing at retail so how could you make a profit.

My friend who was a make up artist used professional stuff that wasn’t widely available so she could purchase at wholesale. There are companies that even do private lines. Or she bought through professional stores at a discount.

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 3:08 pm

amother Lily wrote:

That's what I'm thinking!

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 3:09 pm

amother Vermilion wrote:

Interesting. Would love to hear more about this if you happen to have details

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 3:51 pm

amother Coffee wrote:

I wouldn't buy from Amazon. There's alot of counterfeit cosmetic sold on Amazon.

Wow I actually didn't know this. I don't but much there but once in a while they have a good deal on the lipsticks I use or whatever

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 4:38 pm

m-u-a-mama wrote:

Interesting. Would love to hear more about this if you happen to have details

This was awhile ago and not in Lakewood.

I did buy foundation from her because she did a custom mix for my skin color but it wasn't a name brand - it was a professional formula that she used and bought from her supplier.

She talked about the "cosmetic" industry and essentially what a scam it is in terms of the actual cost of the products. While there are some formulas that are higher quality, the actual cost differential between an inexpensive good brand like ELF or Colourpop is branding, promotional costs, marketing costs and also a much higher profit margin.

My point is that the only way for you to actually have a business selling product is if you are selling products you use that aren't available elsewhere because otherwise why would someone buy from you since you would be paying retail to get the product.

Also you have to consider inventory in terms of what you would sell.

amother

Tan

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 4:46 pm

It's a major investment for inventory in different shades etc.. Unless you have a storefront, chances of repeat customers are dependent on how loyal your customer base is. Be great with matching. make it easy and convenient to reorder (like if you keep a customers profile on your computer, and they can WhatsApp you for a re-order of blush, etc).

Right now, Sephora is getting a lot more stingy with their services. Like they wont put it on to try, you have to do it yourself. (or schedule a session for $30 min for one area) So maybe it's a good time to get into it.

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 4:49 pm

amother Vermilion wrote:

So yea I did know about the branding etc.
I do have a way to get some stuff wholesale, but it's not brand name (more like the stuff the frum makeup artists slap their own label on...) so I have to decide if that's something I want to do

m-u-a-mama

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 4:50 pm

amother Tan wrote:

All good points to consider, thanks so much!

amother

Vermilion

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 5:02 pm

m-u-a-mama wrote:

Unless you purchase makeup for wholesale there is no profit and no reason to sell makeup.

You could think about other ways to monetize your skills such as makeup classes, providing services at parties for girls, a partnership with a photographer for glamour type of shots.

amother

Apricot

Mon, Feb 06 2023, 6:10 pm

My good friend gets MAC makeup at a discount for being a certified makeup artist and then sells it for regular price. People go to her because it’s easier than going to a mall. Is that an option?