Sharing a real, transparent look into what it’s really like to be a beautycounter consultant – how + why I started and my thoughts after 6 months of doing the work!
I share so much of my life + my health journey on the internet. I talk about my breakfast, my periods, my poops + lots of other things on instagram that my husband would rather I keep private, ha! But, the thing is, I’ve felt alone in so many seasons of my life.
I’ve felt alone while walking my long health journey through digestive trouble, misdiagnosis + endometriosis. I’ve felt alone in transitioning cultures from Africa to America and to England. I felt alone in the depths of my eating disorder. I’ve felt alone in navigating the early years as a newlywed + as a work-from-home-r.
But do you know what has always met me in those places? Vulnerability. When I felt completely alone in all of those spaces, someone came my way, opened their heart + invited me in. I have met girls on the internet who share my symptoms + my desperation to be heard by a doctor. I’ve connected with fellow ex-pats all around the world who can commiserate with feeling like the odd one out. I had friends sit in the darkest hours of my anorexia and love me back to life. I’ve had the chance to swap stories with sweet sister friends about marriage, sex, faith, worth + value + hard work.
The reason that I’m so passionate about transparency + vulnerability, about real open conversation is that I really do believe it’s where the beauty is. I believe it’s where the real change + joy + substance of life hides.
I know what you’re probably thinking right about now, which is: what the freaking heck does all of this have to do with Beautycounter? Isn’t it just another daggum MLM Makeup Company?!
Well, pull up a chair, sweet friend. Because as I’ve just informed you, I live for the real, nitty gritty bits of sharing + that’s how I want to talk to you right now, about this thing that’s become a pretty big part of my life in a really little bit of time.
How did we get to Beautycounter?
So, here’s where we start. Remember how I mentioned up above that I was struggling with some health stuff? Read: lots of health stuff. In the fall of 2019, I was sort of at my whits end with feeling like a chronically fatigued, bloated bellied, lifeless, sick woman. I had been going through cycle after cycle of poor health, a little improvement + then more sickness. I was desperate.
I’d already completely overhauled my diet (say hello to Jessica Eats REAL Food – this is how she was born) in an effort to quell my symptoms. And while it moved the needle more than anything I’d ever tried, I still wasn’t feeling anywhere near how I wanted to. And so, I moved onto something else: my personal products.
I won’t get into all of the nitty gritty about why I switched or how I switched because you can read about all of that here, but what I will say is that my stressed out body needed all of the help it could get + so I figured removing some chemicals from my daily routine couldn’t hurt.
Now here’s the thing, I don’t want to lead anyone on. Switching my makeup + skincare did not suddenly solve my health problems. However, my skin + my five-minute face still look freaking awesome, just like they did with my Sephora makeup. But it certainly makes me feel better knowing that the stuff I’m rubbing on my skin + is being absorbed into my bloodstream has been rigorously tested, intentionally selected + guaranteed safe for my body.
But how did it become a business?
When I made this switch back in 2019, I did it as cheaply as I could. I’d been watching some women online in the wellness space talk about Beautycounter for months, but I just couldn’t bring myself to take the plunge. I love trying makeup out before I buy it, especially makeup that costs a few pennies.
But, as I tried to research less expensive options, the information became muddy. I quickly realised that I didn’t have the knowledge or the time to vet a foundation + a mascara + all of the other products I was using. I couldn’t make out the difference between clever marketing + clean ingredients.
And so, back to Beautycounter I went. They’re so transparent about their ingredients + they have everything available on one website. Quick, simple, trustworthy. Lucky for me, my change of heart coincided with a sale + so I grabbed a discounted makeup bundle called the Flawless in 5. It’s a really basic selection of products grouped together + it felt reasonable for me to invest in. My husband + I had already saved for a month or so to buy a few things. Plus, every purchase has a 60-day return policy, so I figured I could always send it back if it wasn’t the right fit.
Here’s where we get to the business part: when I got my makeup, I talked about it on instagram, very much in the same way that I share my smoothie recipe or my favourite shampoo bar + people listened. I started getting messages from girls who wanted to know how they could try it too + so I paid attention. Maybe I wasn’t the only one looking for this sort of solution.
Jumping in scared.
Guys, I want you to know that I had all of the same thoughts that you probably do. At first, I didn’t even entertain the idea of selling (gasp). I was just like you – I had no idea about what it’s really like to be a beauty counter consultant…but I thought I did. Do any of these sound familiar?
- Isn’t it just another MLM – like a pyramid scheme?
- Surely no one really makes money doing this type of thing?
- People will judge me if I do this.
- Am I just going to invest money + it never go any where?
- I really don’t want to be “that girl”.
- I don’t want to pressure people into buying things – that’s not me.
Here’s where my husband comes in again – Mark is brilliant with numbers + research. I know I can trust his opinion + his thought process. So, I spoke to Mark. He did some reading + research + crunched some numbers. We realised that to sign up as a consultant, it cost me $69. For that price, I got 2 products, a starter kit + my own website. So, nothing really lost there even if I never sold a penny. The other thing? No penalty was involved if I got into it + decided it wasn’t for me.
I didn’t have to purchase any products, sell a certain quota each month, buy or hold any inventory or pay any fines ever.
If it didn’t work out, it was no skin off of our back or money out of our budget. Literally, I could change my mind + walk away with no negative repercussions. But…what if it did work out?
So, 3 days after first trying the products, I sheepishly, nervously + a very hopefully signed up as a Beautycounter Consultant.
What does that mean? Tell us what it’s really like to be a Beautycounter consultant in real life!
Like I promised when we started this chat, I am going to be as open + honest as I can in my answer to this question. I want to share what it’s really like to be a beautycounter consultant. And here’s the thing: I can only share what this has looked like for me. Yes, I have girls on my team + I can share wider experiences, but the only one I know inside + out is my own. Here’s what I’d say:
Being a Beautycounter consultant has been better than I imagined it could be. And I think the main reason for that is I joined the company because I couldn’t believe how great the cleaner beauty products were, but what I’ve learned in my 6 months with the company is just how incredible the brand behind the products actually is too. They’re:
- fighting for safer beauty laws in Washington DC.
- rigorously testing their products for utmost safety.
- a certified B corporation – which means they equally balance profit + purpose.
- committed to accountability + transparency in how they run their business, where they source their ingredients (did you know there’s child labour behind many beauty industry leaders?), the quality of their ingredients (third party tested) + their environmental impact with a goal to be landfill free by 2025.
- certified or approved by all sorts of organisations that I really trust, like the Environmental Working Group.
Also? They take freaking great care of their consultants. Because at the end of the day, this isn’t necessarily something that I do for fun. If I show up at Starbucks every day to work, I expect to get a pay check. I wanted to be sure that I could put the effort into my Beautycounter business + actually make money.
As a consultant, you earn 25-35% of everything you sell – no questions asked, no minimum or maximum. However, I’ve also had the chance to be a part of numerous incentives that have also meant that I’ve walked away with new products for free, product credit to spend + all sorts of other perks. Since I already use the products, this has felt like a huge bonus – especially to our budget! (Part of my initial drive to serve as a consultant was to pay for my own products with my commission.)
I can’t speak to anyone’s income potential because it does all come down to your ability to work hard, but I’ve gone from 0 to a healthy part-time income in 6 months. If you’re wondering what “healthy part-time income” looks like, last month I could have bought a round-trip flight back to America to see my family AND taken them all out to a nice dinner with my commission check.
But what do you do all day?
Here’s my favourite part: I talk about something I love. I think most people’s hesitation with being a part of something like Beautycounter is they don’t want to be “that girl”, and I say, don’t! I never once have felt like I need to share something that I don’t want to or doesn’t feel right. I don’t sell anything or push anything on people. I don’t dm random girls on the internet to ask them to join my ‘business.’
All I do is talk about something that I love, something that I believe in, to my real life friends and my internet friends – just like I share my new favourite recipe for brownie bites or allergen friendly protein powder. If they’re interested in it, they tell me + I get to help them. That’s really all it is!
But, I also don’t want to mislead you. There is definitely work involved! In the same way that I adore blogging + cooking, but I have to work at creating recipes, editing photos + writing posts, I do have to do the same with Beautycounter. I do research on products and learn about skin types. I really think through how to share things that will connect with people + serve them with what they’re looking for. I spend hours each week chatting in dm’s + offering carefully researched recommendations via email.
My job as a Beautycounter consultant is to serve well + I love that, so I’m trying to really do it to the best of my ability…and that takes work.
Has it been worth it?
Honestly? Without a doubt in my mind, I’d make the exact same choice a million times over. And here’s why:
I have spent a huge part of my career working to help people. I’ve worked abroad in Uganda with the most vulnerable communities, with at-risk youth in Tennessee + also towards healing the worlds children. I believe deeply in meeting people where they are, in serving them, in adding value + creating a better, safer world.
And I know that off the bat sharing cleaner, safer skincare doesn’t feel like it fits in with those things, but I promise you it does.
Remember in the beginning of this post when I talked about feeling alone? There are people reading this right now who feel that way.
- People who feel self conscious about their acne or rosacea or ageing skin.
- People who feel lost in their search for products that don’t harm the environment.
- People who are sick, just like I was, overwhelmed at the need to transition so many of their lifestyle choices.
- People who no longer want to support the beauty industry’s thoughtless approach to ingredients that cause harm + sourcing that prolongs social injustice.
- Pregnant women who want to be sure they aren’t harming their baby with what they rub on their faces.
- People who are tired of insincere “clean + natural” marketing + are desperately looking for someone willing to speak truth.
- People who want to use their very real dollars to vote on the changes they want to see in the personal care industry.
And I get the chance to meet them in those spaces. I get to be the ear that hears, the heart that connects + the voice that guides them towards their next right step. Whether or not anyone chooses to purchase something from Beautycounter doesn’t affect my thoughts + feelings towards the real impact of this work. It’s all about connection.
Which, by the way, is the exact reason that Beautycounter was started as a company with that dreaded direct sales model (although, you can purchase directly from Beautycounter with no consultant involved if you prefer – its the same price either way, which I love). Gregg Renfrew believed that these products needed to be accompanied by a story, by a movement, by real people who not only knew their value, but were also committed to the movement behind them. Connection is where the magic happens.
Because we shouldn’t do this alone, real answers are never timid + because beauty should be safe.
I love getting to be a part of the change, part of the work towards better.
P.S. Beautycounter is one of my fav things to talk about these days. If you have questions about my story, your own clean beauty journey or how to start yours – I’m always just a dm or an email away (jessicaeatsrealfood@gmail.com).
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