Mary Kay COVID-19 Pilot Program

I’ve been disappointed by the opportunistic behavior of Mary Kay ladies in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. They’re using this as an opportunity to sell products under the guise of “donating to healthcare workers” and they’re recruiting vulnerable women who can’t afford to sink money into this loser “business.”

But this recruiting piece by sales director Missy O’Neal takes the cake. First, there’s no “pilot program.” Mary Kay didn’t come up with some new program that helps women who wants to start Mary Kay while quarantined. Taking the same old “opportunity” and calling it a “pilot program” is dishonest.

And the rest of the piece is filled with nonsense:

  • Mary Kay is #1 in USA (no it’s not!)
  • #1 virtual makeover apps (why haven’t we heard of them?)
  • Can now ship directly to clients from Mary Kay (now? you’ve been able to do that for years)
  • Cosmetics is one of the four recession proof businesses
  • And she mentions the Mary Kay credit card twice (maybe that’s a subconscious reminder of how focused she is on getting your money?)

What an unprofessional advertisement for a non-existent “pilot program.”



  1. BestDecision

    This is sick and appalling. I don’t think I’ll ever tell anyone I was in MK and drove Caddys because this is further proof that a LOT of wrong happens every day.

      1. NayMKWay

        Exceptionally offensive. And chock-full of lies.

        “#1”? How so, exactly?

        Recession-proof? Please refer to the 2009 Seminar pics vs 2007. See any difference in how crowded the stage looks? Or doesn’t look?

        And don’t get me started about this pretend “pilot program.” What sleaze.

        1. roo2

          I have a hard time believing the only make up line made in the US on top of the other pile of lies they say. Chelsea Claytor was showing her sales last month of allegedly $7,000 lets see the real numbers boo.

          Kristin Sharpe is on next level of tacky with her Coronavirus photo shoot and poker with toilet paper. Of course the next post is about how her team did amazing “sales” ( she 100% means stockpiling Mary Kay trash like toilet paper) for the month of March for their double credit. ugh, it is truly sick

      2. pinkblacksheep

        She is one of the worst of the worst when it comes to exploiting women. And she just doesn’t care about anyone but herself. I met her once and attended a “class” she taught at CC (she lives about 20 min away from me) and it was all about manipulating women in their first 90 days. I also had met one of her former unit members a couple of years ago who had ordered over $7,000 because Missy manipulated her to maintain “consistency” with $600 orders. She finally returned over $5000 wholesale.

  2. PinkFreeSince2015

    This post she made is not only disgusting, but extremely predatory. I hope Corp looks at this post today. This makes it look like they rolled out the program.

  3. Char

    Look under the green “need income?” bullet points. Anyone else notice she listed “apply for a Mary Kay credit card” twice!

    If I need income, I expect money to come to me for working; yet they want me to go into debt.

  4. enorth

    Various versions of the “let’s help healthcare workers” are popping up.
    == I just saw one for Emergency Responders.
    — Then, there’s a director asking for donations for care-packages to “drop off at doctor offices.”
    — And one just for ER nurses at a certain hospital (I guess the hospital’s other nurses and technicians don’t deserve them).

    Pictures of boxes and bags ready to go. (Inventory finally leaving the house!) Hmmm…do the packages include a heart-warming note with the IBC’s business card?

    “Charitable donations are 100% tax deductible.” But they don’t explain how that works.

    1. TRACY

      Because it’s a lie. Giving money to your MK lady is not a charitable donation. In order to be tax deductible, the donation has to go to a qualified (i.e. registered) charity.

    2. small jar of fireflies

      “I have all this inventory that I think I know the cost of, but can’t sell. I’ll just donate it to the hospital and write off the cost.” The IRS specifies “Nonprofit hospitals and medical research organizations” as charitable. If it’s a for-profit hospital, this probably won’t fly. Assessing the value of the donation is also… potentially risky. And are they remembering to ask for a receipt?

      There’s a lot of ways that could go wrong.

    1. BestDecision

      Kimberly Copeland is another NSD that has removed her MK title and added “coach” to her Instagram profile. I met her, and she’s not one from whom I’d take makeup advice. Tacky!

    1. Enorth

      I’ve heard about a pilot program for teachers during summer break, a pilot program for teachers during winter break, and a pilot program for women who aren’t sure about joining but want to “give it a try.”

      There is no pilot program.

    1. Enorth

      Just what is the pilot program? Well, you must be 18+. You sign up and pay for the starter kit. You are pushed to buy inventory and are told you can leave at any time, just send back the inventory for the 90% refund.

      “Pilot program” is a term someone made up and periodically trotted out, just like Sunscreen for Soldiers, Chemo-care Kits, Adopt a Grandparent and, now, Healthcare Worker packages.

  5. BestDecision

    This reminds me of when an NSD threatened to go on Oprah and expose everything in MK. I was told at Leadership Conference that she was in deep trouble for recruiting practices, etc and was threatened by MK to be terminated. So, she threatened them with the media, and they let her stay in.

    Former Directors, do you all remember this? I think it was Christine Peterson. I remember she was a brunette, but maybe I have my names wrong. Coincidentally, while I looked Christine up, there is a lawsuit of hers where she claimed she didn’t need to file taxes on her retirement income.

  6. pinkpeace

    Christine Peterson was my NSD, and I don’t recall any word of her threatening to expose Mary Kay. I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but none of the directors I was in touch with ever discussed anything like that. Not that it would surprise me . . .

  7. morningstar

    I am not sure the MK consultants know how easy it is and how many perks we get from ordering higher end cosmetics from other places. For some reason MK sales think it is very hard to get skin care and cosmetics. I hear the MK warehouses are raring to go…. actually an admission they have over glut of product IMO.

    MK has some harsh stuff and they keep adding this mask and that mask (charcoal, moisterizing) to compensate for lousy overall product. How much crap can we put on our face? If you had all the supplements and skin care from MK what a mess it is and really what are you doing to your face? Not to mention the dizzy array of packaging near the sink.

    Check on line the prices are great right now and you don’t have to interact with desperate people trying to sell a mascara.

      1. EyesWideShutNoMore

        LOL, 47 steps! So true!

        I was NOT happy when the new line came out 2 yrs ago. I have oily skin and the new moisturizer with SPF for oily skin was awful. I also need an SPF because I have fair skin so the solution as per product development at MK head office was to use the primer first to get the SPF (it’s much lower, only 15) and then the non spf moisturizer for oily skin. WTF. Use double the amount of products and it does less. So stupid. I couldn’t even contain my eye roll when my director told me that little tip.

        1. J


          Ugh, also frustrated that they constantly touted their sunscreens were the best because they were formulated to European standards 🧐. Yet they use chemical spfs like oxybenzone which are widely known to destroy the coral reef.

          The constant shiny diversions of impressive statements with absolutely no backup is nauseating.

          I’m sure their state of the art (haha not!) lab will continue to stay “one step ahead” and remove that ingredient days before the fda mandates it, so they can spread the word about how much they #care.🙄

          (I remember being appalled by their pathetic laboratory on the corporate/manufacturing tour)

          1. EyesWideShutNoMore

            Yup, remember the lies about the satin hands scrub? We were actually told that our city’s water treatment plant catches the plastic beads so it’s not a problem. But, to put the green spin on it and make it seem like they’re one step ahead, Corporate was doing away with the plastics beads “way” before it was banned. Okaaaay.

            I actually liked the face set before it changed 2 years ago, the day serum was my favourite. High spf and it sunk in well, unlike the crap they have now with the fragrance. It just sat on my face, and a director told me my skin had to get used to it. Nope, it’s a junky product! I could’ve made something better in high school chemistry class.

      2. morningstar

        Something changed way back when the basic was cancelled. 47 steps is right….. and never mind that burning and post red skin then later mega oil shining through it means:
        you are adjusting to MK product
        you need more xxx yyy and zzz
        The timewise line snuck in a fragrance I hear, that is offensive without a package change and informing the sales force. In a time where fragrance is not a popular NEW additive.

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