MakeupGeekTV Part 2

[Moe77]

I've never seen lip injections that look natural. I don't doubt they're available, but Marlena seems OTT with everything. She was a striking woman, now she looks like a Madame Taussaud figure.

Maybe we have seen them...It's just they look natural so no one knows...hmmmm....

[boop]

2 million in sales is impressive for a start up, but it is not that much given her payroll and personal spending habits.

Exactly! She also said they just hired 9 new employees. I swear, I could have sworn she said in a video that her sales were approaching 5 million a month or so ago, but I digress. Her overhead looks crazy expensive. $2 million is a lot if you are a couple of people in a small office, but that is not what she is putting out there. I have clients that easily gross $5 million in sales a year but by the end of the year, the have a profit of $50k if they are lucky, and their overhead and personal spending habits are not nearly as atrocious as Marlena's. Her line is not high end, she has to sell a whole lot of eyeshadow to reach 2 million in sales. I would LOVE to see the markup on her product. They are cheap enough retail, so how cheap are they wholesale? If they are so cheap that she can still net hundreds of thousands of dollars from which she still needs to pay overhead and her lifestyle, that sounds like a huge markup on a very cheaply made product. Not something I want yo put on my face. Something is not quite right.

Yes, completely agree with what you said! My jaw dropped when she said she hired 9 new people! That is so many new employees. Even if they are all making minimum wage, it adds up. She has rent in Sacramento and Michigan. Would these people work just straight on minimum wage with no benefits? Maybe everyone is part time or less than part time and she forces her relatives to do the brunt of the work so she doesn't have to pay wages?

I don't know. I completely agree that something just isn't right. It just doesn't add up.

And this is totally splitting hairs and being nit picky, but if she is going to open up a retail shop like she said, will it just be a shop with eye shadows, blushes, and brushes? Honestly, that doesn't sound like much of a store. I would think she would want a full makeup line before opening up a store, only because of the major expense involved that I don't think selling eye shadows so cheaply would really be worthwhile. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a bigger online presence, have a big stock and not sell out, and sell as much as possible online to create a bigger market and use that money to make foundation and liners and lipsticks? I feel she is putting the cart before the horse with that one.

I believe I read one of her job postings before and it said you don't get benefits until a year after being there (or something like that) they also don't get PTO or anything like that.

Has anyone here tried her products? I almost fell for buying them, but all the popular colors are always sold out and it's not that good of a brand for me to keep checking back on (or using that google doc)

[Moe77]

So only Marlena is allowed to take vacations? What a horrible business owner!

[boop]

Ok I remembered incorrectly. Just looked it up:

Most employees receive between 30 to 40 hours a week. There is the possibility of overtime (at time-and-a-half pay) when business needs rise and we need to meet the demand
Health Insurance options available — Makeup Geek covers 50% of premium costs for full-time employees
Paid vacation time for employees with over a year working for the company
Retirement plan – Simple IRA with up to 3% company match

I wonder what they consider as "full-time" if they expect employees to be 30-40/week.

[Lovetorun]

And this is totally splitting hairs and being nit picky, but if she is going to open up a retail shop like she said, will it just be a shop with eye shadows, blushes, and brushes? Honestly, that doesn't sound like much of a store. I would think she would want a full makeup line before opening up a store, only because of the major expense involved that I don't think selling eye shadows so cheaply would really be worthwhile. Wouldn't it make more sense to have a bigger online presence, have a big stock and not sell out, and sell as much as possible online to create a bigger market and use that money to make foundation and liners and lipsticks? I feel she is putting the cart before the horse with that one.

You are exactly correct! She is setting herself up for failure. From what I have read here she can't even keep her online store stocked. She needs to learn how to keep up with demand first. Also, if she is trying to compete with drug store brands, what drug store brand has a retail store dedicated to itself? Better she put that money towards a distributer, she will save money and get more exposure. Finally, there is only so much eyeshadow, blushes and brushes the average woman will buy. You are completely correct on having a complete line. A customer should be able to walk into a retail store dedicated to make-up and walk out with a full face of make-up. Make up stores stay relevant by having a full core line and constantly introducing seasonal and promotional specials. Marlena just isn't there yet.

[Moe77]

In her vlog when she went to Michigan she shows some of the other products they are "working" on aka ordering from some mass production company. I think there was maybe a primer? Anyway, if she was serious she'd be investing back into her company and making it grow. I'd be afraid to work for her. I don't think that's job security AT ALL. Unless she's making enough off of Youtube to supplement her makeup line?

Edited to say that when I seen her pan the room at her headquarters in Michigan showing her mom there hard at work all i could think of was that scene in Happy Gilmore with his grandma in the nursing home and they were quilting. "Oh your fingers hurt!!! Guess what you just pulled yard duty!" Or something to that effect. LOL>

[MissDelusional]

In her vlog when she went to Michigan she shows some of the other products they are "working" on aka ordering from some mass production company. I think there was maybe a primer? Anyway, if she was serious she'd be investing back into her company and making it grow. I'd be afraid to work for her. I don't think that's job security AT ALL. Unless she's making enough off of Youtube to supplement her makeup line?

Edited to say that when I seen her pan the room at her headquarters in Michigan showing her mom there hard at work all i could think of was that scene in Happy Gilmore with his grandma in the nursing home and they were quilting. "Oh your fingers hurt!!! Guess what you just pulled yard duty!" Or something to that effect. LOL>

Exactly. You reinvest profits back in to the business BEFORE either drawing a paycheck or even hiring help. There has to be solvency first. I've browsed her store online, and I see her eyeshadows ( limited selection) then a number of other products from NYX and Palladio, maybe others. If I had my own line I sure as heck wouldn't be peddling what someone can just purchase at an Ulta. Her online store front looks very basic; nothing draws me in to buy ( and I love me some makeup.) I see the same type of stuff Coastal Scents sells, honestly. It makes me wonder if she just slaps her name on them from a wholesaler as you alluded to. Another thing- people like something they can sample first, try before buying. So knowing that I'd be trying to eke out a presence in a brick and mortar store as well.

[Fat Shark]

If I was her I would be constantly churning out tutorials using only MUG products. I don't buy her protestations about how busy she is. She has time to play on IG and get in comment wars.

Sorry but I think her blushes are ugly. When I watched Vintage or Tacky's review of the blushes I was kind of puzzled because Cora was raving about them but they all looked like a chalky mess to me. The one color I thought looked OK based blog swatches was Honeymoon, but going off Cora's swatch it is a tacky,chunky glitter fest. Maybe if Marlena did some videos using the blushes they would come off better than they do in heavy handed swatches.

[bellavia]

Has this ever been discussed? This is a video from WellTaylered, who mentions Marlena selling her some faulty Z palettes. Quite interesting, and I like how maturely and diplomatically she spells it out. lol.

FF to minute 17:00



Apologies if this has already been discussed months ago, but with Marlena's website being analyzed as well as her products it made me remember this.

[Pyramid11]

Go look at her latest IG!

Altered much? WOW

[poulet]

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 4942_n.jpg

vs

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 2156_n.jpg

ya lol

[imnotfatimbigboned]

Took off like 10 sizes. WOW.

[gossip_girl]

I'm sort of concerned about Mar. She can't be in such denial about her life? Her health, her weight gain, her plastic surgery and opening up a store? I know NYX and elf have flagship stores but they have umpteen times the amount of products and they have been around for some time. Marlena has the innate ability to block out anything she doesn't want to hear. Gaining weight back after what she's put her body through is not good for her heart; however, she is in denial that she's getting bigger. This isn't me slighting her weight, I've nothing against heavy people, but it's not just her weight, her thought process. She reminds me of Janice Dickinson and maybe when she lost her father she sought solace in something else. I mean it makes me sound like a git, but she's not even good at applying makeup and she is like a person with body dysmorphic disorder as she doesn't see the obvious. Not to mention, she doesn't seem to have friends. That makes a huge difference. Having girlfriends to talk to, or meet for lunch, heck even to vent to is better than replacing one man for another, losing friends (Lauren), losing her father, flying cross country and then taking vacations. It seems like she needs an intervention. It's sad to watch. She's going to be the size she started at and no one will be able to tell her different. Her body is giving her clues but she patches them up by getting fillers instead of checking that her face is sullen due to weight loss as she's not losing it anymore.

[Pyramid11]

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 4942_n.jpg

vs

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 2156_n.jpg

ya lol

If I had a Twitter account (I can't remember email I used to login) - I'd tweet those pics side by side to her. And I would #makeupgeek #phamexpo

[Pyramid11]

And her toe nails - in her new fashion blog - look like claws.

Get a pedicure Marlena and take care of those cuticles on your toes.

[MantisShrimp]

Sure Marlena. You totally haven't done anything to your face.

[Sierradanielle27]

Sure Marlena. You totally haven't done anything to your face.

She's starting to look like Lil Kim lol

[Lovetorun]

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 4942_n.jpg

vs

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 2156_n.jpg

ya lol

If I had a Twitter account (I can't remember email I used to login) - I'd tweet those pics side by side to her. And I would #makeupgeek #phamexpo

Done! @r_f_dad: @MakeupGeek Both pics taken same day; You've got mad photoshop skills! #makeupgeek #phamexpo
Shared via TweetCaster

I dared my husband and he did it.

[Pyramid11]

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 4942_n.jpg

vs

http://photos-f.ak.instagram.com/hphoto ... 2156_n.jpg

ya lol

If I had a Twitter account (I can't remember email I used to login) - I'd tweet those pics side by side to her. And I would #makeupgeek #phamexpo

Done! @r_f_dad: @MakeupGeek Both pics taken same day; You've got mad photoshop skills! #makeupgeek #phamexpo
Shared via TweetCaster

I dared my husband and he did it.

Good job!

He'll be blocked now - lol

It's worth it though!!

[Pyramid11]

You know she's going to say "it was the angle and lighting".

Bullshit, Marlena!