

Though she initially made some sales at the hospital where she worked, Lindsay was let go from the NHS in spring 2015 because of missed shifts caused by stress. But in her three years as a Younique presenter, Lindsay lost roughly £3,000.įrom 2015 to 2018, Lindsay spent £40 to £60 every month on stock to retain her yellow presenter status. “Derek and Melanie firmly believe that all women should feel valued, smart, and empowered through opportunities for personal growth and financial reward!” the website says. “We are the first direct sales company to market and sell almost exclusively through the use of social media,” Younique’s website reads, adding that its founders, Derek Maxfield and Melanie Huscroft, created the business to “uplift” their members. Yet unlike Avon ladies, Younique presenters buy and sell through social media – usually Facebook. This commissions-based model is somewhat similar to Avon, the 133-year-old company that recruits “Avon ladies” to sell beauty products door-to-door. Younique has eight different presenter statuses – whites, the people at the bottom, earn a 20% commission from their sales, while yellows, the next up in the scale, earn 25%. Lindsay paid £69 for a starter kit, and then another £125 to become a “yellow status” presenter. Though there is no membership fee, members must regularly buy stock to retain presenter status. Presenters sign up via the website and purchase products that they then sell on, earning a cut of the profits. Founded in September 2012 by an American brother-and-sister team, Younique is a direct sales beauty company. Paint is peeling from the walls, and an old mattress sits in the hallway.Īfter receiving her monthly paycheck, Lindsay clicked on the link sent over by her Facebook friend and signed up to become a “Younique presenter”. Her illness – which is characterised by extreme tiredness and joint pain – means she struggles to maintain her home. Though she is just 36 years old, she walks with a cane and has a full head of grey hair.

“I thought even if I make £100 a month, that’s something… I don’t have a big appetite, so my food only costs £20 a week at most, if I’m splurging out a bit,” Lindsay says.
