"What's going on with Arbonne makeup? Everything Is disappearing!"
This is a question we get daily at our beauty boutique, Image By Lisa, here in Tallahassee, FL, whether in person, via email, or on social media. Customers and consultants alike are concerned and confused. Here’s a brief overview of the situation. A more detailed blog post will follow soon.
For help specifically transitioning from Arbonne foundation to Baddass Cosmetics foundation, read this post.
The Backstory
When BeautiControl closed in 2016, I was hesitant to join another company. Like many, I was burned by the closure, losing my income and a team of over 1,000. Thankfully, my professional makeup artistry business, Image By Lisa, was well-established and growing, but I still needed a reliable cosmetics source.
Why I Chose Arbonne for Cosmetics
After a year of researching companies, I decided to join Arbonne in 2017. I tested various brands like Limelife, Beauty Counter, Color Me Beautiful, Mary Kay, and others, but Arbonne’s commitment to clean products, attractive discount structure, extensive nutrition line, and diverse cosmetic offerings won me over. I officially started my Arbonne business on January 1st, 2018, and within just six months, I had earned the white Mercedes as a new Regional Vice President. During that same time, I opened my first Image By Lisa storefront. Now, over four years later, we’ve expanded our team, grown into a full-time operation, and offer both in-store and online retail, shipping nationally.
The Disappearance of Arbonne Cosmetics
As professional makeup artists, we were selling between $10,000-$15,000 in Arbonne cosmetics monthly. Our staff and customers loved the products. However, in 2023, Arbonne’s cosmetics started gradually disappearing from the shelves. After 20+ years in the industry, I knew something was up. Typically, consultants are the last to know about changes, and once announced, these changes are often spun positively or downplayed by both corporate and upline.
Months later, corporate finally confirmed that they were significantly downsizing their color cosmetics collection. In a conference call, they explained that cosmetics made up only 2% of their overall revenue and encouraged the field to shift focus to skincare and nutrition. They released a list of discontinued products, including all lipsticks, brow gels, and colored powders like blush, eyeshadows, and finishing powders. This left us with a limited selection, with CC Cremes and Liquid Foundations being the most significant remaining items—our top sellers. As our inventory dwindled, our customers became desperate, my income took a hit, and besides foundations, I had little left to offer.
I considered joining another company for cosmetics, but MLMs aren’t designed to be sold in a retail environment—it's often prohibited, Arbonne included. Joining another company would have breached my contract, risking my standing with Arbonne. Additionally, the bulk ordering discount is minimal, as MLMs are not wholesalers. I also considered creating my own line, but the thought of doing so without manufacturing experience was daunting, both financially and mentally.
The Birth of Baddass Cosmetics
As I weighed my options, I realized, “Lisa, you’ve been a top seller and income-earner for other brands for over 20 years. You know makeup, formulas, and what women love. It’s time to build and sell your own brand.” That was the turning point and the beginning of Baddass Cosmetics, named after my loyal customers, which launched in September 2023 and has been a huge success.
My top priority was manufacturing clean products—a non-negotiable for me and my Arbonne customers.
Once I was confident I could produce items compliant with the stringent EU cosmetic chemical standards, I focused on creating replacements for the best-selling Arbonne products like lipsticks, lip liner, brow gels, blushes, and setting powders. I paid close attention to replicating popular shades, such as ROSE Lipstick (now Mingle Lipstick by Baddass Cosmetics) and Orchid Lipstick (now Bella Lipstick).
You can check out our products and more at http://www.baddasscosmetics.com or follow us on Instagram @baddasscosmetics.
The Arbonne Foundation Journey
With Baddass Cosmetics successfully launched, we turned our focus to building out our e-commerce site, branding, shipping, marketing, and manufacturing. I continued to stock Arbonne foundations and initially avoided creating my own, as foundations are more complex to formulate.
In 2023, however, Arbonne’s foundation color selection was reduced by nearly half, with darker skin tones and shades like Earthy Beige and Deep Beige being discontinued. We were left with just six shades. By the first quarter of 2024, the remaining colors started being marked “SOLD OUT” one by one, with no prior notice. That was the final straw.
Baddass Cosmetics Foundation
I quickly got to work on formulating, color adjusting, choosing bottles, and naming Baddass Liquid Foundations. To ease the transition for my customers, I named my foundations after Arbonne’s discontinued shades.
We launched two formulas in June 2024: Cashmere and Hi-Def.
Cashmere Soft Matte Formula: This medium to full coverage foundation offers a velvety matte finish that’s flawless without being overly drying. It provides excellent coverage while remaining lightweight and breathable, ensuring a non-cakey look. This vegan formula is water-resistant and controls shine for up to 12 hours, making it perfect for long days. Available in Neutral Beige, Golden Bronze, Rosie Beige, Soft Blush, and Honey Beige.
Hi-Def Foundation: BADDASS HI-DEF Liquid Foundation was specifically designed to mimic the luxurious lightweight feel of Arbonne’s discontinued formula while incorporating advanced HD technology for a camera-ready finish.
Also medium to full coverage, this foundation delivers a luminous, dewy finish. It’s lightweight, moisturizing, and designed to mimic the skin’s natural texture, providing a seamless and undetectable finish. Available in Neutral Beige, Golden Bronze, Rosie Beige, Soft Blush, Buff, Honey Beige, Earthy Beige, and Deep Bronze.
Need help transitioning from Arbonne to Baddass Cosmetics Hi-Def Foundation? This post is for you!
How is Arbonne involved in your business now?
Yes, I am still a consultant with Arbonne. I love the products and continue to use the skincare and nutrition lines. This journey has been challenging, filled with loss, lessons, confusion, celebrations, and rebuilding. Despite everything, I owe a great deal to the industry, BeautiControl, and Arbonne. I’ve made amazing memories, built great friendships, learned from caring leaders, and grew into a confident, assertive businesswoman.
The industry developed me into a salesperson, makeup artist, relator, communicator, and leader. I am forever grateful. However, I grew weary of my income and potential being limited by corporate decisions or consultant motivation. I was ready for more—to build something that was entirely mine, that gave my customers what they wanted, and to use my expertise to create something powerful in the marketplace.
You can check out our products and more at http://www.baddasscosmetics.com or follow us on Instagram @baddasscosmetics.