How I Started Out as a Brand Ambassador
It all kicked off when I signed up for a local beauty expo through Instagram DM. The brand manager slid into my inbox asking if I wanted to rep their new vegan lipstick line at the event. Honestly? I almost chickened out because my follower count was tiny back then – like 800 people mostly my cousins and high school buddies.
Getting My Hands Dirty at the Event
First day on the floor, I froze like a deer in headlights when customers asked about ingredients. Panicked and mumbled “uh… natural stuff?” Felt like such a dumbass. That night I stayed up till 3AM making cheat sheets about every damn component – memorized which oils moisturize and which pigments last longest.
Next morning, I forced myself to:
- Stop random strangers walking by instead of waiting
- Swatch products ON my own face instead of just handing out testers
- Ask “what’s your go-to look?” before pushing products
The Real Hustle Phase
After the expo, the brand gave me a promo code to push online. Posts got zero traction until I started filming my epic fails. Remember that reel where I tried contouring while jogging on a treadmill? Looked like a muddy mess but got 50K views overnight. Started doing:
- Raw comparison videos: drugstore vs luxury dupes wearing masks
- Live tutorials troubleshooting user-submitted makeup disasters
- Commenting on competitors’ pages with legit advice (no shady promo)
Breaking Points & Game Changers
Crashed hard when a collab with a salon went south. They promised free brow laminations for my followers but canceled last minute. Ended up paying $800 out-of-pocket to save face. That taught me to get every damn promise in writing now.
The turnaround came when I focused on retention tricks:
- Tagged followers in stories showing how I used THEIR tips
- Sent handwritten thank-yous with mini samples for big orders
- Created “product abuse” demos – like testing lipstick as blush on sweaty gym days
Where I’m At Now
Two years later, my retention rate’s wild – 73% of my customers rebuy within 90 days. The real secret sauce? Stop selling makeup and start solving problems. That mom who cried on my live stream because chemo changed her skin tone? We found her perfect foundation shade together and now she’s running my Facebook fan group.
Last month the brand made me their lead West Coast trainer. Still use those grubby ingredient cheat sheets when coaching newbies though – keeps me humble.
