LimeLife by Alcone Review: Professional makeup goes MLM
LimeLife by Alcone fails to disclose executive information on its website.
A photo of the co-founders is provided without any additional information.
LimeLife by Alcone started off as Alcone in 1952. So the story goes;
Our family-owned company was founded in 1952, selling stage makeup to starlets out of a small store in New York City.
We got to know some of the top artists in theater and film, bonding over our shared pride in our work.
In early 2013, Alcone launched its MLM division under the name Alcone at Home. In 2015 Alcone at Home rebranded as LimeLight by Alcone.
Then in 2018, purportedly due to international trademark issues, LimeLight by Alcone rebranded to LimeLife by Alcone.
While Alcone is a family-owned company, the current owners aren’t the original owners.
Alcone was conceived by pharmacist Alvin Cohen. In 2013 NewsTimes interviewed Michele Gay, cited as LimeLife by Alcone’s co-founder and co-CEO.
Her father, Vincent Mallardi, bought Alcone Co. from a pharmacist in 1980, she said.
“The previous owner started it in 1950. Back then he had just a few shelves at a pharmacy in Times Square with cosmetics that he sold to show girls.”
Gay’s sister, former company president, and brother, vice president, are presently growing the customer base and expanding inventory, she said.
The other founder and co-CEO of LimeLife by Alcone is Madison Mallardi. I originally figured Madison was Michele Gay’s sister, but she’s actually her niece.
Michele Gay has a background in teaching prior to signing on as CEO of the family business in 2011. While Gay is still co-CEO of LimeLife by Alcone, she resigned as CEO of the Alcone Company in 2016.
Madison Mallardi’s LinkedIn profile cites a brief history in fashion magazines between 2011 and 2014. In 2010 Mallardi signed on for “Marketing and Sales” at Alcone, which carried over into Alcone at Home.
Both the Alcone Company and LimeLife by Alcone are based out of New York. The Alcone Company continues to run a retail store in Long Island.
Read on for a full review of LimeLife by Alcone’s MLM opportunity.
LimeLife by Alcone’s Products
LimeLife by Alcone markets a range of skin care, makeup and related tools products.
There are too many products to list here individually but I’ll list the respective product categories below, along with LimeLife by Alcone’s “best sellers”.
Skin Care
- cleansers
- face masks
- moisturizers
- serums
- face oils
- sun care
- men’s
- bath
- hand & body
Makeup
- priming & setting
- complexion
- eyes
- brows
- lips
- body
Tools
- accessories
- brushes & sets
- sponges
- organization
- lighted mirrors
- cleansers & removers
A full catalog of LimeLife by Alcone’s products is available on their website.
LimeLife by Alcone refer to their products as “professional grade”. The company also claims its makeup is paraben and cruelty free.
A 2019 article from In-Cosmetics Connect, spruiking LimeLife by Alcone’s Brazil launch, claims the company’s
products are made in the United States and are free of parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde. The formulas are made with natural and vegan ingredients.
The company also bets on the sustainable bias, with natural raw materials provided by small producers, thus ensuring a fair trade cycle, from which everyone benefits.
The make-up packaging is reusable and recyclable, and the brand is investing in a lot of research to replace the plastic packaging in the skincare products line.
I couldn’t find any manufacturing information on either The Alcone Company’s or LimeLife by Alcone’s respective websites.
LimeLife by Alcone’s Compensation Plan
LimeLife by Alcone do not provide compensation details to prospective affiliates on their website.
The following breakdown is from an official LimeLife by Alcone compensation document, stated to be accurate until at least February 28th, 2023.
While I don’t anticipate any major changes after this date (pending a compensation overhaul), some figures might have changed slightly if you’re reading this after February 28th.
Note that commissions and bonus volume is ~60% of the retail value of products ordered and purchased.
LimeLife by Alcone Affiliate Ranks
There are twelve affiliate ranks within LimeLife by Alcone’s compensation plan.
Along with their respective qualification criteria, they are as follows:
- Beauty Guide – sign up as a LimeLife by Alcone affiliate
- Lead Beauty Guide – generate and maintain $300 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases
- Star Beauty Guide – maintain $300 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $600 GV and $100 PNV a month
- Senior Beauty Guide – maintain $300 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $900 GV and $100 PNV a month
- Director – generate and maintain $600 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $1200 GV a month
- Lead Director – maintain $600 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $600 GV a month
- Star Director – maintain $600 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $2500 GV a month
- Senior Director – maintain $600 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $5000 GV a month
- Executive Director – generate and maintain $900 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $10,000 GV a month
- Lead Executive Director – maintain $900 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $20,000 GV, or $15,000 GV with two Senior Directors or higher in your downline
- Star Executive Director – maintain $900 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $40,000 GV, or $30,000 GV with three Senior Directors or higher in your downline
- Senior Executive Director – maintain $900 PV in monthly retail sales or your own purchases, and generate and maintain $80,000 GV, or $70,000 GV with four Senior Directors or higher in your downline
PV stands for “Personal Volume”. LimeLife by Alcone caps PV from an affiliate’s own account or a retail customer account at 100 PV a month, regardless of how much product is ordered that month.
PNV stands for “Personal New Volume”. PNV is sales volume counted only from new retail customers referred each month.
GV stands for “Group Volume”. Group Volume is the sum total of an affiliate’s PV and that of their entire downline.
Note that from Executive Director, no more than 40% of required GVis counted from any one recruitment leg.
Retail Commissions
LimeLife by Alcone pays a commission on the sale of products to retail customers.
Retail commission rates are determined by rank:
- Beauty Guides earn a 20% retail commission rate
- Lead Beauty Guides to Directors earn a 25% retail commission rate
- Lead Directors and Star Directors earn a 30% retail commission rate
- Senior Directors to Lead Executive Directors earn a 35% retail commission rate
- Star Executive Directors and Senior Executive Directors earn a 40% retail commission rate
Note an additional 10% retail commission is paid on the first order of new retail customers, or if an existing retail customer places their first autoship order.
Residual Commissions
LimeLife by Alcone pays residual commissions via a unilevel compensation structure.
A unilevel compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a unilevel team, with every personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1):
If any level 1 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.
If any level 2 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth down a theoretical infinite number of levels.
Residual commissions are paid on sales volume generated across the unilevel team.
LimeLife by Alcone determines how many unilevel team levels residual commissions are paid on based on rank:
- Star Beauty Guides and Senior Beauty Guides earn 3% on level 1 (personally recruited affiliates)
- Directors and Lead Directors earn 3% on levels 1 and 2
- Star Directors and Senior Directors earn 3% on levels 1 to 3
- Executive Directors and higher earn 3% on levels 1 to 4
Generation Bonus
Lead Executive Directors and higher qualify for the Generation Bonus.
LimeLife by Alcone defines a generation within the unilevel team when another Lead Executive Director or higher is found in a recruitment leg.
This affiliates caps off the first generation for that leg, with the second generation beginning immediately after.
If a second Lead Executive Director or higher exists further down the leg, they cap off the second generation and the third begins immediately after.
If no such ranked affiliate exists deeper in the leg, the second generation extends down the full depth of that leg.
Using this generational structure, LimeLife by Alcone pays the Generational Bonus on up to four generations per unilevel team leg:
- Lead Executive Directors earn 2% on the first generation and 3% on the second per unilevel team leg
- Star Executive Directors earn 2% on the first generation and 3% on the second and third generations per unilevel team leg
- Senior Executive Directors earn 2% on the first generation and 3% on the second to fourth generations per unilevel team leg
Fast Start Bonus
LimeLife by Alcone affiliates earn a 10% commission on any orders made by personally recruited affiliates within their first 30 days.
Lifestyle Bonus
The Lifestyle Bonus is a monthly bonus awarded to Senior Directors and higher:
- Senior Directors receive $50 a month
- Executive Directors receive $75 a month
- Lead Executive Directors receive $150 a month
- Star Executive Directors receive $300 a month
- Senior Executive Directors receive $500 a month
Frontline Leadership Builder Bonus
The Frontline Leadership Builder Bonus rewards affiliates for personally recruiting Director and higher ranked affiliates.
- Directors earn $25 per Director recruited or higher
- Lead Directors earn $25 per Director recruited and $50 per Lead Director or higher
- Star Directors earn $25 per Director recruited, $50 per Lead Director and $75 per Star Director or higher
- Senior Directors and Executive Directors earn $25 per Director recruited, $50 per Lead Director, $75 per Star Director and $100 per Senior Director or higher
- Lead Executive Directors and higher earn $25 per Director recruited, $50 per Lead Director, $75 per Star Director, and $100 per Senior Executive and Executive Director only
3 Formulas For Growth Bonus
3 Formulas For Growth is a three-tier bonus tied to retail customer generation and recruitment.
- 3 Plus 1 – refer 3 new retail customers and recruit one affiliate within a month, and generate $600 in new personal sales volume (at least $300 must come from the personally recruited affiliate) = $200 3 Formulas For Growth bonus
- 6 Plus 2 – refer six new retail customers and recruit two affiliates within a month, and generate $1200 in new personal sales volume (at least $1200 must come from the two personally recruited affiliates) = $600 3 Formulas For Growth bonus
- 9 Plus 3 – refer nine new retail customers and recruit three affiliates within a month, and generate $1800 in new personal sales volume (at least $900 must come from the three personally recruited affiliates) = $2000 3 Formulas For Growth bonus
Note that the 3 Formulas For Growth bonus is only paid out on the highest qualification tier achieved.
3 Formulas For Growth Bonus qualification criteria resets each month but can be qualified for multiple times in a single month if 9 Plus 3 is achieved.
Product Credits
LimeLife by Alcone affiliates can qualify for product credits.
Earn free LimeLife products through our Fast Start program and by completing monthly challenges!
See the Fast Start program and LimeLife’s Weekly newsletter, The Highlight, for details.
No specific qualification criteria is provided in LimeLife by Alcone’s compensation documentation.
Free2BeMe
LimeLife by Alcone’s compensation plan references a Free2BeMe program.
Earn 2Bes and redeem them through LimeLife’s Free2BeMe Store that carries hundreds of items from Apple watches to travel vouchers to luxury goods!
See details inside this compensation plan and visit f2beme.com.
A visit to the referenced domain at time of publication reveals it to be defunct.
Fempire Fund Units
LimeLife by Alcone allows affiliates to qualify for shares (units) in a “LimeLife Investment Fund”.
The fund is attached to LikeLife Fempire Fund, which claims it provides
emerging female company founders with equity capital, coaching, and resources, but also by connecting them to our exceptional community of Beauty Guides around the globe who can advocate on a consumer level for their business.
The funds paid out the Fempire Funds units are represented to be profits generated through the Fempire Fund.
No specific information on qualification or how the fund is set up (fees, costs etc.) is provided.
Joining LimeLife by Alcone
When a reader first requested a LimeLife by Alcone review, I thought it was a nutritional supplement company… based on limes.
I get that LimeLife is probably as close to LimeLight as they could have gotten without a complete rebrand, but unless you’re familiar it’s a bit confusing.
I can’t speak to Alcone’s brand recognition within the professional scene but the company does market its own store as catering to professionals.
Our Mission
To empower artists by offering the best brands and products to help bring your creative visions to life.
We understand the demands of the professional industry and strive to deliver what you need when you need it.
To that end Alcone’s own makeup store isn’t really geared to personal use – but they do stock personal use items if needed.
I’m bringing this up because my first thought was Alcone was competing against its own LimeLife by Alcone affiliates.
I browsed both catalogs and, while there are similar products, I didn’t see any obvious overlaps. LimeLife by Alcone’s range is clearly geared towards personal use outside of an “industry” setting.
I can’t really speak to makeup quality or pricing as it’s not an area I’m familiar with and cosmetics in particular typically have large markups anyway.
Going purely by how long Alcone has been in business and the market their non-MLM business targets however, I think this reflects particularly well on the product offering.
Being able to say your company is owned by a parent company that targets showbiz professionals is also a great selling point.
On the customer satisfaction side of things, LimeLife by Alcone stand by their products with a reasonable refund policy:
We want you to be 100% happy with your products. If you are not, we will definitely offer you a return or exchange, simply contact your Beauty Guide for Assistance! You may also return the items directly to our warehouse.
Please note, returned or exchanged items must be postmarked no later than 30 days from the date of product receipt (to keep things fair we are firm on this policy).
We will refund you the price paid for the eligible item and the sales tax to your original form of payment. We cannot, however, refund any shipping charges.
You are welcome to return collections and sets. Just remember, to obtain a refund, you must return the entire collection or set together.
Sale items or items marked as Final Sale are not eligible for return.
If you are unhappy with a shade or item you purchased individually or within a collection and wish to exchange it for a different variation of the same product of equal value, simply return the item back and we will ship out a new shade or variation for FREE!
The option to return directly to LimeLife by Alcone’s warehouse circumvents any affiliate pushback on return product that might occur (it’s not nice or acceptable but it happens).
Moving on to LimeLife by Alcone’s compensation plan, when I saw the “up to” $900 a month PV requirements, I fast forwarded for a PV definition.
LimeLife by Alcone defines PV as your standard affiliate purchases and retail volume combo. This can lend itself to pyramid recruitment (affiliates are the primary customers with little to no retail activity).
LimeLife by Alcone combat this by limiting each account’s contribution to monthly PV to $100. I think this is great.
LimeLife by Alcone’s second MLM affiliate rank has a $300 monthly requirement, meaning only a third of that can be affiliate spend.
For those thinking about gaming the system, LimeLife by Alcone appear serious about driving genuine retail volume over loopholes.
This is from LimeLife by Alcone’s Policies and Procedures;
LimeLife by Alcone strictly prohibits bonus buying, the purchase of products in unreasonable amounts (Inventory Loading) and the purchase of products or services only or primarily to qualify or earn compensation, achieve a rank promotion or maintain a paid as rank.
Manipulation of the Compensation Plan is any mechanism or attempt to qualify for rank advancement, incentives, prizes, commissions or bonuses that is not driven by a bona fide product or service purchases by end user consumers and includes and it’s not limited to:
-Purchasing products through a nonexistent person or business entity or other artifice;
-The enrollment of individuals or business entities without their knowledge of and/execution of a Beauty Guide Agreement by such individuals or business entities;
-The fraudulent enrollment of an individual or entity as a Beauty Guide;
-The purchasing of products, services or other items on behalf of another Beauty Guide or customer or under another Beauty Guides or customer account in order to qualify for commissions or bonuses;
–Creating false retail accounts or splitting orders with the intention of circumventing the $100 USD / $125 CAD cap on qualifying volume or as a way of meeting your monthly PNV requirement, or
-Unauthorized use of a credit card by a Consultant when the Consultant is not the account holder of such credit card.
At least on paper, nobody in LimeLife by Alcone should be signing up the family pet or relatives to self-fund commission qualification through.
One change I think would improve the plan is making the 40% retail commission apply to all ranks.
Retail commissions in MLM shouldn’t be a rank incentive, you want to encourage everybody to be making as many retail sales as possible.
One potential red flag is LimeLife by Alcone’s “Fempire Fund Units”. Depending on how these units are acquired, this could wade into securities territory.
LimeLife by Alcone is rewarding affiliates with shares in an investment fund, the proceeds of which are derived passively via the efforts of others.
That LimeLife by Alcone doesn’t provide specific Fempire Fund Unit qualification criteria in their compensation material is a red flag.
On that note, LimeLife by Alcone not providing any compensation material to the public on their website is an even bigger red flag. It’s also a potential violation of the FTC Act for lack of disclosure.
When searching for LimeLife by Alcone’s compensation information, I came across earlier documentation that was marked “confidential”.
The current documentation isn’t marked confidential, so hopefully LimeLime by Alcone have gotten over this silly notion.
All in all Alcone’s legacy as an industry supplier of professional makeup stands it apart from other MLM makeup and personal care companies.
Alcone certainly has a reputation to lose if its MLM offering is not up to snuff. Pricing seems reasonable too so it’s not cost prohibitive to try a few products before committing.
Good luck!
