This is the first in a short series of tips for wholesale makeup newbies just starting a cosmetics business. (Update – I originally wrote this with Christmas in mind, but the same principles apply whatever time of year it is). As we are just coming up to the busiest time of year, the timing is perfect now to get everything in place in time for the Christmas rush.

1. Forget about eBay for now – if you do not already have an eBay business then concentrate your efforts closer to home. I will be writing more about eBay tips later as a separate topic.

2. Make a quick list of your likely Christmas customers and what would be on their wish list e.g mine would be something like this:

Friends – MAC, Benefit, Smashbox etc
Mum, aunties, and their friends – High end skincare and smellies like Clarins, and various perfumes
Husbands/boyfriends – Easy!! You can tell them what to buy for their wives and girlfriends and they will be sooo grateful…
Teenage sister and her friends – something trendy but a little cheaper – TooFaced or Hard Candy?
Work colleagues/neighbours – mix of the above

3. Now you should have a list of potential customers and the sort of products they will buy. There should be very little guess work here, because you know these people and what they like. And if you are not sure – just ask them!

Next time I will be writing about finding and ordering your wholesale cosmetics stock, how to sell directly to your customers WITHOUT holding make up parties (or dropshipping, or anything stupid like that), and how to make sure that you only order what you sell so you are never out of pocket. See you next time, and have a great weekend!

Related posts:

1. Selling Wholesale Makeup Guide – Part 3
2. Selling Wholesale Makeup Guide – Part 2
3. Lauren Luke Started By Selling Makeup on eBay