Paparazzi Accessories Review (2026): Is It Still $5, the Washington Settlement, and the Pay

If you've ever shopped a Facebook Live jewelry sale, there's a good chance it was Paparazzi. For years, the hook was simple: every piece was $5.

That's no longer true. So what is Paparazzi in 2026, and is it worth becoming a consultant? This Paparazzi Accessories review covers the price change, what it costs to join, what the company's own income disclosure says, the Washington settlement, and the lead and nickel lawsuit people search for.

Quick answer: Paparazzi Accessories is a St. George, Utah, jewelry company launched in 2011 by two couples who still run it. Its standard pieces went from $5 to $8 on May 1, 2025. You can join for $20, and its own 2025 disclosure says 92.9% of participants lost money that year.

I've been inside 8 network marketing companies since 2004, and I always start with the company's own words. For this review I read paparazziaccessories.com's founders, sign-up, notices and product pages, its 2025 compensation plan and income disclosure, the Washington Attorney General's release and consent decree, federal court records, a BBB National Programs case, its BBB profile and its public social media numbers. You can browse every company I've reviewed on one page.

Here's what I found.

Is Paparazzi Jewelry Still $5?

No. On its notices page, Paparazzi announced that effective May 1, 2025, "Standard accessories (previously $5) will be $8.00 retail, $4.40 wholesale." The Zi Collection went up too:

When I checked product pages on October 14, 2026, standard pieces were $8, Zi necklaces were $35, and the higher-end Cachet line ran $32 to $56. I didn't see a $5 price anywhere on the site.

Is Paparazzi Accessories Still in Business?

Yes. On October 14, 2026, paparazziaccessories.com was live with a 2026 copyright and an October promotion: weekly "Possible Pop-Up Passes" for consultants, with proceeds going to the charity Niños Matter. Its YouTube channel posted that same day.

You can compare its status with other companies in the full MLM company directory.

What Is Paparazzi Accessories?

Paparazzi sells necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings and hair accessories, mostly at one standard price, plus its Zi and Cachet collections.

Who's Behind Paparazzi?

According to the company's founders page, Misty Kirby, her husband Trent, and Chani Reeve and her husband Ryan started Paparazzi, and "in 2011, Paparazzi Accessories was officially launched." The page says, "Today, all four of the founders remain involved in daily operations."

A founder-run company 15 years in is a real point of stability. All four founders were also named in the Washington consent decree, which I cover below.

How Much Does It Cost to Join Paparazzi?

The sign-up page lists two ways to start:

• Party Permit, $20: "instant Consultant status, complete with Back Office access and a personal replicated website."
• VIP (Verified Influencer Pack), $99: includes "25 standard accessories of your choice."

That's one of the cheapest starts in direct selling. The bigger commitment is staying active, which I cover next.

How Paparazzi Consultants Get Paid

Here's what the 2025 compensation plan says, in its own terms:

• Retail profit: an "immediate 35% - 45% commission" on what you sell.
• Staying active: "a Consultant must purchase a minimum of 50 PV within the commission period." A standard item is 2 PV, so that's 25 standard pieces, or about $110 at the $4.40 wholesale price, by my math.
• Team pay: a Business Building Bonus of 15% on a new recruit's starter kit, and unilevel commissions "between 5% and 10%" on your team's volume.
• Rank bonuses: cash bonuses at the top ranks, listed from $25,000 up to $100,000.

That 50 PV rule is the part to think about. You're buying inventory regularly to stay active, whether or not last month's pieces sold.

What Paparazzi Consultants Actually Earn

I give Paparazzi credit here: its 2025 U.S. disclosure is one of the plainest I've read. It says, "Most Paparazzi participants lost money in the year 2025."

To be fair, "lost money" counts everything participants paid Paparazzi, including jewelry they may have bought to wear themselves, and the company says it can only count retail sales consultants report. The disclosure also says 9.59% of 2025 retail sales were between participants. Even so, the picture is clear: very few people profit.

The Washington Settlement

Here's what happened, from the primary sources. On March 4, 2025, the Washington Attorney General announced that Paparazzi "will pay $1.9 million and reform its business practices" after an investigation into "the company's alleged pyramid scheme."

The AG said about 7,100 Washingtonians who sold for the company would get checks averaging $180, and that sellers could return unsold merchandise bought after January 2017 for a full refund. The release also said, "Paparazzi's own testing revealed that some of its products contained lead and nickel."

The consent decree, filed March 3, 2025, says the defendants "do not admit the allegations of the Complaint" and "continue to deny any and all wrongdoing." It also bars them from marketing products as lead-free or nickel-free unless their regular, independent testing finds no detectable amount. On the product pages I read, Paparazzi made no such claim.

The Lead and Nickel Lawsuits

There have been two main federal cases in Utah, and the details matter.

• Teske v. Paparazzi (filed 2022): brought by former consultants. The court sent it to arbitration in 2023, and it was dismissed with prejudice on the parties' stipulation on October 11, 2023. The court record doesn't show settlement terms.
• Johnson v. Paparazzi, LLC (filed July 2022): a proposed class action in which "twenty-two Plaintiffs from fourteen different states" say they paid for "lead- and nickel-free jewelry" but didn't receive it. On March 27, 2026, the court dismissed some claims and let others continue, including New York consumer-law and warranty claims. Paparazzi filed a new motion to dismiss on May 26, 2026.

The Johnson case is still pending. These are allegations, not findings, and I'll update this review if the court rules.

The Industry Watchdog Case and the BBB

In 2025, BBB National Programs' Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council looked at income claims consultants posted on Facebook, such as "Earn unlimited income selling fabulous $5 jewelry." Paparazzi removed 10 posts and revised two others, and the case was administratively closed on September 23, 2025.

Paparazzi's BBB profile is weaker. When I checked on October 14, 2026, it showed an F rating, said the company had failed to respond to 5 complaints, and carried a "Government Actions" alert.

What Paparazzi's Social Media Shows Right Now

These numbers were read from each public profile on October 14, 2026.

Paparazzi is active on all three, and YouTube posted the day I checked.

The Good: What Paparazzi Gets Right

• A cheap start. $20 for the Party Permit.
• An honest disclosure. It says plainly that most participants lost money.
• Founder-led. All four founders are still in daily operations.
• A giving side. October's Pop-Up Pass proceeds went to Niños Matter.
• Still affordable jewelry. $8 is still low for a necklace and matching earrings.

The Concerns: What You Need to Know

• Most people lose money. 92.9% in 2025, by the company's own count.
• The 50 PV monthly rule. About $110 at wholesale to stay active.
• The $5 hook is gone. Customers who came for $5 now pay $8.
• Legal history. The 2025 Washington settlement, denied by the company, and a pending lead and nickel class action.
• An F at the BBB. With unanswered complaints and a government-action alert.

Product Alternatives

If you love the look but don't want to sell, here's what else is out there. These are inexpensive fashion pieces, not copies of Paparazzi designs.

The Amazon prices are the buy-box prices on each listing when I checked on October 14, 2026, and all four were in stock. The descriptions above come from the listing titles. Prices change, so check before you buy.

Paparazzi vs Other Social Selling Companies

If you sell on Facebook Live, compare Paparazzi with my LuLaRoe review, another company that settled with Washington State, and my Color Street review. For accessories with a different purpose, see Damsel in Defense, and for social selling in makeup, Younique. Compare them on what it costs to stay active and what their income disclosures say.

My Verdict: Is Paparazzi Accessories Worth It in 2026?

One More Thing...

The Paparazzi sellers who did well weren't just selling $5 jewelry. They were running a show: going live, styling pieces, building a crowd that came back every week.

That's a real skill, and it's worth far more than any one company's price list. When you can build an audience that trusts you, the price change doesn't sink you, because people are there for you.

That's what The Sponsoring System teaches. It's a free email series where I share the digital marketing that actually works for networkers. If you want it, start the free series here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Paparazzi jewelry still $5?

No. Paparazzi raised its standard accessories from $5 to $8 retail on May 1, 2025, with a $4.40 wholesale price for consultants. Zi Collection necklaces went from $25 to $35, and Zi bracelets from $15 to $25.

Is Paparazzi Accessories an MLM?

Yes. Consultants buy jewelry at wholesale and resell it, and Paparazzi's 2025 compensation plan also pays bonuses and unilevel commissions on the purchases of the consultants they bring in.

How much does it cost to become a Paparazzi consultant?

Paparazzi's sign-up page offers a $20 Party Permit, which gives you consultant status, back office access and a replicated website, and a $99 VIP pack with 25 standard accessories of your choice.

Do Paparazzi consultants make money?

According to Paparazzi's own 2025 U.S. disclosure, 92.9% of participants lost money for the year, counting what they paid the company. 3.5% profited $1 to $1,000, 2.2% profited $1,001 to $5,000, and 1.4% profited more than $5,000.

Why did Paparazzi settle with Washington State?

After an investigation into an alleged pyramid scheme, Paparazzi agreed in March 2025 to pay $1.9 million and change its practices in Washington. The consent decree says the defendants do not admit the allegations and deny any wrongdoing.