This month's Brand Focus post is all about The Lip Bar... a brand I discovered in Target... shocking, I know!!

What exactly is The Lip Bar?

 The Lip Bar, or TLB, is a black-female-owned business that offers a wide range of beauty products (not just lipstick, contrary to the name!) that are all 100% vegan and cruelty-free. 

Melissa Butler founded TLB not that long ago in 2012 when she was still working on Wall Street. She started making lipstick in her kitchen because she wasn't happy with the media's interpretation of beauty. She wanted to be the change that she wanted to see in the makeup industry.  She saw the media promoting one idea of beauty, she wanted to change that. She saw a lack of inclusivity and diversity in makeup products, she wanted to change that. She saw the media's idea of a singular "beauty standard", and she wanted to change that too. 

The Lip Bar

The Lip Bar is 100% vegan and cruelty-free

Melissa Butler, Founder

The Lip Bar is all about giving everyone access to clean and inclusive beauty products, while leaving behind the beauty standard stigma. "Every day people are being told how to be beautiful - so we're here to remind you that you don't have to change. You Are Enough!" - TLB

TLB's Products

The Lip Bar started out with only lipstick products but have since grown their product list immensely! TLB offers everything you need for a fully stacked makeup kit, from foundation and concealer to eyeshadow and bronzer!

I recently tried out 3 of The Lip Bar's products... their Lipgloss in Baddie, their Liquid Eyeshadow in It Girl, and their Brow Pencil in Arch Nemesis. I love the lipgloss so much. And I'm not typically a lipstick person, so that says a lot. Same with the eye shadow. I have very sensitive eyelids so I never use any type of powder eyeshadow but this liquid eyeshadow was amazing. Now the eyebrows... though the eyebrow shade wasn't a good match for my super light eyebrows, the product itself was creamy even though it's a pencil, which I liked.  

TLB's Features

On TLB's website, they have a Complexion Quiz feature which allows you to find your perfect shade, and they have a How To feature, which shares a bunch of makeup tutorial videos in all ranges of skin tones!

I debated for a while on whether or not I should post this now or wait until the tone of the world is a little less... you know... pandemic-y. I couldn't help but think that in the grand scheme of things, makeup seemed a little frivolous, irrelevant, and not really needed. But after writing up this post and reading everything Melissa and The Lip Bar stands for, I decided I didn't have to wait. We don't need parties or special occasions to wear makeup. We are the beauty standard we set for ourselves. Thanks TLB, for making me realize that.