POC-Owned Vegan Lipstick Brand Debuts at Target

Detroit-based vegan lipstick brand The Lip Bar debuted Sunday at Target stores in select cities nationwide, including in New York City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas. Melissa Butler first launched the company from her New York City kitchen in 2012 while working in finance on Wall Street. Butler created the brand to fill a gap in the beauty market for bold vegan lipstick shades that were inclusive of women of all skin tones. “The way we approach beauty and the way we want our customers to look at beauty isn’t linear,” Butler told Forbes. “It’s inclusive of women who are a variety of shades, hair textures, shapes, and sizes.” Butler attempted to launch a vegan beauty truck that she pitched in 2015 on reality show Shark Tank. The investors on the show voraciously rejected the idea, stating then that The Lip Bar would never be a major brand. “My hope is that through our diverse imagery, vegan, cruelty-free, and natural ingredients,” Butler said, “that we change the way people think about beauty and ultimately themselves.” The collection features liquid and solid lipsticks in rich hues such as deep red “Bawse Lady.” The Lip Bar line—which includes two shades made exclusively for Target that retail at an average price of $13—is currently available on Target.com and will expand to 100 stores by May.