My Letters of Rec - Mented Cosmetics
By Natasha Boler @itsbolerbaby on April 7, 2017
Let's be honest... in the beauty world, especially in terms of cosmetics, women of color are often overlooked. Which is perplexing, given studies show time and time again that we are one of the top spending populations. Why wouldn't you come get these coins?! In addition to companies missing out on the money, we are left missing out on products that we want because we're limited to shades that don't work with our complexions. I will acknowledge that it seems that a few brands are getting hip, and we are seeing a slight increase in cosmetic retailers looking out.
While I do go for a bold or bright lip from time to time, I really love a nude/neutral lip. Truth be told I'm the same when it comes to nail polish too. Call me boring, but my nails go with every outfit and I love that! Getting back on track... If a makeup artist asks me what I have in mind for a lip, 98% of the time I'm gonna ask for a nude lip. After I ask for a nude lip, however, I usually hear a long deep sigh because they know they have some work to do.
Off the shelf nude lipsticks rarely work for me, and women with similar and darker skin tones. Not cool. I have a collection of "nude nopes" lipstick because I'm hopeful and apparently didn't learn my lesson the first couple times around. However, Mented Cosmetics is here to save the day! Birthed from the same frustrations, the founders of Mented Cosmetics took matters into their own hands, or kitchens if you will. Mented, short for pigmented, is a cosmetic company created with black and brown women in mind.
Imagine my excitement when I heard the news! Mented offers 6 shades that are sure to foot the bill for the wide range that is melanin magic. The colors are Dark Night, Foxy Brown, Mented #5, Dope Taupe, Pretty in Pink and Nude La La. Love these names! The lippies are moisturizing, go on smooth, are well saturated in color, and come in super cute/sleek tubes.
I did my review of Mented Cosmetics while visiting my family in Chicago. I asked my mom, two sisters and my sister-in-law to try them on and here are their favorites. My mom is a makeup minimalist and looks great in Dark Night! My oldest sister is a fan of Dark Night as well, and you can see why. My older sister is a lipstick fanatic, and had a hard time selecting her favorite but narrowed it down to Dope Taupe and Foxy Brown. In the photo together, my oldest sister stuck with Dark Night while my older sister layered Pretty in Pink on top of Mented #5. My sister-in-law found that Pretty in Pink and Nude La La are her true nudes. Together we decided that Mented is a lipstick line that works for the family!
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You can see my review of all the shades in my very first video review below! Spoiler: While it was hard to pick a favorite, Dope Taupe took first place!
My Letter of Rec: When you see a problem, or as I like to say, an "opportunity", find or create the solution and run with it! The founders of Mented Cosmetics left their corporate jobs to fill the gap that overlooks black and brown girls in the cosmetic industry. Talk about Black Girl Magic! I'm sure to a certain degree you are creative, entrepreneurial, business-minded and savvy, technically astute, and intelligent enough to get the ball rolling. But if you aren't, chances are you know someone (who knows someone) that is. Don't doubt yourself and be too quick to shoot down ideas, you never know where it will take you. Check out Mented Cosmetics, and let me know what you think!
Original article on My Letters of Rec
