From the moment Fenty Beauty, Rihanna’s new cosmetics line, launched, we’ve received variations of the same question: “Is Mented worried now that Fenty is on the market?”

Worried?? We’re ECSTATIC.

First of all, let’s just acknowledge that Rihanna is a force to be reckoned with and we are thrilled to be mentioned in the same sentence as her, in any capacity really.

Second, Amanda and I have said this from the beginning: we built this brand because we believe every woman should be able to find herself in the world of beauty. Traditional brands have failed at making this industry a welcoming place for women of color, and that’s where we stepped in. But the great thing about beauty is that it isn’t a winner-takes-all market — there’s room for many of us, and in our book any brand that’s shining a brighter light on the need for more diversity in beauty is a brand we can rock with.

Now let’s be clear — this is still a business, and we’re still focused on giving our consumers the best products on the market. We understand the importance of creating a competitive advantage (hello, business school!), but we also love being a part of an industry that’s always changing, always innovating, and always giving the consumer reasons to buy more. The fact is, we don’t have to convince you to throw out all of your other lipsticks in order to buy ours. And how many of us have rushed to buy a new eyeshadow palette before even coming close to finishing the 3 we already own? For us, being the best doesn’t mean shutting down every competitor — it means giving you the absolute best products and prioritizing you and your melanin every step of the way.

It’s looking like Rihanna’s on board with that mission — and that means we’re on board with Fenty Beauty.

With Lipstick and Love,

KJ