Hardware Podcasts

The Lip Bar (TLB): Melissa Butler (2020)

How I Built This · 3 Jul 2023 · 1h 11m

What this episode covers

Melissa Butler, founder of The Lip Bar (now TLB), and her partner Rosco Spears explain how they launched a bold lipstick brand from a kitchen in New York, overcoming a disastrous Shark Tank appearance to secure a partnership with Target. Butler details the technical challenges of formulating vegan lipstick using wax, oil, and pigment, and sourcing heavy steel molds from a closing lab. The company scaled by moving operations to Detroit, launching a promotional shuttle bus, and eventually expanding into 500 Target stores while addressing the lack of funding for Black-owned beauty businesses.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Target, L'Oreal, Whole Foods, Lush, Barclays, Urban Outfitters, Shinola, Walker and Company
Products
The Lip Bar, TLB, Bevel
Also
Shark Tank, Kavala, Teen Vogue, Refinery 29

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