The Lip Bar’s new collection reinforces why investing in Black women is non-negotiable

The Lip Bar’s limited-edition holiday drop pays homage to the Black women who shaped beauty and continue to redefine it.

There’s something undeniably powerful about what happens when Black women come together, especially in the beauty industry. For many of us, lipstick was our first introduction to womanhood, learned from watching our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers transform a simple swipe of color into a ritual. Beauty has long been a place where Black women connect, express, and define ourselves, even as the industry has too often overlooked us.

And in a world that still treats diversity like a trend, collaborations rooted in intention hit different. That’s why Melissa Butler, founder of The Lip Bar, tapped three Black women who are building their own lanes as creators and entrepreneurs to co-create a special holiday collection.

Jenee Naylor (@jeneenaylor), Jeanette Reyes (@MsNewslady), and De’arra Taylor (@dearra) teamed up with The Lip Bar to create custom lip kits that mirror their distinct aesthetics and multidimensional identities. The trio delivered everything from bold, glossy reds to a one-step nude made to flatter deeper melanin, to the quintessential “it girl” pink, making for a limited-edition lineup that truly has something for every Black woman’s makeup bag.

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“One of the things that we all have in common is that we are not just pro women. We’re pro black women, women that own their narratives, that are boss ladies, but that also believe in lifting each other up,” Reyes, a former news anchor and current podcast host shared reflecting on the importance of this collaboration. “The Lip Bar has been about black women owning their narratives before it was trendy. Aside from it being a great cause, it’s absolutely necessary at a time when we rightfully feel like our voices are being compromised or we’re being silenced. And I think beauty, and even something as simple as a lipstick, is a form of protest in that you’re owning your beauty and pushing back against what society says you should or shouldn’t do—or what does or doesn’t look good on you—and doing it with swag and confidence.” 

Taylor, who’s spent over a decade shaping the content creation space and now runs her own eyewear brand, Lorvae, noted that most of the time, the creators and faces in brand collaborations don’t look like us. 

“I think when we are put in this position to have opportunities like this, to show [Black] women that not only can you do something as big as this, but also you have someone that looks like you, that you can look up to, it’s relatable,” she added. 

Similarly, Naylor, known for her longstanding partnerships with major brands, her (pre-boycott) Target collection, and now her luxury eyewear line 12 PM Studios, emphasized just how crucial it is to build with brands that reflect us: “It was very important that I just support and get behind brands that look like me, and we do it on our own terms, making our own connections without a lot of the middlemen.”

Now, it’s no secret that the Black dollar carries weight—just look at the success of the Target boycott. And studies have shown that Black consumers hold significant spending power in the beauty industry, spending an estimated $9.4 billion on beauty products in 2023.

Butler wants Black consumers to recognize exactly what that means: “The customer has to know that they have power, more power now than ever.  We are in an economic crunch. There are calls for boycotts of even Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which, at some point, something has to give. The little people can’t always feel like they are giving while also not receiving.” 

“I think that that is exactly how Black women have felt since the beginning of time, but especially now. And I think that if Black people want to see any sort of change, we have to shop our values and shop our dollars,” she continued. “So instead of complaining about x brand that doesn’t have our complexion, why don’t we just go where we are truly celebrated and not tolerated? Why beg these brands to create products for us when there are many brands, not just the Lip Bar, [that do] especially in beauty and skincare. You know, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to shop in our own backyard. So I want us to know that we have that power and to lean into it now more than ever.”

So this holiday season, as you shop for loved ones, or yourself, consider gifting the beauty of being fully, intentionally, and unapologetically seen with The Lip Bar’s holiday kits.