How The Lip Bar Is Leveraging Collaboration To Lead Inclusive Beauty

It’s been thirteen years since CEO and Founder, Melissa Butler started The Lip Bar in her Brooklyn kitchen. With their products being formulated in purpose and integrity, The Lip Bar has continued to thrive in the beauty industry and remain relevant. With the rise of influencer partnerships and beauty trends rapidly changing, The Lip Bar is making a strategic business move with their first holiday limited-edition, influencer-led drop created with entrepreneur De’arra Taylor, fashionista Jenee Naylor, and Emmy-winning journalist Jeannette Reyes. 

We’re in a time where beauty brands like Ami Cole are closing down, whether that’s due to funding or not being able to adapt to the shift in the beauty landscape. This holiday launch was purposeful in not being just about the products, but leaning on storytelling and intentional partnership to scale as a brand who values inclusivity, community, and culture.

“Typically when you have a retail business [like this], it is hard to participate in drop culture”, said Lip Bar CEO Melissa Butler.

The Lip Bar is in over 2,000 stores nationwide such as Target, Walmart, CVS and more. And retail businesses are usually tied down with retail timelines and structures. So the goal was to find a way to deepen loyalty without losing its cultural specificity as a woman of color-founded brand. Influencer collaborations are not new, but how The Lip Bar approaches them is for a long term business strategy. Sr. Director Of Marketing for The Lip Bar, Kia Brinkley introduced the concept of partnering with influencers to the team in a way that sticks to the brand’s ethos of inclusivity and accessibility.

“We pride ourselves in showing our community [the power] in what it means to be a Lip Bar woman,” says Melissa.

The brand’s intentional representation of the “ambitious woman” who is always on the go, and needing makeup that works harder than they do, so they can show up as their best selves steadily rings true. And so, choosing partners who embody authenticity was essential.

De’arra’s bold self-expression, Jenee’s elevated minimalism, and Jeannette’s polished on-camera persona each represent a modern beauty consumer, Melissa said. And although each woman is different, they seamlessly reflect The Lip Bar culture.

Melissa said this is The Lip Bar’s first ever influencer drop, and these exclusive custom lip kits are an extension of the brand’s continuation of creating opportunities, supporting and uplifting women in the community, and remaining relevant in today’s market. Each collaborator created their holiday lip kit from a place of personal expression. 

“You have to be unapologetically you,” De’arra said.

The De’arra Taylor Limited Edition Lip Kit includes: “Straight Livin” Lip Liner, “Flex” Nonstop Liquid Matte, and “IDGAF” Gloss Up Lip Gloss. This lip kit reflects De’arra because as an influencer and entrepreneur, she shines without even trying and continues to elevate her ventures in a way that remains authentic to herself always.

“Sometimes the strongest statement you can make is nothing at all,” Jeannette said.

The Jeannette Reyes Limited Edition Lip Kit includes: “Say Less” Straight Line Lip Liner, “No Comment” Nonstop Liquid Matte, and “Minimalist” Gloss Up Lip Gloss. This lip kit reflects Jeannette’s background as a former news anchor where your presence can speak for itself and the way you walk and carry yourself in a room, can speak a thousand words before you ever need to.

The Jenee Naylor Limited Edition Lip Kit includes: “Straight Livin” Straight Line Lip Liner,” “90s Fine” Nonstop Liquid Matte and “Trophy Wife” Gloss Up Lip Gloss. This lip kit reflects Jenee’s authentic aesthetic from the wardrobe down to the confidence represents 90s culture, where the alignment of setting cultural statements inspires generations to come.

The importance of these chosen collaborators shows The Lip Bar’s inclusive beauty leadership style of not a brand speaking to its consumers, but one speaking with them. It’s not about chasing viral counts or high engagement. Each of these influencers have an audience who trusts their judgement. So The Lip Bar’s business strategy of including storytelling as a way to connect with their consumers was all in the right timing.

Holiday season is a vital time for beauty brands with consumers shopping during Black Friday and Christmas time. Some beauty brands have demonstrated inclusivity as a marketing message, especially with tariffs reshaping cost structures, and discretionary spending under pressure this year. But The Lip Bar’s approach to this collaboration was planned intentionally to be an addition to the brand’s identity and values. 

The beauty industry is growing further than just product innovation when releasing products. And The Lip Bar has translated industry trends and insights into their own lens. They’ve taken the art of storytelling and bridged a connection between brand and creators through authentic beauty, confidence and community. 

In today’s culture, inclusive beauty isn’t simply about who is represented but it’s about who gets to help build the story. The Lip Bar’s first exclusive holiday lip kits with De’arra Taylor, Jenee Naylor, and Jennette Reyes is a business move for longevity and cultural relevance in this rapidly changing beauty landscape.