This holiday season, The Lip Bar is ushering in a new era of beauty collaborations. The brand launched its first-ever influencer-created lip kits with three powerhouse Black women. De’arra Taylor, Jeannette Reyes, and Jeneé Naylor partnered with the brand for this milestone release. These creators continue to shape culture online through their authentic voices and engaged communities.
For Founder & CEO Melissa Butler, the collaboration is a milestone rooted in intention. She said this was a celebration of women owning their voice and their beauty on their own terms. Butler explained that each of these amazing creators embodied the community that had fueled The Lip Bar from the beginning. She described them as fearless, authentic, and unapologetically themselves.
Holiday Launch Taps Into Emotional Power of Beauty
Arriving just in time for holiday gatherings and end-of-year celebrations, the trio of lip kits offers perfect timing. The collection taps into the emotional power of beauty with intentional shade selections. The kits offer shades that elevate joy, confidence, and self-expression with a single swipe. This emotional connection makes beauty products feel meaningful rather than merely cosmetic.
The holiday timing allows customers to gift these kits or use them for festive celebrations. Beauty products often play important roles in how people prepare for special occasions. The Lip Bar positioned these kits as tools for self-expression during the busiest social season. The launch capitalizes on increased beauty shopping during November and December months.
Campaign Signals Broader Brand Evolution Beyond Festive Moment
Beyond the festive moment, the launch signals a broader evolution for The Lip Bar. The campaign reinforces the brand’s commitment to innovation, intentional storytelling, and community-centered beauty. It spotlights the individuality of each creator while delivering high-performance formulas. TLB is known for quality products that perform well across diverse skin tones.
The evolution demonstrates The Lip Bar’s growth from indie brand to major beauty player. Butler’s company has consistently prioritized inclusivity and Black women’s beauty needs. This creator collaboration represents a strategic next step in the brand’s development. It shows The Lip Bar’s commitment to staying connected with its community through authentic partnerships.
Senior Director Explains Why Creators Were Perfect Fit
Senior Director of Marketing Kia Brinkley explained that selecting these creators was a no-brainer. She said each of these women showed up unapologetically as themselves every day. Brinkley described them as hardworking, ambitious girl bosses who reflected who they saw their TLB Beauties being. She added they also represented who customers aspired to be in their own lives.
The selection criteria emphasized authenticity and entrepreneurial spirit over mere follower counts. The Lip Bar sought creators whose values aligned with the brand’s mission and community. Each woman brings her own unique audience and perspective to the collaboration. Their genuine connection to beauty and self-expression made them ideal brand partners.
Creators Built Platforms From Ideas Into Cultural Forces
Much like The Lip Bar’s own origin story, each creator built her platform from a simple idea. They transformed those initial concepts into cultural forces with dedicated followings. Their entrepreneurial spirit, creative independence, and commitment to authenticity stood out. These qualities made them the ideal trio to help usher in this next chapter for the brand.
De’arra Taylor, Jeannette Reyes, and Jeneé Naylor each represent different facets of Black beauty content creation. Their journeys mirror Butler’s own path from rejected Shark Tank contestant to successful beauty entrepreneur. The parallel stories create natural synergy between the creators and The Lip Bar. This alignment ensures authentic collaborations rather than transactional influencer deals.
Months-Long Creative Process Built Dream Lip Combinations
Bringing each woman’s dream lip combination to life was a months-long creative process. Brinkley described it as intentional and collaborative from start to finish. She said they connected their product development team with each influencer to create the lip combo of their dreams. This hands-on approach ensured each kit genuinely reflected the creator’s vision and preferences.
The extended timeline allowed for proper shade development, testing, and refinement. Rushed collaborations often result in products that feel disconnected from the supposed creator’s input. The Lip Bar invested time to make these kits authentic expressions of each woman’s style. This commitment to quality over speed distinguishes the collaboration from typical influencer product launches.
Each Creator Brought Different Vision to Collaboration
Jeannette gravitated toward bold and attention-grabbing tones that made statements. De’arra wanted something easy and effortless for everyday wear. She sought a pinky nude that complimented a variety of melanated skin tones. Jeneé set out to finally create the neutral nude for deeper skin she always wished existed.
Brinkley said each influencer came to the table with a very different desire, which was perfect. She explained that from these desires, each lip kit was born with distinct personality. The variety ensures customers with different style preferences and skin tones find options. This diversity within the collection reflects The Lip Bar’s inclusive beauty philosophy.
Labor of Love Resulted in Distinct Personality-Driven Kits
From shade iterations to packaging artwork and naming, every detail required careful attention. Brinkley said the entire process was a “labor of love” for everyone involved. The result was three distinct kits that capture the creators’ personalities accurately. The final products honored The Lip Bar’s signature high-performance formulas while feeling uniquely personal.
The packaging artwork likely features each creator’s aesthetic preferences and personal branding. Product naming probably reflects the creators’ personalities and the inspiration behind their shade selections. These details transform generic lip products into meaningful collaborations with authentic stories. Customers purchase not just lipstick but a connection to creators they admire and follow.
Campaign Emphasizes Collaboration Over Competition Philosophy
For The Lip Bar, this campaign is as much about community as it is about beauty. Collaborations with creators who are also entrepreneurs help strengthen ties between audiences. These partnerships foster new relationships and cross-pollinate different community groups. They reinforce the brand’s belief in “collaboration over competition” within the beauty industry.
This philosophy challenges beauty industry norms that often pit brands and creators against each other. The Lip Bar positions partnerships as opportunities for mutual growth and community building. Creators gain product development experience and deeper brand relationships. The Lip Bar accesses authentic voices and engaged communities through these meaningful collaborations.
Early Excitement Hints at Yearly Tradition
The early excitement around the lip kits sets the tone for what’s ahead. Customer response and engagement suggest strong demand for creator-driven products. Brinkley hinted that this launch may become a yearly tradition for The Lip Bar. She suggested it could open the door for new creators and new innovations in 2025 and beyond.
An annual creator collaboration series would establish The Lip Bar as a platform for Black beauty influencers. It creates ongoing opportunities for different voices within the community to contribute. Yearly releases build anticipation and keep the brand’s product pipeline fresh and relevant. This strategy balances consistency with the novelty that drives beauty product excitement.
Melissa Butler’s Vision for Women Owning Their Beauty
Butler’s statement about women owning their voice and beauty on their own terms reflects her founding vision. She started The Lip Bar after being rejected on Shark Tank for her unconventional shades. Her persistence proved that demand existed for beauty products serving diverse women authentically. This creator collaboration extends that original mission to new audiences and platforms.
Butler understands that beauty represents more than cosmetics—it’s about identity and self-expression. Her brand consistently centers Black women’s preferences, needs, and aesthetic visions. The creator collaborations amplify individual voices while building collective power. This approach demonstrates how beauty brands can empower rather than exploit their communities.
High-Performance Formulas Remain Central to Product Development
Despite the emphasis on creator vision and community, product quality remains non-negotiable. The Lip Bar is known for high-performance formulas that work well on diverse skin tones. The creator kits maintain these quality standards while incorporating personal touches. Customers expect TLB products to deliver on both aesthetic and functional levels.
The brand’s reputation depends on products performing as well as they look. Long-wearing formulas, comfortable textures, and true-to-package colors build customer loyalty. The creator collaborations introduce new customers to The Lip Bar’s quality standards. Positive experiences with these kits likely convert influencer followers into long-term brand customers.
Shades Designed for Variety of Melanated Skin Tones
De’arra’s focus on a pinky nude that compliments a variety of melanated skin tones addresses common frustration. Many “nude” lip products look ashy or unflattering on darker skin tones. Her kit solves this problem by centering melanated skin in the shade development process. This approach flips traditional beauty industry practices that treat white skin as the default.
Jeneé’s mission to create the neutral nude for deeper skin she always wished existed resonates similarly. The absence of true neutrals for dark skin represents a longstanding gap in beauty retail. Her kit fills this need by designing specifically for deeper tones from the start. These creator-driven solutions demonstrate why representation in product development matters concretely.
