Let's celebrate Black History Month! We are excited to champion and support one of our favorite Black-owned businesses, Mented Cosmetics. At Mented, pigment is their passion! KJ and Amanda came together to create a line of beauty products that work across all complexions. They believe that "everyone deserves to find themselves in the world of beauty".

LEARN ABOUT THEIR BRAND JOURNEY

Image: Amanda left & KJ right 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MENTED COSMETICS? 

Mented was started in 2017 by myself and my co-founder Amanda Johnson. We started the brand because we were tired of being left out of the world of beauty. We wanted to be included and we want everyone to be included in the world of beauty. As two deep-skinned African American women we felt that our beauty journey and our beauty story wasn't being told - and too often we felt that it didn't matter to the brands that were out there. Everyone matters, everyone's beauty journey matters, and that's why Mented exists. We are an everyday beauty brand, we make nudes and neutrals for all skin tones. Everyone deserves to find themselves in the world of beauty.

HOW DID YOU (KJ MILLER) AND AMANDA E. JOHNSON CONNECT?

We met at Harvard Business School. We realized we both had a passion for retail and consumer goods, and promised that if we came up with an idea we both liked we would pursue it together.

WHAT ARE YOUR MUST-HAVE MENTED PRODUCTS?

Everynight Eyeshadow Palette, Yacht Life Sunkissed Bronzer, Long Live the Lash Mascara and Redhot & Bothered Sheer gloss.

CAN YOU SHARE WITH US AN AFRICAN AMERICAN FIGURE WHO HAS AN IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? IN WHICH WAYS? 

Beyonce, without a doubt, has been one of the most impactful figures in my life. Her work ethic is unparalleled and despite everyone else's obsession with comparing her to her peers, she continues to only compete with herself. I will forever be in awe of her creativity, her stamina, her talent and her business acumen.

HAS ANYONE HELPED GUIDE YOU IN YOUR CAREER? 

The list of people who have helped me is far too long to name, from my parents to my husband to my girlfriends to my professors. I seek help anywhere I can get it, because one thing I've learned in this journey is that entrepreneurship can be really lonely, and you're never too good or too smart to keep learning. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHERS IN THEIR CAREERS? 

Be intentional. Don't let yourself stay stuck in a job or a career simply because it's easy or because it pays well. Do what intrigues you, what challenges you, what excites you, what scares you. Whatever you do, be intentional about it.

CONNECT WITH MENTED COSMETICS

https://www.mentedcosmetics.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mentedcosmetics/