Mented Cosmetics
Mented Cosmetics is a venture-backed, inclusive beauty brand founded in 2017 by KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson that sells vegan, cruelty-free makeup formulated for diverse skin tones through DTC e-commerce, Target, ULTA, Walgreens, and select CVS locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mented Cosmetics does
Mented Cosmetics is a New York-based, venture-backed inclusive beauty brand founded in 2017 by KJ Miller (CEO) and Amanda E. Johnson (COO) in a one-bedroom Harlem apartment. The company develops and sells makeup formulated specifically for women of color and other historically underserved skin tone segments, with a foundation line featuring 16+ shades across Fair, Light, Tan, Medium, Deep, and Rich categories with warm, neutral, and cool undertones. The product portfolio spans five core categories — Face (foundations, skin tints, concealers, primers, setting sprays, powders), Lip (lipsticks, glosses, oils, liners), Cheek (blush, bronzer), Eye (palettes, sticks, lashes, brow pencils), and Tools — plus nail lacquers, bundles, and gift cards, all formulated to be vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, and cruelty-free.
The brand operates a hybrid distribution model combining a direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront at mentedcosmetics.com with multi-channel retail wholesale through Target, ULTA Beauty, Walgreens, and select CVS locations, plus pop-up events. Pricing ranges from $5 (Foundation Sample Pack) to $100 (bundled routines), with BNPL support via Afterpay and Shop Pay, a tiered loyalty/rewards program, and a Pro MUA program offering 25% professional discounts and 20% affiliate commissions. Revenue streams span consumer one-time purchases, retail wholesale, professional/B2B sales, and subscription-style loyalty mechanics.
Internationally, Mented ships to Canada and the UK (with Canada currently disrupted by a postal strike). The company has raised approximately $9M in disclosed venture funding across a 2017 seed, 2018 round, and a 2022 Series A led by CircleUp and Corazon Capital. Operational scale is lean, with 1–10 employees and headquarters still rooted in Harlem, despite distribution scale spanning major national retailers.
Mented Cosmetics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mented Cosmetics
- Legal name
- Mented Cosmetics
- Website
- https://mentedcosmetics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mented Cosmetics is a venture-backed, inclusive beauty brand founded in 2017 by KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson that sells vegan, cruelty-free makeup formulated for diverse skin tones through DTC e-commerce, Target, ULTA, Walgreens, and select CVS locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mented Cosmetics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Inclusive Cosmetics
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter) (CRABACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint) (CRABACAC), Makeup Palettes & Sets (Curated Palettes, Gift Sets, Multi-use Kits) (CRABACAF)
Keywords
Where Mented Cosmetics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mented Cosmetics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Primary revenue stream through owned online storefront at mentedcosmetics.com. Customers purchase directly through the website with various payment options including standard shipping, expedited FedEx 2-Day delivery, and international shipping to Canada and UK. The brand offers a loyalty rewards program where customers earn points for purchases.
- Retail Wholesale: Revenue generated through wholesale distribution to major retail chains including Target, ULTA Beauty, Walgreens, and select CVS locations where Mented products are sold in physical stores.
- Pro MUA Program: Professional makeup artist program offering 25% discount on all orders for registered MUAs, creating a B2B revenue stream through professional bulk purchases and artist referrals.
- Loyalty & Referral Program: Rewards program where customers earn points for purchases, reviews, social follows, and birthdays. Referrals earn referrers 1000 points when friends spend over $30. Points redeemable for discounts ($5 off at 250 points up to $50 off at 1250 points).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Foundation Sample Pack - entry-level shade finder |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Complexion/Foundation products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skin tint and concealer |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lip products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eye products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tools and accessories |
| Subscription | Monthly | Professional MUA discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mented Cosmetics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mented Cosmetics is a direct-to-consumer inclusive beauty brand that develops and sells makeup formulated specifically for diverse skin tones. The product portfolio spans face (foundations, skin tints, concealers, primers, setting products), lip (lipsticks, glosses, oils, liners), cheek (blush, bronzer), eye (palettes, sticks, lashes, brow pencils), and tools, with shades mapped across Fair, Light, Tan, Medium, Deep, and Rich categories with warm, neutral, and cool undertones. All products are vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, and cruelty-free, and the brand sells primarily through its own e-commerce storefront with secondary distribution in Target, ULTA Beauty, Walgreens, and select CVS stores.
Product overview
Mented Cosmetics is an inclusive beauty brand offering a comprehensive makeup portfolio organized across five core categories: Face (foundations, skin tints, concealers, primers, setting products, and complexion bundles), Lip (lipsticks in semi-matte, matte, and liquid formulas, lip glosses, lip oils, and lip liners), Cheek (blush and bronzer), Eye (eyeshadow palettes, eyeshadow sticks, lashes, brow pencils, and eye brushes), and Tools (foundation brushes, stippling brushes, sponges, and mirrors). The brand also offers nail lacquers, gift cards, and curated bundles including founder-curated KJ's Picks and Never Too Much Bundle. All products emphasize inclusivity with carefully developed shade ranges for diverse skin tones, and are formulated to be vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, and cruelty-free. The company operates primarily DTC through mentedcosmetics.com while also distributing through Target, ULTA, Walgreens, and select CVS locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cloud Cream Skin Tint Lightweight, buildable skin tint designed to even out skin tone with a natural, breathable finish; available in multiple shade categories with warm, neutral, or cool undertones for individual consumers seeking inclusive complexion makeup.
- Skin by Mented Foundation Hydrating, skin-like foundation with 16 shades across Light, Tan, Medium, and Deep undertone categories, designed to complement diverse skin tones for everyday complexion wear.
- Foundation Sample Pack Sampler containing all 16 shades of Skin by Mented foundation that allows customers to find their perfect match; purchase price is credited toward a future full-size foundation order.
- Full-Time Brightening Concealer Brightening concealer designed to cover dark spots and imperfections while providing a radiant finish, sold individually and in duos for everyday complexion use.
- Perfect Prime Primer Face primer that prepares skin for foundation application, extends makeup wear, and provides a smooth base layer.
- Better Setter Setting Spray Setting spray designed to lock makeup in place and extend wear time throughout the day.
- Skin Silk Loose Setting Powder Loose setting powder designed to set foundation and control shine while providing a silky finish across light, tan, medium, and deep shade options.
- Blot Party Charcoal Blotting Sheets Charcoal-infused blotting sheets (50 sheets) that absorb excess oil and keep skin shine-free throughout the day.
- Semi-Matte Lipstick Lipstick formula with semi-matte finish providing color payoff with comfortable wear, available in various nude and pigmented shades.
- Matte Lipstick Full-coverage matte lipstick line featuring deeply pigmented nude shades designed for long-wearing lip color.
- Liquid Lipstick Long-wearing, smudge-proof liquid lipstick formula available in pigmented shades such as Peachy Keen.
- Lip Gloss Lip gloss collection providing shine and color, including the Gloss for Grown-Ups line in shades like Berry Me.
- Thirst Quencher Lip Oil Hydrating lip oil designed to moisturize and add shine to lips, available in shades like Pink Lemonade and Apple Cider.
- Lip Liner Lip liner pencils including Bare and Dope shades, designed for precise lip defining and shaping.
- Blush Powder blush available in shades like Peach for the Stars and Clay Too Much, providing natural cheek color.
- Bronzer Bronzer products including Out of Office (Rich Bronzer) and Yacht Life (Deep Bronzer) that add warmth and dimension to the face.
- Everyday Eyeshadow Palette Versatile eyeshadow palette featuring everyday-appropriate shades suitable for various looks and skin tones.
- Every Night Eyeshadow Palette Eyeshadow palette designed for evening looks with more dramatic color options.
- Color Intense Eyeshadow Sticks Eyeshadow stick format for easy application with pigmented color payoff, available in shades like Better Off Bronze and Pretty Penny.
- Eye Candy Eyeshadow Collection Holiday-themed eyeshadow collection featuring vibrant, pigmented shades for creative eye looks.
- High Brow Pencil Waterproof precision brow pencil lasting 10+ hours, available in four shades: Brow You Know, Brow Or Later, Brow Down, and Take A Brow.
- Mented Lashes (Everyday Eyelash) Silky-soft everyday lashes with a comfortable black band, available as the Everyday Eyelash Set (with Grip Lash Adhesive Liner) or individually, reusable up to 30 times.
- Grip Lash Adhesive Liner Lash adhesive combined with a smudge-proof black eyeliner that secures lashes and doubles as eyeliner for all-day wear.
- Nude Nail Collection Three-polish set of deeply pigmented, high-shine nude nail shades (Pinkish, Yes We Tan, Brown & Bougie) verified 10-free, fragrance-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and made in USA.
- Foundation Brush Brush designed for smooth foundation application and even base makeup coverage.
- Stippling Brush Vegan-friendly brush with dual-length synthetic bristles that create an airbrushed, skin-like finish; works with cream, liquid, or powder makeup.
- Pillow Puff Sponge Makeup sponge designed for seamless foundation and concealer blending.
- Pocket Mirror Soft matte double-sided compact mirror with a standard true-to-life image on top and 2x magnification on bottom for precision touch-ups.
- Never Too Much Bundle Curated bundle of complexion and eye products selected from founder KJ Miller's personal favorites, combining bronzer, eyeshadow, and other essentials.
- KJ's Picks Founder-curated collection featuring KJ Miller's personal favorite products including Skin by Mented Duo, Lip Gloss, Never Too Much Bundle, Bronzer, High Brow Pencil, and Fulltime Concealer Duo.
- Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in $15, $25, $50, $100, and custom values, with greeting card options and video message capability.
Quantifiable outcome
- Products hold a shelf life of at least 2 years, enabling retailers and customers to stock products without expiration concerns.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Mented Cosmetics
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mented Cosmetics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature3 records
Mented Cosmetics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and secondary.
- Cay Skin, Kinship, Raw Apothecary, Beauty BakerieminorIn a profile by greyb as one of '5 Sustainable Ingredients Sourcing Startups in Cosmetics,' Mented Cosmetics was mentioned alongside Cay Skin, Kinship, Raw Apothecary, and Beauty Bakerie as potential acquisition or partnership targets in the cosmetics industry. The profile highlighted innovations such as vegan formulas, microbiome technology, inclusive shade ranges, and chemical-free natural ingredients across these startups.
- TargetcoreTarget serves as a major retail distribution partner for Mented Cosmetics, carrying products in physical store locations nationwide. This partnership provides Mented with access to Target's extensive customer base and physical retail footprint, complementing direct-to-consumer online sales.
- ULTA BeautycoreULTA Beauty is a premier beauty retailer partner for Mented Cosmetics, offering products in ULTA store locations. As a specialized beauty retailer, ULTA provides targeted distribution to beauty consumers seeking inclusive shade products.
- WalgreenssecondaryWalgreens serves as a pharmacy and convenience retail partner for Mented Cosmetics, making products accessible through their national store network.
- CVSsecondarySelected CVS pharmacy locations carry Mented Cosmetics products, providing additional retail accessibility in the pharmacy/drugstore channel.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mented Cosmetics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fenty Beauty: Fenty Beauty (by Rihanna, Kendo/LVMH) pioneered the 40+ foundation shade range that defined the modern inclusive beauty movement — the closest direct comparable to Mented's inclusive positioning, with similar skin-tone breadth and broad product portfolio.
- Rare Beauty: Rare Beauty (Selena Gomez) is a digitally-native, founder-led color cosmetics brand built around broad shade inclusion, clean formulations, and direct-to-consumer strength — directly comparable to Mented's go-to-market motion and target demographic.
- Pat McGrath Labs: Pat McGrath Labs is a high-pigment, prestige color cosmetics brand offering extensive shade ranges across face, lip, and eye — comparable to Mented in category breadth and emphasis on pigmentation for diverse skin tones.
- The Lip Bar: The Lip Bar is a Black-owned, vegan color cosmetics brand sold in Target and Walmart — closely comparable to Mented as a Black-founded, clean-formulation indie beauty brand in mass-retail channels.
- Beauty Bakerie: Beauty Bakerie is a Black-owned, indie color cosmetics brand known for inclusive shade ranges and long-wear formulations — listed alongside Mented in industry profiles on sustainable ingredients and inclusive beauty.
- UOMA Beauty: UOMA Beauty is an inclusive Black-founded color cosmetics brand emphasizing wide shade ranges across complexion products — directly comparable to Mented in mission, target consumer, and category focus.
- Juvia's Place: Juvia's Place is a Black-owned color cosmetics brand specializing in high-pigment, melanin-friendly palettes and complexion products — directly comparable as a Black-founded, inclusive indie beauty brand with strong community presence.
Broad incumbents
- MAC Cosmetics: MAC Cosmetics (Estée Lauder) operates one of the broadest professional foundation shade ranges globally — a broad incumbent that overlaps with Mented's complexion and pro-MUA positioning at significantly greater scale.
- NARS Cosmetics: NARS Cosmetics (Shiseido) is a prestige color cosmetics brand with an extensive complexion range and pro-MUA heritage — comparable as a broad incumbent in the same shade-inclusive, professional-leaning category.
Emerging players
- ILIA Beauty: ILIA Beauty is a clean-formulation color cosmetics and skincare brand emphasizing vegan, skin-loving ingredients — comparable to Mented in clean-beauty positioning across face and lip categories, though with broader skincare adjacency.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mented Cosmetics social profiles
Digital presenceMented Cosmetics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Mented Cosmetics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mented Cosmetics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Mented Cosmetics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mented Cosmetics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mented Cosmetics
What does Mented Cosmetics do?
Mented Cosmetics is a direct-to-consumer inclusive beauty brand that develops and sells makeup formulated specifically for diverse skin tones. The product portfolio spans face (foundations, skin tints, concealers, primers, setting products), lip (lipsticks, glosses, oils, liners), cheek (blush, bronzer), eye (palettes, sticks, lashes, brow pencils), and tools, with shades mapped across Fair, Light, Tan, Medium, Deep, and Rich categories with warm, neutral, and cool undertones. All products are vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, and cruelty-free, and the brand sells primarily through its own e-commerce storefront with secondary distribution in Target, ULTA Beauty, Walgreens, and select CVS stores.
Is Mented Cosmetics a public or private company?
Mented Cosmetics is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Mented Cosmetics founded?
Mented Cosmetics was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mented Cosmetics based?
Mented Cosmetics is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mented Cosmetics make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are retail Wholesale, pro MUA Program and loyalty & Referral Program.
Who are Mented Cosmetics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fenty Beauty, Rare Beauty, Pat McGrath Labs, The Lip Bar, Beauty Bakerie, UOMA Beauty and Juvia's Place. Broad incumbents are MAC Cosmetics and NARS Cosmetics. ILIA Beauty is listed as an emerging player.
Does Mented Cosmetics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mented Cosmetics.
What industry is Mented Cosmetics in?
Mented Cosmetics's product category is Inclusive Cosmetics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABACAA, Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter), with a secondary code of CRABACAC, Lip Makeup (Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner, Lip Stain, Lip Balm-Tint). Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 2844.