The Lip Bar challenges the standard of beauty through their products, pricing and ingredients. They focus on their beliefs that beauty isn’t linear, cosmetics shouldn’t be for the privileged, and makeup is a mere enhancement of who you are, not a completion of you! In 2012, Melissa launched The Lip Bar because she was incredibly frustrated with the beauty industry. Why were most cosmetics filled with unnecessary chemicals? Why did lipsticks only come in a limited range of colors? And more importantly, why was the depiction of beauty so damn linear?

Melissa started making lipstick in her kitchen because I believed beauty shouldn't compromise health and because she was determined to not change the way she looked to fit into some superficial or trendy beauty standard.

She's not passionate about makeup. She's passionate about creating an inclusive narrative on what beauty is and reminding women that they don't have to settle for anything.

Today, The Lip Bar products are found at retailers nationwide and Melissa's mission to challenge the current standard of beauty by creating a lipstick experience that is unsurpassed in craftsmanship, quality and color continues. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx