The Lip Bar: Detroit’s Black-Owned Beauty Brand That Proved The Sharks Wrong

I remembered The Lip Bar from their infamous 2015 “Shark Tank” rejection—the moment Kevin O’Leary called founder Melissa Butler and her creative director “colorful cockroaches” and told them they’d never succeed. As someone who loves bright colors and wears lipstick—probably the only makeup item I’ve ever worn throughout my life—I’d been following the brand’s journey. When I found myself in Detroit a decade later, I knew I had to visit their flagship store, especially since my favorite color is fuchsia, and I was determined to finally get their Playmate shade, which is often out of stock online.

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