Black-owned Mented cosmetics purchased after distribution issues

Mented Cosmetics returns in a new edition. A Black-owned beauty brand has been acquired by West Lane Capital Partners amid product distribution issues.

Business partners KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson founded the corporate in 2017. According to what also announced after the acquisition, the duo got down to create an organization that caters to different skin tones. They have gained popularity since they first launched a spread of nude lipsticks aimed toward people of color.

The brand thrived on mid-range pricing and availability at Ulta, Target and national drugstore chains. It has since expanded to other products akin to eye shadow and foundation. This latest cope with West Lane, for an undisclosed sum, goals to re-launch Mented and encourage buyers.

“They have extensive knowledge of the cosmetics industry. Apart from that, I respect and admire the team,” Miller explained. “We’ve seen loads of brands in the buyer space either not succeed or, from what I’ve heard, leave with deals that they weren’t very comfortable with, and I’m fortunate to say that I feel really great about our partner.”

The acquisition comes after product distribution issues forced Mented to stop accepting orders in January 2024. Despite raising $9 million in enterprise capital funding, the owners struggled to maintain up with customer demand. Now, due to West Lane’s expertise and financial support, Mented can proceed where they left off.

“Mented is a brand with a good reputation in the truly competitive color cosmetics market,” explained the investment firm’s vp, Michael Wentz.

“Coupled with the success she was having on social media and the trajectory of the business, we saw many opportunities to expand it with the infrastructure we have at Blooming Brands to take it to the next level.”

Wentz added: “From our perspective, the immediate need is to regain the trust of our customer base so they know the product will be available and they will have access to it in the future. Our job is to get the product to customers and make it available as quickly as possible, and we work hard to do so. It just takes time and communication.”

Since Mented is officially a part of the West Lane branch of Blooming Brands, its loyal customers can stay up for a summer start for the revamped business.