LADYDRINKS MARCH EDITION: FIRESIDE CHAT WITH NINA DAVULURI, FORMER MISS AMERICA AND AMANDA JOHNSON, CO FOUNDER, MENTED COSMETICS
The March LadyDrinks Fireside Chat focuses on the beauty industry and diversity.
I had the pleasure of hearing Amanda Johnson, the co founder of Mented Cosmetics, speak at a women’s event. She waxed evangelical about today’s beauty counter NEEDING to reflect the diversity that is the United States. She is a born speaker and I can’t wait to introduce her to you.
Amanda is the co-founder of Mented Cosmetics, a line of makeup made for women of color.
This Harvard MBA grad co founded the company with her classmate KJ MIller over a glass of pinot one night, deliberating over nude lipstick. They were frustrated that one wasn’t made for women with darker skin tones.
Last year, Amanda and KJ raised $1million for their e commerce baby. This past May, they raised another $3 milion.
As the statistics go, women of color have a tough time raising funding for their businesses. But she and KJ broke the mold. We will share their story and their rules for success including always making sure your customer has a clean and seamless digital experience when on your website.
She will be joined by Former Miss America Nina Davuluri. The day after she was annointed Miss America, the headlines read, “Is she too dark to be Miss America?” Today Nina is co founder of a skin care line called Aavrani. She also actively works to educate young girls on beauty and that ‘dark or light. It shouldn’t matter.’
Join us on March 19th for this empowering conversation on beauty.
About Amanda Johnson, Mented Cosmetics
One night, over a glass of pinot, we sat down and asked ourselves why it was so hard to find the perfect nude lipstick. That conversation sparked an idea, and that idea became the brand we are building today. We created Mented Cosmetics because we believe every woman should be able to find herself in the world of beauty. We know you’ll love being put first — because when it comes to beauty, no one deserves to be an afterthought.
All lipsticks are vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, cruelty free, and proudly made in the USA. Explore the full collection.
About Nina Davuluri, Co founder, Chief Brand Officer, Aavrani
Nina Davuluri is an acclaimed host, speaker, advocate & entrepreneur. Nina first gained international recognition by becoming the first Indian American and South Asian to become Miss America 2014. Her most recent venture combines the network she has cultivated, her love for advocacy, and disrupting global beauty standards with the launch of her innovative skincare line, aavrani. Raised in a culture sensitive to skin tones, Nina was hyper-aware of the skin lightening industry and how it dramatically influences beauty standards. Through advocating for diversity and encouraging others to embrace their identity, she knew it was important to deliver a skincare product that champions everyone to feel proud and confident in their skin, regardless of their complexion. Core to the essence of aavrani is female empowerment — in Hindi “Rani” means “Queen”, and through her continued advocacy work, Nina’s mission is to help empower others. Through aavrani’s social impact partnership with the Shanti Bhavan school, the company provides children in India with access to education and mentorship.
In terms of hosting, Nina is no novice to the television and media industry. She is the host & producer of the reality show, “Made In America,” which made its series premiere August 2017 on ZeeTV Americas in North America. The premise of the show is to help young women break their own perceptions of beauty and stereotypes as they embark on a new journey to fulfill their dreams in America. Through her experiences as Miss America, she realized how much of a need there was in the marketplace for this type of content to be created for young South Asian millennials.
