Mented Cosmetics, founded in 2017 by Amanda E. Johnson and KJ Miller, offers a range of makeup products formulated to match various skin tones. The company produces items across several categories, including lips, face, cheeks, and eyes.
Their product lineup features complexion products like foundations and concealers, as well as lipsticks, blushes, and eyeshadows.
Mented Cosmetics' key offerings include the Perfect Prime primer, Semi-matte lipstick, and High Brow pencil.
In this review, we will explore the products offered by Mented Cosmetics, along with the pros and cons of the brand. We will also evaluate the claims of the brand and potential limitations while comparing it with similar brands.
Mented Cosmetics claims to address the lack of makeup products that complement deeper skin tones. Initially focused on nude lipsticks tailored for deeper skin tones, Mented has expanded its offerings to include more than 80 products across eight categories. These include foundations, concealers, setting powders, primers, and complexion bundles for the face, semi-matte lipsticks, lip liners, and glosses, blushes and bronzers for the cheeks, and eyeshadow palettes, sticks, lashes, brow products, and brushes for the eyes.
The brand also offers tools such as brushes and sponges, curated bundles, and shade-matching tools to help you find your perfect match.
As per the official website, Mented Cosmetic mentions that all its products are vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and thoughtfully formulated to complement a wide variety of skin tones.
Skin by Mented is a stick foundation that may provide a natural, second-skin finish with buildable coverage, offering light to full-coverage looks. The makers state that it could also function as a concealer and contour product. Skin by Mented is available in 16 shades, including L10, L30, L40, T10, and T20.
The makers added sodium hyaluronate in the stick, a salt form of hyaluronic acid, which attracts and retains moisture within your skin layers, aiding in hydration.
Skin by Mented also has castor seed oil and hydrogenated castor oil, which contain fatty acids that might contribute to skin softness and suppleness by strengthening your skin’s lipid barrier. It also has aloe barbadensis leaf extract, which has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, potentially reducing irritation and supporting skin repair.
Grape seed oil in Skin by Mented contains antioxidants like polyphenols that may help protect skin from environmental damage. Tocopheryl Acetate, a stable form of Vitamin E, is also added to help neutralize free radicals.
Skin by Mented contains emollients, plant extracts, and skin-conditioning agents. Its key ingredients include caprylic/capric triglyceride and octyldodecanol, which act as lightweight moisturizers that help maintain skin hydration without leaving a greasy feel.
Isopropyl Myristate in Mented Cosmetics’ Skin may help improve spreadability and enhance the absorption of the formula into your skin. It also has candelilla wax and ozokerite, which provide structural support to the stick, contributing to a smooth application and helping the pigment to stay in place.
Mented’s lip gloss comes in a range of shades formulated for deeper skin tones. It has a smooth texture with adjustable pigmentation and a non-sticky finish. The brand mentions that their lip gloss is available in Mauve Over (soft pink), Send Nudes (deep tan), Berry Me (berry), Baby Brown (brown), Pink About Me (soft pink), and #1 Cran (bright cranberry) shades.
The formulation includes ingredients such as hydrogenated polyisobutene and ethylhexyl palmitate, which function as emollients and film-forming agents. Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil is used by the makers as a conditioning agent.
Mented Cosmetics’ Lip Gloss also contains BHT, used as an antioxidant to help maintain formula stability, and phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative intended to limit microbial growth during use and storage.
As per the official website, Mented’s Semi-Matte Lipstick collection features shades in browns and pinks designed for deeper skin tones. The lipstick has a creamy, semi-matte finish that provides color payoff without drying or caking.
Semi-Matte Lipstick is available in shades such as Pretty in Pink, Peach Please, Nude LaLa, Brand Nude, Dope Taupe, Foxy Brown, Brown Bare, Mented #5, and Dark Night. It contains octyldodecanol, which could help retain moisture by forming a thin, non-greasy barrier on the skin or lips that reduces water loss, thereby maintaining hydration.
Pigment blends in Semi-Matte Lipstick can vary depending on the specific shade and may include Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Red 7, Red 28, Blue 1, and Yellow 5. These pigments are used to create the range of colors within the collection.
Mented’s Everyday Eyeshadow Palette contains nine shades of nude and neutral colors for melanin-rich skin tones. The palette includes matte and shimmer finishes, housed in compact, slim packaging intended for portability.
The shades are finely milled and pigmented to deliver buildable color on deeper complexions without causing any chalkiness or patchiness. The palette includes shades like brown out, tandemonium, light bright, queen sugar, up side brown, and red bone.
These shades include talc and silica, which act as absorbents to control excess oil on the eyelids and improve the texture of the powder for smoother application. The makers also added dimethicone and lauroyl lysine to provide a silky, lubricating effect that helps the product glide evenly on the skin.
Everyday Eyeshadow Palette also has glyceryl caprylate, which functions as a mild preservative and skin-conditioning agent, contributing to product stability and comfort during wear. Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate offers emollient properties, helping to soften and smooth the eyelid skin.
Sunkissed Bronzer by Mented Cosmetics includes four pigmented shades that may blend into your skin to add warmth, depth, and dimension without appearing chalky or overly shimmery. The makers state that this Bronzer can be used to define cheekbones or warm the overall complexion, with a buildable formula that maintains a natural finish.
It has Vitamins A and E, which may work as antioxidants to support skin health and protect against environmental factors. Vitamin A helps support skin cell turnover and repair, which can contribute to maintaining your skin’s overall texture and appearance, while vitamin E functions as a protective agent and may help by neutralizing free radicals that occur due to pollution and UV exposure.
As per the official website, the Sunkissed Bronzer is available in four shades, including Out of Office, Yacht Life, Vacay, and Beach Bum.
As per the official website, the Make You Blush collection from Mented Cosmetics is a powder blush that may help define, sculpt, or add color to your cheeks. It features a buildable texture and includes vitamin E (tocopherol), which may help support skin nourishment.
The Make You Blush collection includes four shades such as Pinky Promise, Peach for the Stars, Berried Away, and Clay Too Much.
The blush includes zinc stearate, which may help with pigment adhesion, while polybutene could support moisture retention. Conditioning agents such as lecithin, glyceryl oleate, and ascorbyl palmitate are also included across all shades.
Mented Cosmetics' Full-Time Brightening Concealer is a full-coverage, multi-use product that may help target dark circles, blemishes, and dullness. It is available in 8 shades formulated with undertone awareness and can also function as a contour product.
The formula includes hyaluronic acid, a humectant that could attract and retain moisture in your skin, helping reduce dryness and creasing. As per the official website, Full-Time Brightening Concealer combines grapeseed oil (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil), which helps soothe inflammation and reinforce the skin’s protective barrier. Its lightweight texture may allow for easy absorption without clogging pores. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana Extract) in this concealer might help reduce puffiness, tighten the appearance of pores, and minimize redness.
Mented Cosmetics positions itself as a vegan and cruelty-free brand. This means that its products are free from animal-derived components, and no animal testing is conducted at any point in the product development process. The brand’s commitment to these standards reflects a broader focus on ethical sourcing and conscious manufacturing practices. This can be beneficial if you're looking to align your beauty routine with ethical or lifestyle values, such as veganism or animal welfare. It may also reduce your exposure to certain allergens or irritants commonly found in animal-derived ingredients like lanolin or carmine, which could be helpful if you have sensitive skin or ingredient sensitivities.
Mented Cosmetics offers wide accessibility by making its products available both online and in major retail locations. You can find the brand in stores such as Target, ULTA Beauty, Walgreens, and select CVS locations, in addition to their official website. This multi-channel approach allows Mented to reach a broader audience and makes it easier for consumers to discover and purchase products in a way that suits their shopping preferences. This level of accessibility can be especially convenient. If you prefer to test products in person, such as swatching foundation or lipstick shades, you have the option to visit nearby stores and make more confident purchase decisions. For online shoppers, Mented offers perks like free U.S. shipping on orders over $45, which can help reduce total costs and streamline the buying process. The brand’s availability across platforms supports flexible and hassle-free shopping, making it helpful when you're restocking a favorite product from home or making a last-minute purchase in-store.
One key limitation of Mented Cosmetics is its relatively narrow range of foundation shades, which may not accommodate all skin tones and undertones effectively. This issue is particularly evident in the brand’s “Skin by Mented” stick foundation, which offers 16 shades grouped into four broad categories, including Light, Tan, Medium, and Deep. While this system aims for inclusivity, the limited number of shades and undertone variations makes it difficult to achieve a precise match, especially if you have a deeper complexion or unique undertones.
Meanwhile, similar brands like Ami Colé offer 15 shades but focus more specifically on melanin-rich skin, with undertones tailored for better alignment. On the other hand, Uoma Beauty provides a much wider range with 51 shades across six tone families, such as Very Fair, Fair, Olive, Rich Tan, Brown, and Deep Brown, offering more precise undertone and depth combinations. This means that while Mented Cosmetics might offer a general match, there’s a higher chance you’ll struggle to find a shade that blends naturally with your skin, potentially affecting the overall finish and comfort of wear.
One key limitation with Mented Cosmetics is the inconsistency in dermatological claims across its face product line. While some offerings like the Skin Silk Loose Setting Powder and Skin by Mented Foundation Stick mention being dermatologist-tested, others, such as the bronzers and blushes, don’t carry these claims. Even where “dermatologist-tested” is noted, the brand doesn’t provide further details about the scope of testing, clinical trials, or skin type compatibility. This creates a gap in transparency, especially if you’re looking for products backed by clinical data or designed with sensitive skin in mind. Without consistent or in-depth testing across the range, you may have to rely on personal trial and error to gauge safety and performance.
Ami Colé, founded in 2021, takes a skin-first approach with a curated product lineup that blends minimal makeup aesthetics with clean beauty standards. Its focus is on enhancing natural features through lightweight, breathable formulations that also care for the skin. Products like the Skin-Enhancing Tint, Skin-Enhancing Stick, and Desert Date Cream Multistick are designed to even tone, add a subtle glow, and deliver hydration without masking your complexion. The brand claims to avoid common endocrine disruptors, uses plant-based alternatives like baobab seed oil and shea butter, and maintains a fully vegan and cruelty-free catalog. Shade ranges prioritize undertone accuracy rather than high volume, with specific emphasis on red, golden, and neutral undertones often underserved in mainstream brands.
As per the official website, Ami Colé also offers tools like the Find Your Shade feature, which provides digital guidance, though physical sample packs aren’t available. Retail-wise, Ami Colé positions itself as a prestige brand, with availability through Sephora and eco-conscious packaging that supports its clean ethos and culturally grounded identity.
Meanwhile, Mented Cosmetics presents a broader, more accessible range with a strong emphasis on pigment-rich, full-coverage makeup.
The brand’s product range includes options like foundation sticks, bronzers, lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, and supports users through virtual consultations, quizzes, and $5 foundation sample packs. While also vegan and cruelty-free, Mented’s ingredient strategy is less rigidly clean.
The brand’s foundation system spans 16 shades and focuses on blending into deeper skin tones without appearing gray or ashy. It leans toward functionality and affordability, with accessible pricing, frequent bundles, and availability through both online channels and mass retailers like Target.
When it comes to pricing, Ami Colé and Mented Cosmetics sit within a similar mid-range bracket, but their product pricing reflects their differing brand philosophies. Ami Colé’s Skin-Enhancing Tint is priced at $32, the Skin-Enhancing Stick at $29, and the Skin Melt Loose Powder at $22. Lip products like the Soft Shape Lip Liner range from $11, while multi-use items like the Desert Date Cream Multistick $11.
Mented Cosmetics, on the other hand, offers comparable products at slightly lower or similar price points. It's Skin by Mented foundation stick is available for $30, the Full-Time Brightening Concealer for $18, and the Skin Silk Loose Setting Powder costs $25. Mented also provides lower-cost entry points, like the Foundation Sample Pack for $5 and Pillow Puff Sponge for $10, giving you a way to test before committing.
Ami Colé leads with minimalist, clean formulations focused on skin health and cultural specificity, while Mented Cosmetics emphasizes a full-coverage, color-rich routine with wider accessibility and broader shade coverage.
UOMA Beauty and Mented Cosmetics both cater to melanin-rich skin tones, but they differ significantly in product strategy, pricing, and brand direction.
As per its official website, UOMA Beauty positions itself as a high-performance, editorial brand with bold formulations and a wide shade range. Its Say What?! Foundation comes in 51 shades, divided across six undertone-based families like “White Pearl” for redness and “Black Pearl” for dullness. This range is paired with complexion products such as the Stay Woke Concealer in 18 shades and the Trippin Smooth Setting Powder, which includes ingredients like mushrooms for a smoother finish. The brand also offers a full spectrum of makeup, including impactful eye products like the Drama Bomb Extreme Volume Mascara, Afro.Dis.iac Liquid Eyeliner, and the Black Magic Freedom Eye Palette.
UOMA Beauty offers Lip products that include the Badass Icon Matte Lipstick and Black Magic Hypnotic Impact High Shine Lipstick, both priced at $24, alongside long-wearing liners like Badass MF Lip Liner. UOMA also includes accessories like the Big Head Dual-Density Sponge and skincare-infused makeup like the Hydroblast Finishing Powder.
The brand pricing sits in the mid-to-premium range, with most items falling between $24 and $39. UOMA ships within the U.S. for $5.95 (free over $50) and offers international shipping via DHL, with duties included at checkout for many countries. Returns are accepted within 30 days, but discounted items are typically final sale unless purchased using the WELCOME10 code.
Mented Cosmetics, on the other hand, takes a more simplified, practical approach focused on clean, vegan, and dermatologist-tested formulations. Its product line includes essentials like the Skin by Mented Foundation Stick, which is available in around 16 shades. While the shade range is smaller than UOMA's, Mented supports its customers with tools like a shade-match quiz, $5 sample packs, and virtual consultations to help guide product selection. The brand focuses on functional, pigment-rich products across face, eye, cheek, and lip categories, such as setting powders, bronzers, and eyeshadow palettes.
While both brands serve deeper complexions, their strategies diverge. UOMA leans into bold aesthetics and maximal shade inclusivity with a high-fashion edge, while Mented keeps things clean, approachable, and utility-driven.
UOMA offers a dramatic, performance-focused experience, whereas Mented focuses on everyday usability with simplified navigation and a more grounded price point.
To evaluate Mented Cosmetics, we looked at a combination of the brand’s age, history, and third-party review data. Founded in 2017, Mented set out to fill a gap in the beauty market by focusing on products that cater to deeper skin tones.
We then examined its credibility across major consumer review platforms. The brand holds an F rating from the Better Business Bureau, which typically reflects unresolved complaints or poor responsiveness to customer issues. This rating raises concerns about how the brand manages post-purchase support. Mented Cosmetics is not currently listed on Trustpilot, which limits the availability of broader, verified customer feedback. While this is not unusual for smaller brands, the lack of visibility on a major platform adds to the uncertainty.
On Tenereteam, Mented has a 4.0 out of 5 rating based on 9 reviews. Although the sample size is small, the feedback is generally positive, indicating that some customers have had a good experience with the brand. However, the limited volume of reviews prevents drawing strong conclusions about consistent performance or service quality.
Our evaluation shows that while Mented Cosmetics targets a specific market segment and has maintained that focus since its launch, the available data presents mixed signals about its reliability. The brand's BBB rating and absence from Trustpilot raise concerns about customer service responsiveness and transparency. Although Tenereteam reviews are generally favorable, the limited number of reviews makes it challenging to understand in detailed form about the brand's reputation among its users. These factors should be considered when assessing the brand’s overall credibility.
We assessed Mented Cosmetics by examining how its policies and product structure align with customer expectations around accessibility, clarity, and control.
Mented Cosmetics' refund policy offers a mix of flexibility and control, but it shows a few trade-offs you should be aware of. On one hand, the 30-day return window and the option to exchange shades through the Rapid Exchange Program add convenience, especially for smaller orders under $75. This approach removes the need to physically return items, which reduces friction in the process.
However, the policy also imposes some limitations. You must contact them before initiating a return, as refunds without prior communication are outright denied. That gatekeeping can slow down resolution or frustrate you if you expect more self-directed options. Partial returns from bundles are allowed, but there’s little detail on how credits are calculated, which could create ambiguity. The policy aims to reduce logistical barriers on low-value returns but remains relatively strict on formal procedures.
Mented Cosmetics focuses on creating makeup tailored for melanin-rich skin tones, offering shade ranges and formulas designed to meet the needs of deeper complexions.
The brand emphasizes vegan, cruelty-free formulations and includes hyaluronic acid and vitamin E in its offerings to support hydration and comfort. Its availability across both retail and online platforms adds to its accessibility.
However, the brand has notable limitations. The complexion range, while targeted, remains limited in undertone variety and coverage at the extreme ends of the skin tone spectrum. This may make it difficult to find an accurate match, particularly if your undertone is uncommon.
The brand offerings, such as face products, including bronzers and blushes, do not carry dermatologist-tested labels. While a few products mention being tested, the brand does not disclose test protocols, participant demographics, or results. If you have known sensitivities, patch testing or consulting a professional is recommended.
Mented Cosmetics claims to provide a focused product line with clear intentions, but gaps in shade breadth, clinical validation, and environmental practices may influence how well it fits your specific needs.
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