The Lip Bar Founder Melissa Butler Is Offering Equity To Save Her Cosmetic Line Thread Beauty

Rather than shutting down Thread Beauty, Melissa Butler is betting that community and the right business partner can save the brand.

Melissa Butler turned The Lip Bar from a lipstick that she made in her Brooklyn kitchen into a nationally distributed beauty business. But even seasoned entrepreneurs can struggle to get another venture off the ground.

Butler, who created The Lip Bar in 2012, revealed that she considered closing the cosmetic line she launched in 2022, Thread Beauty, last year after it failed to gain the same momentum as her flagship company. Target, however, encouraged her to keep going. Rather than shutting it down, Butler has taken an unconventional approach to revive Thread Beauty, revealing in a TikTok video that she’s giving someone else a chance to own part of the business.

@thelipbar
I’m looking for a business partner for @threadbeauty! This is a rare opportunity to have ownership in a brand that has national distribution and a relevant value proposition (especially in a tough economy) without having to spend money up front! If you want to build something meaningful in the beauty space and be the face + part owner of @threadbeauty, I’d love to hear from you. Eligibility Requirements: -100k+ ENGAGED followers on a single platform -Ability to create compelling content -Deep Love for makeup + an aligned audience -US based This is a hands-on opportunity for someone who is ambitious, passionate and ready to grow. Serious inquiries only. Fill out the form on my site melissarbutler.com @Mel B
♬ original sound – thelipbar

“It’s not working, which is kinda hard to say,” Butler said in the video posted on Aug. 10. “So, I thought about closing it last year, and Target was like, ‘No, Melissa, we still believe in this brand.’”

Thread Beauty launched at Target as an affordable and inclusive cosmetics brand aimed at younger consumers. The brand’s products, including blush, eyeliner, lip gloss, and complexion products, are all priced at $8.

“Thread is young, it’s fun, it’s very affordable. Everything is $8,” said the founder. However, she realized that the brand is missing community and connection.

“I underestimated that it really needed a face,” Butler said. “It really needed a human connection.”

Now, she is seeking a business partner who can also become the public face of the brand. In turn, she is offering equity in the company, which already has nationwide distribution through Target.

“I can’t be the face of Thread and The Lip Bar,” Butler said. “I am literally taking applications for not only a business partner, but a face of the brand.”

Butler’s move highlights a different approach to business growth and turnaround strategy. Rather than shutting down the brand or relying solely on additional capital, she is leveraging assets Thread Beauty already has: retail distribution, infrastructure, a robust social media audience, and an existing product pipeline.

Her announcement comes more than a year after The Lip Bar suffered from a decline in sales at Target after Black civil rights and religious leaders launched a nationwide boycott in 2025 to protest the retailer’s decision to roll back its DEI initiatives. In a social media video, she confirmed that sales at the big-name retailer dropped 30%.

“Our sales are down 30, 40%. Like that’s exactly what we thought was going to happen,” said the Detroit native, referring to the side effects she anticipated would happen in the wake of the boycott.

“That’s not to say that people should continue or go back to shopping at Target. It’s just to say that we knew that there was going to be a huge impact, and to offset the impact, it requires people to be really intentional about where they are shopping,” Butler added.