Beauty Bakerie and Mented Cosmetics, two makeup brands most people would swear are unrelated, now answer to the exact same private equity owner, inside the exact same portfolio, plus three brands where the founder never sold at all.

This is a buying guide, not a takedown. Every verdict below is ownership and price, checked and re-checked against the companies’ own paperwork and live product pages — never a claim about what any product does or whether it’s safe on your skin.

THE REVEAL: • Mented Cosmetics (the callback) — already named a villain on this channel: acquired by West Lane Capital Partners in 2024, co-founder KJ Miller stayed on as Brand President. Lipsticks have historically run $12–$20, foundation around $30 (verify current pricing before you buy — no new ownership evidence here, same skip as last time). • Beauty Bakerie (the new reveal) — founder Cashmere Nicole built it in 2011, closed it herself in April 2024 by her own stated account, then it was acquired months later in 2024 by the same firm behind Mented, West Lane Capital Partners, joining the same Blooming Brands portfolio Mented already belonged to. Lip Whip: a flat $22.00 a tube, every shade, confirmed live off the brand’s own site. Buy direct: https://www.beautybakerie.com