October 4, 2023

WARNING! “Chemist” at work! Any person who takes a DIY-lip experience workshop at Lip N Pour, will experience how to create their own custom lipstick or lip gloss with color, creativity and may feel like a chemist.

What is Lip N Pour?

Lip N Pour was founded by Diamond Weems. It is a DIY studio that allows attendees to be a chemist of their own lip product to wear. This is perfect for a group of family and friends interested in various lip colors and styles.

There are five bases — crème lipstick, matte lipstick, liquid matte lipstick, lip glace, and lip polish.

Lip N Pour is the first custom blend franchise in the world.

Upon arrival, staff of the establishment encourage attendees to put their purses away but bring their phones to the class.

This is a selfie-friendly atmosphere.

Attendees of a lip experience workshop will come in, get a complimentary cup of wine or water. They grab an apron and take a seat in front of a mirror.

They will see a custom blend calibrator in front of them where they will mix colors together.

From there, they utilize a website to mix up to three colors together to make their custom lip color. There is even a scale there to change the percentage of color to obtain one’s perfect lip color.

Staff come around to help mix colors with the attendee’s base. There are two attempts to get the perfect match that he or she desires for the lips.

While doing this, attendees should think of the perfect name for their lip color to put in “the lippie book.” People can add a scent to the lip product. Attendees will also receive a label to put on their lip product. From there they put their product in the correct packaging, they receive a cute bag to put it in and then it is picture time.

Those are a few of the experiences in the bigger Lip N Pour experience.

Currently, all the lip bases are popular.

“People are creating what they’ll wear,” she said. “Older women wear crème lipstick. Younger women wear matte and little girls do lip gloss.”

Aha!

Weems started Lip N Pour in 2018, when she was dissatisfied with the cosmetic counter limitations. She would sit at the beauty supply store for hours swatching colors on her hand, hoping to get the right “nude” lipstick for her skin tone.

After attending Painting with a Twist, she had her “aha” moment.

“My friend’s birthday was in February, and I told her to get 15 of her friends together and I will be showing them how to make their own lipstick and lip gloss,” she said. “It was so crazy, that I didn’t have a location to host this event.”

She produced the whole concept and business within seven days.

“I was also expanding my beauty bar from a studio to a 1400 square foot salon,” Weems said.

“I was searching all over Charlotte trying to find a good place to host this event and stumbled upon a new and upcoming hotel – H2 Suites. I rented out the conference room and that was the true beginning of something AMAZING!” She said.

She said she was not surprised when Lip N Pour took off.

Since then, she has been on a cruise ship with Carnival Glory hosting lip workshops, while visiting the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. She has also been featured on B.E.T as a makeup artist and franchised the concept of Lip N Pour in 2022.

Switch in Gears

Weems said it was not in the plans to be in the makeup industry.

While she did hold a customer service job in the past, she always wanted to be a police officer. She has a degree in criminal justice, but when she moved from New York to Charlotte in 2011 she noticed something.

“I noticed everywhere, people wore makeup,” she said.

She started teaching herself makeup techniques.

“I obtained my cosmetology license in 2014,” she said. “I went to cosmetology school to get my license because I am a self-taught makeup artist and needed the license to be able to perform makeup on clients.”

She said this gave her a visual eye on how different colors work on different people.

She opened Diamond’s Beauty Bar in 2015 where she did eyelash extensions, makeup and eyebrows.

Trial and Error

While Diamond may not have a mentor, she said she has had trial and error while starting her business. However, she does look to Melissa Butler with the company, The Lip Bar, as an inspiration in the beauty world. Melissa Butler was a Shark Tank Reject for her company but has gone on to have her products in stores like CVS, Wal-Mart and Target.

Weems explained how Lip N Pour is different.

“I sell experiences.”

“My vision is to be the most innovative brand in beauty for women of color,” she said. “I give people that look like me color choices that match their skin tones.”

She added on that it is a need for black and brown women to get that perfect match. She said women of color get tired of going to MAC and Sephora and not getting the perfect match.

“Here you get the perfect color for yourself – no questions asked,” she said.

Excitement

“The thing I love the most is seeing everyone’s face when making the color,” she said.

She said you can visibly see their excitement. She enjoys the fact that attendees are there for themselves and her.

“You came to support my business, but it’s for you too,” she said. “You are leaving with something that is unique and personalized to you.

What’s Next?

A Lip N Pour Tour.

Business Information

Business hours are by appointment only with hours of operation Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Her studio is on the edge of Matthews, NC at 1811 Sardis Rd N Suite 204, Charlotte, NC 28270.