We promise this is not your average vending machine. Shania Morris is the mastermind behind Blinkz On A Budget, a luxury vending machine that allows you to purchase lashes on the go. The unconventional route found favor in the eyes of the 24-year-old as it forged a connection between customers while cutting down operational costs. The Jamaican native stirred up the idea to launch a vending machine after recognizing the ever-growing popularity within the United States. Morris’ passion project soon went from an idea to reality after scoring a vendor in Florida who could provide a home for her human lashes. She planned to debut her machine at a local outlet mall in Florida but she soon realized to stand out among competitors, her dispensary would need a unique twist. In decked-out fashion, the vending machine received a stellar makeover sporting an adorned floral wall perfect to snap a few selfies while operating as a hidden marketing strategy. @thelashdoc #minklashes...

KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson are two friends who felt boxed into a corner in the beauty industry before taking matters into their own hands with Mented Cosmetics . They launched their own makeup line with the perfect organic nude lip products for women of color with just about $10,000 in savings. That led them to being the 15th and 16th black women to ever raise $1M in capital and expanding their products to lip glosses, an eyeshadow palette, nail polish and more. Today it was announced that Mented Cosmetics raised $3M in its latest round of funding. CircleUp Growth Partners is the lead investor in the series seed and focuses on early-stage consumer brands with a “data-driven, scalable approach to investing in visionary founders.” The first time around, KJ and Amanda pitched to more than 80 VCs. But this round, Miller says they pitched to about 30 VCs in total. And they found themselves in a position to say “no,” allowing them to be intentional about working with their investors....