Brown Girl Gumbo

I recently had a chance to talk with Keisha Nash-Whitaker about her line, Kissable Couture. For those of you who don’t know, this beautiful and ambitious woman is the wife of Oscar-award winner, Forest Whitaker.

Being a wife and mother of preteen/teen girls is a full-time job that keeps her pretty busy. Lucky for us, she finds the time to keep our lips kissable with her line of perfectly textured glosses that go on fluidly sans the gooey stickiness akin to other brands. Plus, all of the shades are named after the men in her and her friends’ lives. Of course, the Forest hue is her favorite!

If you want a smooth, sexy shine with the right hint of color, these glosses are for you!

Check out our Q&A:

BGG: What inspired you to create a line of lip-gloss?
Keisha: I collaborated with AJ Crimson and we always talked about working on something together. I started out as a model and he’s a makeup artist. So with my background in fashion and his in makeup/beauty, it was a natural transition to merge the two.

BGG: How did you come up with the name Kissable Couture?
Keisha: Well, with AJ being in makeup – the lips are kissable and with me being in fashion, came the couture part. Put them together you have Kissable Couture!

BGG: What was the biggest challenge you faced getting your line off the ground?
Keisha: I wanted be taken seriously. I didn’t want to be seen as this fly-by-night celebrity-endorsed product. I wanted to be known for having a fantastic product. I just had to keep knocking on doors until they eventually opened.

BGG: I know that you created a special Valentine’s Day collection a few months ago, do you think you’ll continue to produce special collections?
Keisha: Absolutely! Life is a special occasion! As we continue to grow, we will continue to surprise customers with new festive collections.

BGG: Do you plan on expanding Kissable Couture to more than just lip-gloss?
Keisha: Absolutely! This fall we will add nail polish that will accent and complement the lip-glosses. In the summer we, we will add 3 to 5 new colors that will evoke hope and change. With the state of the world right now, people want to be positive and uplifting and we want to do that with Kissable Couture.

BGG: How do you balance being a businesswoman, wife and being a mom of 3 girls?
Keisha: For me, I always put family first. I work on Kissable Couture during the day when my kids are at school. Evenings and nights are reserved for my family. I am very multi-faceted. I believe women are able to balance it all.

BGG: Do you have any other makeup must-haves besides Kissable Couture?
Keisha: Yes! I love Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick in Bronze. It’s great!

BGG: You have a killer sense of style; do you ever think about launching a fashion line?
Keisha: Definitely, I’ve thought about it a lot. If I did it would consist of chic & comfortable clothes; something that feels like me. I have been known to be in a grocery store in the afternoon wearing pumps – I’m an everyday chic girl!

BGG: In your spare time, what do you do to relax and have fun?
Keisha: I’m always with my hairdresser David; he’s a lot of fun! I also enjoy doing Pilates, yoga, going to the movies in the afternoon with my hubby, attending book club meetings, going to lunch and just hanging out with friends and family.

BGG: What advice do you have for young women of color who aspire to start their own makeup lines?
Keisha: Stay in the game and believe in your product. Know that it’s about quality and perseverance. Iman was my role model. Now there are so many role models out there. Young kids can see presidential candidates that look like them and know that anything is possible. I would say to dream and dream BIG!

Visit www.kissablecouture.com to order online and for store locations near you.