Luckett, Founders Kimba Williams and Dr. Barb, Kickoff Kushae’s Cool, Comfortable & Confident Summer With Product Launch, Thursday
Some products are so timely most may assume one currently exists in the marketplace; a deodorant stick for “down there” is quite possibly that new, innovative product. Kushae (pronounced koo-SHAY), the first OB/GYN created, plant-based feminine care system, is set to introduce a new natural deodorant stick, Thursday.
An innovation in personal hygiene, Kushae is the first to produce a roll-on for one’s most sensitive areas. Endorsed by celebrity mom LeToya Luckett, the company’s official Brand Ambassador, Kushae is the first feminine health and hygiene company to launch a major global celebrity campaign, focused specifically on helping women become bold, unapologetic, and fearless about making their feminine health a priority. A Black-owned and women-led business, Kushae continues to dismantle the stigmas and barriers women face in speaking about their feminine health and wellness.
With the men’s personal care and hygiene market estimated to reach a $160 billion in 2022, and the feminine hygiene product market alone set to top $125 billion by 2030, Kushae’s deodorant stick is reaching consumers as the demand for products is at a record high.
Stop sweaty, musty odors “down there” in its tracks
with Kushae’s new natural deodorant stick.
“I am excited to work with Kushae. As the proud mom of two beautiful children, I understand how the different phases of life can change a woman’s body. I support Kushae’s simple, science-backed natural products and welcome the opportunity to spread positive information to educate women about the importance of their feminine health and wellness.”
LeToya Luckett
Kushae is turning the feminine health industry upside down in more ways than one. Co-Founder & CEO, Kimba Williams recently raised $1.25M through venture capital/angel investors, making her one of the first 100 Black women to do so. Launched in 2018 with exhibits and expos, the company literally worked to reach and support women one “Kushae” at a time. By 2020 they had achieved triple revenue year over year growth and debuted in Whole Foods Market. The brand has since been featured in global publications including Essence, Vogue, NBC News, and more.
Despite popular trends in the feminine care space, Kushae’s mission and values of always putting women first remain the bedrock of the brand. Led by co-founder Dr. Barbara McLaren (aka Dr. Barb), a Board-Certified OB/GYN, Kushae uses the highest quality natural, plant-based ingredients in every formula to create unique products that are highly effective and manufactured in the USA. Education-driven, the brand focuses on helping women to make informed decisions about their own health; creating avenues for open dialogue where they can feel comfortable and confident about learning about their bodies. Kushae also encourages women to develop feminine health routines and to be more proactive and intentional about their feminine wellness.
JEKALYN BEAUTY SKINCARE Available February 18, 2022 at www.JEKALYNBEAUTY.com
Jekalyn Carr believes in well-rounded self-care, which includes caring for and enhancing our God-given beauty. With that belief in mind, the inspirational powerhouse will release JEKALYN BEAUTY SKINCARE this Friday, February 18, followed by the release of JEKALYN BEAUTY HAIRCARE by the end of the month. Products can be purchased at www.JEKALYNBEAUTY.com Featuring natural ingredients that Carr uses herself, JEKALYN BEAUTY’s haircare and skincare lines are for women who want a streamlined system of effective products to meet their beauty needs.
“JEKALYN BEAUTY is a lifelong dream of mine. We started out with fragrances, and are now releasing haircare and skincare products that complement each other and make it simple to take care of our God-given features.”
Jekalyn carr
Taking deeper care of her own hair and skin was Carr’s personal “pandemic project.” She used the time away from constant travel to work on her own natural beauty – something that she was influenced to do since she was a little girl.
“I grew up watching my mother and grandmother fixing themselves up before the left the house, and I became that same kind of woman. I always want to present my best self to the world when I walk out the door. Beauty begins with healthy skin and hair. During the pandemic, I discovered some products and rituals that helped me achieve glowing skin and healthier natural hair. Those recipes and discoveries are the foundation for the JEKALYN BEAUTY Hair and Skincare lines.”
JEKALYN BEAUTY HAIR CARE features four complementary products focused on moisture and conditioning to stimulate healthy growth. In addition to shampoo and conditioner, the line includes a growth serum as well as an edge control that keeps styles in place throughout the day. “I sweat a lot when I am on stage. I need a product that can withstand heat and moisture,” says Carr. “This edge control is for people like me who are active, may sweat a lot and need their edges to stay put! I really love this product. It is effective while being gentle and healthy on the hair.” The growth serum features eucalyptus, grape seed oil and other ingredients that Carr uses to help her natural hair achieve healthy length and thickness.
JEKALYN BEAUTY SKIN CARE features five products that have an emphasis on clearing and brightening the skin. Key ingredients include turmeric, chamomile and Vitamin C – all which fight the effects of aging, clear the skin of acne and dark spots and help the skin maintain a healthy glow. After researching the best natural ingredients for skincare, and experimenting on her own before developing, Carr used these products for four months before approving them for market. “I would never sell anything that I wouldn’t use myself,” she says.
Independently marketed and distributed, JEKALYN BEAUTY was developed with chemists who Carr worked with to perfect the formulas that she had found were effective.
The retailer is making details of its national Racial Bias in Retail Study available to all retailers as it calls for a more inclusive retail industry
Sephora, America’s leading prestige beauty Omni-retailer, revealed the detailed changes it will implement across all of its U.S. stores in order to mitigate racially biased experiences and unfair treatment for shoppers in the retail sector. This is the latest in a series of actions announced by Sephora to underscore the retailer’s continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The plan includes increased diversity in its product offerings and workforce, more inclusive marketing programming, and greater accountability through the institution of updated employee conduct policies. The decisions are based on the results of the first-ever large-scale study on Racial Bias in Retail, commissioned by the retailer.
“At Sephora, diversity, equality, and inclusion have been our core values since we launched a new kind of beauty retail destination in the U.S. over 20 years ago – but the reality is that shoppers at Sephora, and in U.S. retail more broadly, are not always treated fairly and consistently,” said Jean-André Rougeot, President and CEO, Sephora Americas. “We know that we’re in a strong position to influence positive changes in the retail industry and society at large and it’s our responsibility to step up. We’re committed to doing all we can to make our U.S. retail experience more welcoming for everyone. Today, we are proud to share a first-look at Sephora’s action plan designed to tackle the issue of unfair treatment. We know it will be a journey, but we’re committed to holding ourselves accountable to this mission for the benefit of our clients, our employees, our communities, and the retail industry at large.”
Racial Bias in Retail Study Commissioned by Sephora
This first-of-its-kind national study was conducted over a year-long period, beginning in the fall of 2019 and ending in late 2020 and was designed to measure the issue of racially biased experiences in U.S. retail, and to identify opportunities to end unfair treatment. Comprised of academic literature reviews, cultural insights analysis and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research*, the Racial Bias in Retail Study commissioned by Sephora offers an in-depth look at this important issue.
The research, first and foremost, underscores how pervasive the issue is for U.S. retail shoppers and employees: • Two in five U.S. retail shoppers have personally experienced unfair treatment on the basis of their race or skin tone. • Black retail shoppers are 2.5x more likely than white shoppers to receive unfair treatment based on their skin color (44% vs. 17%), while BIPOC shoppers are 2x more likely than white shoppers to receive unfair treatment based on their ethnicity (30% vs. 15%). • One in five retail employees report having personally experienced unfair treatment based on their race at their place of work (20%)—either from customers or coworkers. • One in three retail employees have contemplated quitting when they experienced racial bias and unfair treatment (31% for all employees; 37% for Black employees).
The research identified five primary “truths” that define retail shoppers’ experiences with racial bias, including:
TRUTH #1: Limited diversity across marketing, merchandise and retail employees results in exclusionary treatment before shoppers even enter a store, and continues across their in-store journey. Three in four retail shoppers (74%) feel that marketing fails to showcase a diverse range of skin tones, body types, and hair textures, while two in three (65%) think stores fail to deliver an equally-distributed assortment of products catering to different shoppers’ tastes and preferences. Moreover, nearly four in five retail shoppers (78%) don’t believe there is representation in brands or companies that are owned by and made for people of color.
TRUTH # 2: U.S. BIPOC shoppers feel in-store interactions are driven by their skin color, appearance and ethnicity, yet retail employees cite behavioral attributes, rather than appearance, as the basis for their interactions. BIPOC retail shoppers are 3x more likely than white shoppers to feel most often judged by their skin color and ethnicity (32% vs. 9%). White shoppers, on the other hand, are more likely to cite factors like age (27% vs. 12%) or attractiveness (13% vs. 7%), as the primary basis of the treatment they face. While shoppers feel they are being judged by their appearance, three in five (60%) retail employees surveyed cited behavioral attributes rather than physical attributes when determining how to approach or interact with shoppers. This gap in perception results in a significant disconnect between how shoppers and employees interpret interactions in U.S. retail.
TRUTH #3: U.S. BIPOC retail shoppers use coping mechanisms, such as shopping online, to minimize or avoid an anticipated biased experience when in-store. While many customer experience needs are universal, BIPOC shoppers have some needs that hold greater importance in helping them feel welcome. The study also showed there are clear areas where retailers can focus efforts to make the shopping experience more inclusive and welcoming for all. The findings show that BIPOC shoppers have some needs that hold greater importance in helping them feel welcome compared to white shoppers in creating a positive in-store experience, including promptly being greeted and offering assistance when shoppers enter the store, telling shoppers about new products, offers, and services, and having store associates who “look like me.”
TRUTH #4: The majority of retail shoppers do not voice concerns about negative experiences directly to retailers – creating missed opportunities for feedback and improvement, and impacting future sales as shoppers take their business elsewhere. Only 30% of shoppers reacted actively to unfair treatment as a means of providing feedback to the retailer, such as publishing an online review or social post about their experience, while fewer than one in five (15%) reported raising the issue with a manager or store supervisor. Even among those shoppers who did provide direct feedback, a majority (61%) were unsatisfied with the retailer’s response. These situations can have permanent, economic consequences for a retailer, with 2 in 5 BIPOC shoppers (43%) saying they are unlikely to visit any store location belonging to a retailer where they experienced mistreatment.
TRUTH #5: Meaningful and long-term action is most important to U.S. retail shoppers and employees. Both expect retailers to show their commitment to change through new programs, training and tools designed to address these pervasive issues. But this is not often the reality for many retail shoppers who have experienced unfair treatment: BIPOC shoppers are 3x less likely than white shoppers to say the retailer addressed their experience with a change in store policy (34% vs. 11%). And while a majority (81%) of retail employees recognize the importance of being able to service diverse shopper needs, fewer than one in three (27%) feel confident they can meet them extremely well, with many expressing a desire for more training and education to address these gaps.
Sephora’s Action Plan
Coupled with the study’s findings and the retailer’s all-encompassing Diversity & Inclusion Heart Journey strategy, Sephora has designed a preliminary action plan to tackle bias across all aspects of its organization via three key areas.
Marketing and Merchandising
• Building on Sephora’s commitment to the 15 Percent Pledge, the company will double its assortment of Black-owned brands by the end of 2021. • Prominently feature and advertise Black-owned brands through a dedicated tab on the Sephora website, which is already in progress. • Evolve the 2021 Accelerate brand incubator program to focus exclusively on cultivating and growing BIPOC-owned and founded brands.
• Establish new marketing production guidelines that reinforce consideration of a diverse array of backgrounds, identities, ages and body types in our campaigns, social media, marketing and more. • Continue cultivating one of the industry’s most diverse influencer groups through the Sephora Squad.
The In-Store Experience and Operations • Roll out a new greeting system across all stores to ensure a more consistent experience for all store visitors upon entry. • Create new training modules required for all Beauty Advisors that better define what client engagement should look like at each point in the shopping experience and what behaviors will not be tolerated. • Establish a D&I In-Store Experience Dashboard that will provide analytics on client service and feedback to stores on a monthly basis to measure employee training compliance and efficacy. • Implement new client feedback mechanisms to better identify incidents of bias, including those experienced by non-purchasers. • Reduce the presence of third-party security vendors in stores and utilize more in-house specialists, with the goal of providing better client care and minimizing shoppers’ concerns of policing. • Implement procedural and operational changes to better allow Beauty Advisors to focus solely on client service, versus other tasks that can create a friction or misperception by shoppers.
Talent and Inclusive Workplaces • Build new recruiting, mentorship, community, and career development programs to support the sourcing, hiring and advancement of employees of color. • Building on its Pull Up For Change commitment, Sephora will transparently share progress on employee representation on a bi-annual basis at com. • Ensure all corporate team members have D&I goals as part of their annual performance metrics. • Update zero-tolerance policies that prohibit discrimination, harassment and other violations of our code of conduct to ensure clearer communication, expectation and enforcement of our policies for employees, including set outcomes if violated. • Ensure 100% participation with foundational Unconscious Bias training for all new hires. • Increase the frequency and depth of employee trainings, adding new modules that offer strategies to identify bias and exhibit inclusive behaviors in the workplace.
In addition to the above, Sephora will continue to communicate its progress against these actions on a bi-annual basis via a new D&I dedicated section of Sephora.com. Sephora also aims to make learnings and opportunities transparent to other U.S. retailers who may wish to enact systemic change within their own organizations. Lastly, Sephora will be partnering with leading trade and diversity organizations Open to All, RILA and Diversity Best Practices to ensure dissemination to interested retail leaders.
Added Rougeot: “We’re proud of the work we’ve done thus far to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority for the company. We are stronger as a retail community when we are serving the needs of all of our shoppers, and hope other retailers will join us, with the ultimate goal of advancing inclusivity and improving the retail experience for all.”
Learn More To learn more about the Racial Bias in Retail Study commissioned by Sephora including downloadable materials detailing *methodology, an infographic and our academic and research partners involved, please visit www.sephora.com/diversity-and-inclusion. To join the movement, retailers can reach out to sephoraIN@sephora.com. Special thanks to Sephora’s academic and research partners in the undertaking of the Racial Bias in Retail Study, including Dr. Cassi Pittman Claytor, Dr. David Crockett, Whitney Dunlap Fowler, Dr. Patricia Raspberry, Kelton Global, Values Partnerships and LRW. Special thanks also to Sephora Equity Advisors and Partners, a coalition of 25 leading individuals and organizations in the field of social justice and racial equity.
BLACK TEEN CEO MAKING 6 FIGURES INSPIRES HER PARENTS TO BUY HER A HEADQUARTERS AND SALON
14-year old Gabby Goodwin now has a headquarters for her business, thanks to her parents, Comedian Mike Goodwin and Rozalynn Goodwin. The successful teen entrepreneur, who is the CEO of Confidence, is looking forward to fulfilling orders for her patented GaBBY Bows and girls’ plant-based natural hair products, as well as hosting entrepreneurship and beauty workshops there. The first commercial property investment for the Goodwin family also has retail space, a salon and office space for MTG Comedy.
“I am so grateful for my parents’ sacrifices, and I am honored to have a building with my family to build generational wealth. I hope to continue to inspire girls to follow their dreams and achieve their goals,” Gabby shared.
At the age of seven, Gabby and her mom Rozalynn solved the age-old problem of disappearing hair barrettes by inventing GaBBY Bows, a non-slip Double-Face Double-Snap Barrette. GaBBY Bows, along with their full line of girls’ natural hair care and styling products remove stress from the styling process so moms, dads and girls can cherish this precious time together. The company’s online hair care tutorials and hair tool organizer also save time and frustration, while Gabby’s children’s book, virtual entrepreneurship academy for girls and keynote presentations inspire confidence and creativity.
Top Beauty Brand Unveils New Mary Kay® Pink Cadillac XT6 at Annual Event with over 20,000 Attendees and $37 Million Economic Impact
Mary Kay unveiled the newest addition to its coveted career car fleet at the company’s annual U.S. Seminar—the pink Cadillac XT6.
To celebrate 50 years of an American icon – the Mary Kay® pink Cadillac – global cosmetics company Mary Kay unveiled the newest addition to its coveted career car fleet at the company’s annual U.S. Seminar. In a surprise announcement in front of thousands of attendees, the all-new Mary Kay® pink Cadillac XT6 was unveiled on stage at the top beauty brand’s convention in Dallas.
The new XT6 model offers top-performing, qualifying Mary Kay Independent Sales Directors a Cadillac with a third row seat. The Mary Kay® pink Cadillac XT6 joins a fleet of Mary Kay career car options including the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse, MINI Hardtop 4 Door and Mary Kay® pink Cadillac XT5.
“Mary Kay is home to one of the largest and most successful car incentive programs in the world, and our U.S. Seminar is the perfect platform to celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary with the unveiling of the all-new Mary Kay® pink Cadillac XT6,” said Laura Beitler, Vice President of Sales for Mary Kay Inc. “Production of the Cadillac XT6 just began in May 2019, so we are excited for our independent sales force to have the opportunity to earn this brand-new Cadillac model as we celebrate a milestone anniversary of the iconic Mary Kay® pink Cadillac.”
Mary Kay Ash with 1985 pink Cadillac.
In 1967, Mary Kay Ash ordered her first pink Cadillac from a Dallas dealership and asked to have it painted to match the pale pink Mary Kay® lip and eye palette she carried in her purse. The pink-mobile was such a hit that in 1969, she rewarded the top five independent sales force members with the use of their own pink 1970 Cadillac Coupe DeVille and in turn, launched the Mary Kay Career Car Program.
Since the inception of the Mary Kay Career Car Program in the United States, more than 165,000 top-performing independent sales force members have qualified or re-qualified for the use of a Mary Kay career car with nearly 24,000 earning the use of a coveted Mary Kay® pink Cadillac. Today, there are more than 4,000 Mary Kay career cars on the road nationwide.
“The Mary Kay Career Car Program is an integral part of our company’s history and recognizes independent sales force members for their hard work and success,” said Nathan Moore, President of Mary Kay Inc.’s North America Region. “As we welcome thousands of Mary Kay independent sales force members from every corner of the country to North Texas, we’re excited to celebrate the success of all Mary Kay entrepreneurs through recognition, education and motivation at our annual U.S. Seminar, the longest running event at the Dallas convention center.”
The new Mary Kay® pink Cadillac XT6 will be on display at the company’s Seminar held July 18 – Aug. 2 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. The Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates Seminar 2019 will pump $37 million into the North Texas economy and support 3,464 jobs over the duration of the two-week event. The convention is comprised of four back-to-back conferences and is one of the top five largest events in Dallas based on attendance, economic impact and hotel room nights. During this year’s event, Mary Kay will award approximately $8 million in recognition prizes.
For more information about Mary Kay’s company timeline, positive community impact, rewarding opportunity and irresistible products, click here.
About Mary Kay One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 55 years ago with three goals: offer rewarding opportunities for women, manufacture irresistible products and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to researching the science behind beauty and to manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics and fragrances. Through the Mary Kay Foundation SM, the company has awarded more than $78 million to cancer research and domestic violence shelters. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time.
A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist from Frierson, LA and a Professor from Cameron, TX invent a device that will revolutionize the hair extension industry.
Necessity is often called the mother of invention. This is particularly true for Texas native, A’Mera Frieman, and Louisiana native, Angela Smith. Personal experience in the removal of sewn-in-hair extensions led this talented duo onto the path of discovery. What they found was an innovative approach to the removal of hair extensions. The Takedown Tool-E™, which was developed for hair professionals and everyday consumers, is taking the hair extension industry by storm.
During the painstaking process of removing her own extensions, Frieman encountered a nature show featuring hawks. The curvature, sharpness and dynamic use of the hawk’s beak immediately became the inspiration for the TakeDown Tool-E™. The device combines the three traditional hair extension removal tools – comb, razor, and scissors. Compared to the alternate methods, the unique design of the Tool-E’s patented C-Shaped Cutting Curve significantly increases safety and efficiency in the extension removal process. The easy to use device is guaranteed to not only save time for the consumer, but also reduce the overall cost of extension removal. With less time spent on the extension removal process, an increase in profitability is projected for stylists and salon owners.
Frieman and Smith combined their knowledge and business acumen to bring the Takedown Tool-E™ to market with a new business endeavor– Friedom Innovation LLC. Friedom Innovation is a collective innovation firm that was created to breathe life into ideas that facilitate efficiency, convenience, and safety for consumers and professionals in the beauty industry.
Frieman and Smith have pre-launched the Takedown Tool-E™ on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, offering up to a 40% off discount of the retail price. To order the innovative and efficient Takedown Tool-E™, the Kickstarter campaign can be found at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1543700549/takedown-tool-e?ref=5k2iam.
