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![Exclusive: What JT’s Kiss Colors & Care Endorsement Deal Means For Black Women In Beauty Campaigns](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMzAyMDU4NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc0MDg5OTIyM30.gbplOCUG4ihvy7_UZBHb1fFy-CpNuPC2WR8Y1el-bws/img.png?width=1200&height=600&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C85%2C0%2C263)
Exclusive: What JT’s Kiss Colors & Care Endorsement Deal Means For Black Women In Beauty Campaigns
Like most of us, Jatavia Shakara Johnson, better known to the world as JT, grew up with KISS Colors as a household name. From press-on nails and lashes to professional hair straightening tools, KISS Products have proudly been part of every Black woman’s beauty must-haves in their bathrooms and bedrooms for years, and now the Miami native has become their latest brand ambassador while being one of half of the chart-topping femcee duo known as City Girls.
“I'm a big fan of KISS. I think we all are and we grew up [on it]. It was always in a beauty supply store or Walgreens. It was always a quick go-to. You always see it. It's always there for you. KISS, even now with your nails, it's just there for you. So when I heard about them doing partnerships and stuff, I was interested in doing it,” JT excitedly told xoNecole correspondent Sha Ravine during her official New York Fashion Week launch event.
Decked in Acne Studios while sporting a Hermes Kelly bag and fresh jumbo braids, the “Act Up” rapper revealed that the girls can expect “a whole lot of motherfucking laid edges” from this forthcoming collaboration, which was made possible thanks to the brilliant minds of Harp Media & Creatives.
“I just felt like she'd be a perfect fit. It was around the time that [she] and Yung Miami had started to venture off and do their own solo projects, and I just wanted to have the opportunity of trying to get JT her first major brand deal - and we did,” Whitney Harper, founder of Harp Media & Creatives, exclusively told xoNecole. The multifaceted Beauty and Style Creative Director’s style concierge and agency work has expanded across the entertainment industry from Glorilla and Yung Bleu to Coi Leray and her very own niece Saweetie, who also had her own KISS Colors & Care collaboration.
Whitney Harp.
Photo courtesy of Harp Media & Creatives.
But now, with a goal to level the playing field between Black and brown women and mainstream beauty and fashion campaigns, she is securing a top spot for the “Pussy Talk” raptress with a major beauty retailer while dismantling the notion that all representation in the beauty industry equates to diversity.
“JT being the face of Kiss Colors & Care is a big deal. It's bigger than any of us - it’s the beginning of so much more,” Abesi Manyando, owner of Abesi PR and public relations expert for Harp Media and Creatives, told xoNecole. In an effort to put more women who “look like us” at the forefront of endorsements and securing branding dollars, Harper and Manyando are passionate about the monetization of personal brands and social media leverage to translate representation into streamlined income for Black and brown women.
Manyando continued, “Oftentimes, Black women set beauty and fashion trends but get erased from profiting from that or being the face of major campaigns. Many times [marketing executives and brands] fulfill the diversity box by inserting what they call 'ambiguous' models who can appeal to all audiences. This is erasure. Whitney and I are trying to dismantle this in media, beauty, and marketing.”
And Whitney's partnership between JT and Kiss Colors & Care is one of the first steps. Included in the launch with JT’s ambassador debut are products such as the KISS Colors & Care Braiding Gel Maximum Hold and Braiding Gel ($8.99), KISS Colors & Care Locking Gel Regular Hold and Locking Wax ($8.99), KISS Colors & Care Twist Curl Gel ($8.99), KISS Colors & Care Foam Mousse ($7.99), Care Edge Fixer Wax Stick ($9.99), and the Reversible Premium Crepe Satin Bonnet ($8.49).
When asked what inspired JT to expand her portfolio outside of music and entertainment and into the chaotic world of fashion and beauty, she promptly responded, “I’m pretty.”
She followed with a light laugh and added to her initial answer. “No, I’m just joking. I want to be more into beauty because I'm obsessed with beauty. Like my make-up artist will tell you, my hair stylist will tell you, I'm very hands-on with them. God knows, they know I know how I want my make-up to look [and] I know exactly how I want my hair to look.”
Attesting to her passion for creativity and beauty, Harper chimed in on how hands-on her client was during the process from ideation to product placement. “JT is a very hands-on person. I don't care who you are; she's hands-on. She's a creative in her own right. She knows what she wants. She knows what looks good, and you really can't blame her.”
While JT’s undeniable stage presence and effortless beauty, as demonstrated through her viral Paris Fashion Week runway slay, would make her the obvious choice as the face of any beauty brand, there was something uniquely special about this partnership that embodied empowerment, self-expression, and trendsetting individuality in its entirety.
“Fighting with brands to give the talent what they want is extremely hard. But my company makes it happen,” Harper said about the deliverables and approvals that go into a brand endorsement deal. “KISS is a brand, JT is a brand, and for me, it's important that it is an equal amount of representation for each person. I don't mind because my main goal is to make sure all of my clients are happy.”
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Feature image courtesy of Harp Media & Creatives.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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