Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter shares her ‘essence’ in N.O.

2nd July 2012   ·   0 Comments

By Kelly Parker
Contributing Writer

Essence just wouldn’t be Essence without Lisa Price and Carol’s Daughter. We’ve watched the organic line of beauty products made in her kitchen become a household name. Many Big Easy visitors were introduced to products for the first time while in town for the annual Essence Music festival. Once again, Carol’s Daughter will set up shop July 4th-8th at 216 Decatur St. (Across from the House of Blues)

The Louisiana Weekly touched base with Price as another visit to the Big Easy draws near.

LW: Lisa, someone recently reminded us of when they were first introduced to Carol’s Daughter; by way of samples of the Jamaican Punch (soufflé or lotion likely)—right outside the Convention Center during the EMF empowerment seminars, several years ago. The line has become a renowned and beloved product since then. Does the success you’ve experienced with Carol’s Daughter sometimes seem a little surreal?

LP: As I am writing this I am at HSN in one of the studios taping before and afters of models and a group of HSN staffers just walked by and started gushing and telling me how much they love me and the products. They each told me what products are in their hair and/or on their bodies. Yes, it is surreal but it also makes me so happy to make other people happy. I love adding ease to people’s lives and making them smile.

LW: The relationship between New Orleans and Carol’s Daughter has been quite special since the beginning. You mentioned last year to the Louisiana Weekly how much bringing the product to the Big Easy has meant to you personally.

LP: I LOVE being in New Orleans and in the store with our guests. People come to this city from all over and the conversation is always good. We hear good things and suggestions on how to make things better. We have women who stop by at the beginning of the weekend, buy products and then come back on the last day to share their experience and to stock up and buy more to take home. It doesn’t get any better than that.

LW The event always brings the hottest names in entertainment. Can you tell us who will be stopping in at the Carol’s Daughter Boutique this July weekend?

LP: July 4th weekend is a great time to run into some of your favorite celebrities in New Orleans. I have has the pleasure of having guests in our store in New Orleans, of whom I am a huge fan, who I get to meet and speak with. People like Ledisi, Tasha Smith and Estelle. I even got to meet the legendary Teena Marie before her passing.

This year I will get to see Ledisi again and also meet for the first time, Eric Benet, Tank, Teedra Mose and Faith Evans. I will also be interviewing our guests for Carol’s Daughter TV. So, I will have to put my “Oprah” hat on.

LW: 2011’s events previewed Mary J. Blige’s My Life Blossom fragrance, along with the popular Monoi hair repair collection. 2012 follows in that fashion, with the Transitioning 1-2-3 Kit; the first product of its kind to address the most concerning issues women face when transitioning from relaxed to natural hair. How did the idea to develop the product come to be? And are you surprised at number of women taking that step and going (natural) and going against what was once a standard of beauty for African-American women?

LP: I love that more women are deciding to go natural. Not because I have anything against relaxers, I believe I just get excited when I see people defy the system and go against the norm and opt to be themselves.

The movement definitely gained a lot of momentum when people saw the effects the relaxed chemical had on a soda can in Chris Rock’s movie, “Good Hair.” That was an eye opener for many.

For me, having been in the natural game since the early 1990s, I wanted to help transitioners. The process is difficult and emotional, and women need support. We have provided them with that with the launch of our new web site —TransitioningMovement.com. They also needed products to address the specific hair concerns that transitioners go through which is why we created the Transitioning 1-2-3 Kit.

LW: Last year, Carol’s Daugh­ter held a shopping fundraiser in which proceeds went to The New Orleans Saturday Music School; which is a collaboration of the New Orleans Jazz Institute and the Capital One/University of New Orleans Charter School network. Can you tell us about this year’s fundraising event and who will it benefit?

LP: This year, we are co-hosting a shopping fundraising event with The Diva Lounge to honor some of the leading ladies of Louisiana community and culture, including Kim Bondy, Eliza Eugene, Melissa Harris-Perry and Carla Major. One hundred percent of net proceeds from the event will benefit Dress for Success New Orleans.

I am thrilled that our event this year will benefit the local chapter of Dress for Success. This organization does so much to transform women’s lives and to transition them from a place of dependence to a state of independence.

LW: Lisa, Carol’s Daughter taught us a new way to pamper ourselves. You’ve now conquered skincare, fragrance and hair care. What areas can we expect to see Carol’s Daughter branching into in the near future?

LP: I will stay with hair, body, skin and fragrance as they are my passions and there is still more to create. I am working on expanding the line to include a full line of children’s products in the next year, and a line for men in the next two years.

For more on this year’s Luxury Pop-Up Suite; including scheduled in-store appearances and give-a-ways, visit carolsdaughter.com.

This article was originally published in the July 2, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper