Carla Ferrell, the Syndicated Program Director and co-host for the 'Steve Harvey Morning Show,' is dynamic and successful in her field. She has garnered numerous industry awards including the Midwest Radio and Music Association Grit Award and voted by NABFEME, one of the "Ten Most Influential Women in Radio." But now she is taking the cosmetic industry by storm with her latest creation LipsbyCarla, 12 multi-color lipgloss line filled with antioxidants, Vitamins A and E for a smooth, shine finish. After only launching the this past May and selling over 20,000 tubes of gloss, Carla shares how she got started, and future plans for Lips by Carla.
AMBERmag.com: What made you decide you wanted to start a line of lipglosses?
Carla Ferrell: I always wanted to be an entreprenuer and being in the entertainment industry you have to be glam. Also, Steve Harvey always complimented me on my make-up and nails and one day he said I should start my own lipgloss line so I did about a year ago with my husband, Tosh Ferrell.
AMBERmag.com: What lipgloss product did you use before starting your business?
CF: I used a variety of lip glosses from Lancome, MAC and various others. No specific one brand was I dedicated to.
AMBERmag.com: What makes the product anti-aging?
CF: The product has moisturizers and sunscreen in it but its not a heavy or sticky gloss. Some women email me and say they sleep in the gloss now rather than do their ordinary routine and use vaseline.
AMBERmag.com: What makes the product stand out from other lipglosses?
CF: The colors are a big part of it. These colors are your basic neutrals that women of color prefer. We have pinks, browns and some with a slight color and even clear. Some women prefer a slight shimmer over more of a powering statement of color.
AMBERmag.com: Will you branch into stores like Sephora and Target?
CF: Yes, that is the goal. We have the online store going but the goal it to grow to be in a Sephora or Target so the client can have the product faster. We just started the company in May of 2010 and even though it has been a short period of time the product has been selling amazingly.
AMBERmag.com: How did you decide your price points?
CF: Just doing research on the type of quality product that it is. The number one goal is to make the price point good for the client. We based our research on looking at other comparable products out there and understood the quality the product has to offer and women pay for quality.
AMBERmag.com: Do you want the business to grow to lipsticks and other cosmetics?
CF: Of course! We would love to do Eyes by Carla, Cheeks by Carla and Face by Carla so it can be a one stop shop.
AMBERmag.com: What lipgloss colors are your favorite and which are the clients?
CF: Well I love nude, toffee, charming, merlot and gossemer. I enjoy each of them very much but the best seller is toffee. We can’t keep it in stock because people buy them 2 at a time and Kim Whitley loves it as well. The others are nude, strawberry, charming and copper. My other celeb client is Fantasia and her favorite is candy, charming and gossemer. She embraces the pink colors more and wears it a lot.
AMBERmag.com: Are you doing any upcoming events?
CF: We just started working on The Steve Harvey Project that will air daily on the Centric network at night. I am going to be out at expos during the spring and summer time and I also want to start LipsbyCarla parties too! For more information about LipsbyCarla, visit lipsbycarla.com.
Add comment