Fly Female Entrepreneurs

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Ginger + Liz

(L-R) S. Liz Pickett and H. Ginger Johnson

During Fashion’s Night Out at GEORGIA last month, I stumbled upon a mini-mani compliments of Polish Bar of Brooklyn. What started off as your basic manicure immediately evolved into a life-altering experience. As I studied the wide array of polish options, my eyes kept wandering back to this beautiful bluish-green number. It was “New Money” by Ginger + Liz. Life hasn’t been the same since. My obsession with stand out polish colors continues to grow and I’ve got these two ladies to blame. Lucky for me, I’m not the only one salivating over the head-turning palettes created by Ginger + Liz. Their line has been the talk of the town and featured in just about every hot magazine in the industry. The talented duo took time out of their demanding schedules to tell us a little bit about the women behind the colour collection we all know and love. Here’s what they had to say:

In Her Shoes: What inspired you to create a vegan-friendly and toxin-free nail polish line?

G+L: We are both admittedly product junkies (from skincare to haircare to fragrance) but our friendship became an unbreakable bond when we discovered our irreparable addiction to nail lacquer! I [Ginger] previously had an indy line of lip lacquers right out of college a few years back so I had some knowledge of cosmetic manufacturing which was very helpful. Last year I wanted to start something new, fun and different in the nail category and there was no better business partner for the new venture than my friend Liz! Ironically, at the same time Liz was looking to venture into the cosmetic industry in some capacity so we got started right away and haven’t stopped since! We work very well together, we’re fortunate. From the beginning of this adventure, it has always been important to us to create a product that enhances a woman’s life and lifestyle so it was only natural to insure our nail lacquer was non-toxic and vegan-friendly.

Blowin’ Money Fast

In Her Shoes: You both have over a decade of individually unique experiences in the fashion and beauty industries, how did your past influences help aid the creative process of your nail lacquer line?

G+L: Various career and cultural experiences, diversity in music, fashion, entertainment and even food is an influence on our creative process. We become a melting pot of information that allows us to truly understand what appeals to our fashionistas and polish enthusiasts.

In Her Shoes: A lot of naysayers discourage mixing friendship with business. What made you realize that you two would make great business partners?

G+L: We are polish-obsessed friends and always talked about doing something that would make a mark in the beauty industry. We are very lucky to have had a similar vision for our ideal cosmetic line. And as the old cliché goes, “two brains are better than one.”

Yours truly getting “New Money” from Ginger + Liz

In Her Shoes: The Ginger +Liz woman represents the Classic and Casual Chic, the Rock Glam, Bohemian, the Girly and the Pretty Prepster. How did you pinpoint the target market you wanted to attract?

G+L: These are fashionistas categorized by look and style. These women are on the cusp of what is hot and have a clear vision of what represents them from head to toe.

Kelis

In Her Shoes: Who was your first celebrity client?

G+L: It was probably supermodel Carmen Kass in the March 2010 issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine.  Since then, our polishes have laced the fingers of Kelis, Khloe & Kortney Kardashian, Mary J Blige, Kelis, Eva Longoria, Kelly Rowland and more.

In Her Shoes: What is a day like in Ginger+Liz’s shoes?

G+L: We are constantly on the run, always emailing and BBMing, frequently on the phone with clients and vendors and sometimes have to be ready to hit an event within a moment’s notice.  We tend to go with fashionably comfortable looks in general.  If we’re not rocking our Chuck Taylor’s we’re usually in a pair of chunky heels or platforms.

In Her Shoes: What was your greatest fear while preparing to launch Ginger+Liz and how did you overcome it?

G+L: There was no room for fear, we just went for it!  Our biggest concern however probably surrounded finances.  We’ve invested our own money to this very day…we are wholly committed and truly understand the importance of budgeting, being financially realistic and spending wisely.  We also wanted to be certain that our brand was embraced by a diverse demographic of fashionistas…this is very important to us.

Not on the First Date

In Her Shoes: Your brand has been featured in major publications such as Marie Claire, Essence, Teen Vogue and many more. How have you both been able to adjust to such a high demand of your product?

G+L: We have a motto, “keep up!” And, that is our daily mission, to simply keep up because we are blessed for the press and the warm reception we’ve received to the nail category.   You won’t ever hear us complaining about demand for our product!

In Her Shoes: What new projects can we expect to see in the future from Ginger+Liz?

G+L: We can’t tell just yet but it will definitely include more product to beautify our lovely manicured fingertips…

To learn more about Ginger + Liz visit www.gingerandliz.com or follow them on Twitter by clicking here!

As a New York City storyteller, filmmaker, digital content creator, and PR strategist, Renae Bluitt created "In Her Shoes" to empower and enlighten women committed to realizing their dreams.

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