Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kalauna Carter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kalauna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I’m Kalauna, founder of Kolors by K! I’d like to thank you for being a part of my journey as I work to create the best Nail products through affordable pricing and healthy ingredients that you can trust, read and understand.

At Kolors by K my primary focus is and will always be men and women’s health. I channel my energy into creating the healthiest alternative of nail polish that works towards your health and not against it. I believe you shouldn’t have to compromise your health to have beautiful and healthy nails so each of our polishes including our gels are 10-FREE (Non-Toxic), cruelty free, environmentally friendly and vegan.

Kolors by K is an inclusive brand, of all genders, identities, and races. I started this company with a mission to provide safe, affordable, stylish and stress relieving nail polish that looks good every gender and skin tone. All of our Kolors will be showcased using diverse imagery because we believe beauty in all ways is universal and should be shown as such.

The mission of Kolors by K is “painting your stress away one Kolor at a time” Life has a enough stressors, but painting doesn’t have to be one. I believe if there is one thing one should be allocating their time to during the week besides getting plenty of rest and some exercising, is painting your nails. Painting your nails is an instant stress reliever and research has validated this! The act of painting your nails has been scientifically proven with alleviating stress, boosting your moods as well as personal confidence. It also helps with anxiety. Studies have shown that people who struggle with even minor anxiety often find solace in the repetitive motion of nail painting, and—because it requires concentration.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In 2016, I launched Kolors by K after graduating from Tuskegee University with my bachelors in Environmental Science. I was in a weird place of wanting to have obtain a full time job, but also wanting to use my degree in a way that could be beneficial to those around me. I always had a strong passion for the environmental as well the beauty industry. I always loved painting my nails and had an extensive personal collection of gels, dip powders and polishes. One day out of pure curiosity, I looked up the chemical composition of nail polishes. The results left me in utter shock and I knew I had to do something. I consulted the opinion of a fellow business owner and that day my business plan was created. a few short weeks later, I started making polishes in my kitchen. The chemicals found in nail polish were stated to have detrimental impacts on people regarding their health, as many of the chemicals are linked to cancers, respiratory issues and infertility in both men and women.

I believe that beauty shouldn’t compromise health and because of that I was determined to come up with a healthier nail polish alternative that could be beneficial for all. At Kolors by K, our primary focus is and will always be men and women’s health providing healthier alternatives to nail care and nail polish products.

Today, I have handmade over 5,000+ bottles of nail polish. Kolors by K collections are available in nail salons nationwide, included in beauty boxes and featured in several publications. Kolors by K has also received international recognition of having been internationally certified by The Leaping Bunny Program and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
I believe every man and woman deserves to wear a nail polish that is working towards their health and not against it. I am excited that you have checked out Kolors by K and hope that you will continue with me on this journey.

Welcome to Kolors by K!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The path for solidifying the foundation of Kolors by K has not always been smooth. When launching, I was a full-time graduate student and working full time as an Environmental Scientist, plus on top of that, I was also the one and only employee of Kolors by K. I processed all the orders, maintained the website, marketing, all social media pages and of course hand-made the polishes. At times, it became very stressful and overwhelming especially when I had more than 50+ orders with wholesale orders as well, but I pushed through and learned the true meaning of balance and the importance of maintaining it. I can remember being tired from work, having several orders to complete and having multiple assignments due… was is it struggle? Yes, but I persevered through.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

That is a great question! I built my brands reputation on keeping my company two things, “simple and relatable”. My polishes are made for moms, children, toddlers, teens and every age in between! As someone who loves nail polish, I try my best to stay current to nail trends, market to those who show to have the same interest and even to those who don’t!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kolorsbyk.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolorsbyk
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KolorsbyK
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kolorsbyk

Image Credits
Kira Derryberry Photography