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

Krishawn , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

My name is Krishawn Huggins, 31 year old black female, in KCKS, and also a small business owner. I specialize in anything eyelash. I also now have under my belt diploma in Aesthetics, Herbalist Certificate, and am certified in Yoni Steaming. “Blink Pretty By Kitty” is where you will find anything eyelash, book appts , get facials, body waxing, and I host classes, etc. I even customize item like my new ” Bossy Budget Binders”. ( WE ARE ALSO ON DOORDASH)! Then we have ” The Big Purr Herbal Spot LLC”, which is where I handmake health, beauty and body products as well as perform Yoni Steaming for women all over our metro areas. These products range from my top selling body drub collection , to all natural body butters, and so much more! Last but no least we have ” Melanin Queens Inc”, in which I am begging for some assistance with my all new non profit organization designed to help local black women and girls succeed and do the right thing to live a successful life. We do make donations as well as ask for them to help these girls. The best thing about all of this is I am mobile . So I can come to you or you can come to me. I have started these businesses to make a woman’s sanctuary where it can be one call and anything a woman could possibly need to feel beautiful , my goal is to have this available. I am simply asking for support in helping my community , most important to me is the non profit as i am trying to change the world by starting with my very own community.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

So, I started off very young in the hair industry, mostly braiding. I have always had a passion for hair, make-up, anything beautiful really. I was booking hair appts at 11 years old. Back then, I didn’t realize what a gift it could be, I was just having fun and making my little money. To fast forward, I ended up attending an amazing School as I grew older for cosmetology, Mitsu Sato Academy, in Overland Park, Kansas.

Mitsu is an amazing person and I really want to thank him for the many opportunities I got there and all the knowledge I gained. I learned Wella Hair color, Sassoon cutting methods, Mud Make-up, like it was beauty heaven for me. I mean as an African American stylist, it’s easy to do our hair, styles, etc. I was introduced to like a rainbow of talent and greatness.

I got to participate at KC Fashion Week as a prop stylist for the models there. Wonderful opportunity! So, I really gained interest in the eyelashes and like all the different methods, techniques, I had no idea this was a thing lol. The hair store eyelashes used to really irritate my eyes, so now we fast forward again. May 2019, I was sitting on my living room floor. I think and write a lot like I love to read, write, my mom says I should have been a teacher. I began researching and saw a picture of “real” mink eyelashes. I’m like OMG, I want to have my own lashes, and then apply them for people.

So, my mind got to go crazy. Google, Google was my BFF! I didn’t want anyone to know what I had in mind, I was just thinking what if it all goes wrong, fails, what if, what if, what if. I’m then like, ok forget it! I found this lady, she was in China, I thought I was just too ready. She had no idea what I was asking for, she provided bundles, not eyelashes! So, we talked more, almost every day, like friends lol. She got tired of me talking about it and said send her a picture of what I wanted my lashes to look like. I was so frustrated I could not find anything online that looked like what I was going for.

I drew a terrible, terrible picture and sent it. When I tell you she sent me 2 pairs of eyelashes that were identical to what I had in mind. There it was June 3, 2019, I launched Blink Pretty By Kitty (shoutout to my friend Janae for helping me get the name together). My very first style for my line of custom eyelashes. I had “Sus” and “Okayyyyy”, which is why they’re labeled, “BPBK Originals”. There I was, mobile and at-home lash business, I wanted more like EVERYTHING!!! I then got my 1st opportunity in a salon (shoutout to Key Hollins) to sell my lashes & take appointments. I was not certified just yet & that was my next step. So, I was only applying strips not the individuals just yet. Her sister was a lash instructor. She gave me the info, and I went and got my certification.

I came such a far way; my younger life was nowhere near the best. Of course, I made some wrong choices, some were right. I had a baby at just 16 and was forced to leave high school. I ended up just giving up after losing “DJ” and quitting school. I went to some online school, later down the road, paid for a high school course, and obtained my Diploma. (SO, I THOUGHT) It wasn’t until attending Mitsu’s Hair Academy, that I was pulled off the floor, and told my Diploma was fake. The school was all over Google as a scam. They said I had a week, and to go try to get my GED. I was so scared, I’d tried the pre-test before, and did not pass obviously.

So, I just went in, like, Krishawn you can do this. I went and took the test no practice, no pre-test. They said to give maybe an hour and I should get an email on my results. I PASSED! I walked out crying, and Lil’ Boosie “Show the World” popped on my radio. I’m like, this is a sign, I’m going to show the world. Since then, I have now added 15 additional styles of lashes (A total of 17), Lash Bibles (Books), and all types of lash accessories. I handmake lip glosses, body & lip scrubs, body butter, lip balms, you name it! I recently back in May, moved into my very own salon. Blink Pretty By Kitty’s Babe Cave, in KCMO, and since switched to a mobile business. I am soon to launch my vending machines with all products coming Spring 2022.

I also am set to launch my second actual location in KCK. I also just launched my newest and so exciting business venture “The Big Purr Herbal Spot LLC”. Certified Lash Tech, Certified Herbalist, Yoni Steam Certified, and now so happy to announce I am an Esthetician. My store is on Doordash. Yes, you can Doordash lashes lol. I also now have my amazing non-profit Melanin Queens, Inc. designed to help push black girls and women to do right, despite where there have been or what they have been through. This has been a journey in a half, and I weathered through a storm with few in my corner, lots, of tears, wanting to give up. I went through a phase where I was upset about who was supporting, with the given of a select few.

That probably is what’s driven me so hard though! But I had to tell myself ” Do not worry about the support you get from others on your journey, It is not their dream, it is yours, do it for you!” I hope someone who is questioning a dream they have, or maybe going through a rough patch and is wanting to give up see’s this so they can reassure that anything is possible, I am living proof! I have now branched out got my Yoni Steaming Certificate.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Everything was funded by myself from working at CVS Specialty Pharmacy. Those paychecks helped me start my business :)

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients is always facebook and google. I get so many clients from individuals just searching for the services I do offer.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Blink Pretty By Kitty
• Other: https://blinkprettybykittybooking.square.site FB: Melanin Queens Inc FB: The Big Purr Herbal Spot LLC