Kismetic Country Roads
A John Denver song, the finest of Arts & Culture mags, and now—a glam shade of lipstick.
Caitlin Picou, founder of the Louisiana-based beauty company Kismet Cosmetics, has been building a steady following of fans alongside a growing list of products since the launch of her best-selling Opulent Body Bronzer in 2013. Always a stickler for clean ingredients, and with a mission to encourage confidence over catch-and-release trends, Picou had seen her lipsticks, eyeshadows, highlighters, and more appear in enough local and nation-wide stores—and in a few fashion mag flatlays—to catch the attention of Billion Dollar Buyer, a CNBC reality show dedicated to helping entrepreneurs reach their full potential. During her successful feature on the show in 2017, Picou understood that her business would need to undergo an expansion, one that would lead to the recent opening of the first physical Kismet boutique in Covington.
“Back then, I was basically running Kismet out of a back room at my house,” said Picou, now a mother of two with a third child on the way. “It had gotten to the point where the operation was just too big to stay there.”
The nature of the Kismet boutique in Covington will exhibit a slow-and-steady approach to fruition, beginning with special opening hours to accommodate Picou’s busy schedule as a mom, businesswoman, and creative.
“I just really wanted a place that looked beautiful, where people would be able to walk in if they decided to browse around or say hello,” she said.
Picou will also partner with Hazel Lane Boutique, another Covington storefront, to sell seasonal fashion items and accessories to accommodate Louisiana’s unique love for special occasions.
“With Mardi Gras coming up, we’ll have some Mardi Gras-appropriate clothing alongside my line of glitters, plus some fun wigs by Keren’s Krowns,” said Picou. “People can also start to book spray tans and makeup appointments online, so it’ll be a fun space to do fashion head-to-toe.”
Picou’s attention to Louisiana lifestyle and her regular participation in regional charity groups like the Lauren Savoy Olinde Foundation are just a couple of ways she hopes to keep Kismet standing out among its less-conscious peers in the cosmetic world.
“People talk so much about self-care, but it’s become so overdone, with people ending up with a bunch of beauty and skincare products and then asking themselves whether they’re really helping,” she said. This year and every year, Picou wants to be more intentional with her products to help bring confidence to women who otherwise might be struggling with scars, or self-image, or even just long days of parenting duties.
May we suggest starting with the Velvet Semi-Matte Lipstick in the shade “Country Roads”?