Ep. 162: Kia Ragland's Journey from Cosmetologist to Product Developer at Kylie Cosmetics

Ep. 162: Kia Ragland's Journey from Cosmetologist to Product Developer at Kylie Cosmetics

On this episode of the Friends in Beauty podcast I welcome Kia Ragland, Director of Product Development - Color Cosmetics & Skin for Kylie Cosmetics. Ragland is a proud woman of color credited with creating beauty products and formulas for women of all complexions and skin tones. 

Before joining the Kylie Cosmetics & Skin team, Kia began her career as a cosmetologist and a certified makeup artist that felt like she was destined for more. Her determination to be a part of change led her to continue her education at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), where she discovered product development. Product development ended up being the career that Kia knew she was destined for because, as a biracial woman, she felt that she was not represented in the beauty industry, and this would allow her to be behind products that were not only meant for her skin and complexion but for other women as well. 

As Kia began to obtain experience from being an Intern at Stila Cosmetics and later working there, her career began to propel when becoming a Product Developer at Estee Lauder, working on the Smashbox Cosmetics brand, where she worked on the iconic team behind Smashbox’s Legendary “Be Seen” Lipstick. Today, Kia is one of the lead product developers of color cosmetics and skincare at Kylie Cosmetics. 

I had such a wonderful time chatting with Kia. Product development is one of those things that doesn’t get talked about much in the industry so having this conversation with Kia was truly eye opening and so much fun. In this interview Kia shares:

-What sparked her interest in beauty at a young age

-What led her to pursue product development as a career

-The product development process from idea to consumer

-Her opinion on the rise of celebrity beauty brands

-Her proudest moment as a product developer so far

-Spring/summer beauty trends she’s loving

-What you need to become a product developer and sooo much more

Let’s get into it! This will definitely open your eyes to another career path that you may want to take in the beauty industry. Let’s go ahead and jump into this chat with Kia and if you prefer to watch our beautiful faces then tune in on YouTube. 

Enjoy this episode!

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Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

-Smashbox

-Kylie Cosmetics

Additional Resources:

-https://www.amazon.com/shop/akuarobinson

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Social Media Info:

Kia Ragland  (Instagram) - @kurly_kiki

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