MissWYA Interviews: Chrisette Michele at the Carol’s Daughter Harlem Store

Chrisette Michele and Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter

Last night, a few editors gathered at the Carol’s Daughter Harlem store in anticipation for the arrival of Grammy award winning, R&B singer Chrisette Michele. Michele, who won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for her hit “Be OK”, was celebrating her new album “Let Freedom Reign” (out today!). Eager fans stood inside the store for the songstress to get a copy of her new album as well as an autograph.

Before all of that, however, I got a chance to sit with the starlet where we chatted her new album, lipstick and beyond:

MissWYA: Tell me a bit about the album. What’s the inspiration behind it?
Chrisette Michele: I’ll tell you what the inspiration was but one was not to be afraid to say what I felt like saying. “Let Freedom Reign” is about being liberated, totally done with being bound down.

MissWYA: What would you say is your favorite song off of the album, if any?
CM: There’s a few of them but one of them is “If Nobody Sang Along” and what I was saying was if I wasn’t popular and nobody liked me, would I still be telling my truth and the answer to that is yes.

MissWYA: Tell me, what’s the creative process like when creating an album? Is it- you go in the studio and everything comes out all at once or how does it come about?
CM: You wait until you’re in the space and you feel like creating and you get with people who really care about you/ For me it was about my conversations, lighted candles, each I like – salmon and corn succotash was the meal we had like every night! [laughs] We kinda just hand out in the studio and it comes like anything.

MissWYA: Okay, now tell me about your makeup because you always ROCK a bold lip. What would be your biggest beauty tip for my readers?
CM: Well for lip, my favorite thing is– and always remember to moisturize first– but my favorite thing is to use MAC. [smiles] I like to take Cherry [lip pencil] and line my lips first and then put Ruby Woo over that. Then take Venetian [lustreglass] and put THAT over that, so I have, like, candy apple red lips.

MissWYA: Ohhh I love Ruby Woo
CM: Yeah, that’s my favorite.

MissWYA: Now, what’s your favorite Carol’s Daughter product?
CM: Hair Milk. I love Hair Milk Curl Defining Lotion [Hair Milk The Original Curl Definer, purchase here]. mix that with the hair balm- it gives me a nice, soft look and a nice, tight curl.

MissWYA: So what can we expect from you in the future? Your album comes out tomorrow [today]– what’s next?
CM: I’m always on the road! I tour about 250 days out of the year but this year, I’m now with Chaka Khan and we’ll be doing a musical called “Hair Show,” which I’m really excited about. [smiles]

MissWYA: How did that come about, I mean, it’s Chaka Khan! Chaka Khan is amazing!
CM: You know what, sometimes you just say ‘God, I’m ready for you to open up a new door’ and He does. She came on this tour because she knew I was coming and I went on this tour because I knew she was coming and it just so happen that we really both love each other.

MissWYA: That’s amazing!
CM: Yeah, I’m really excited!

MissWYA: Thank you so much for talking to me and good luck with the album and everything
CM: Thank you so much.

Chrisette and myself during the interview

Chrisette signed autographs for eager fans

Hair Milk product line

Thank you so much to Chrisette and Carol’s Daughter. Stay tuned for my interview with Carol’s Daughter founder, Lisa Price. For more pictures from the event, head on over to the MissWYA Facebook Page.

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