It may not quite be apples to apples, but do we have a new Lauryn Hill situation on our hands? Keyshia Cole, who was everywhere just before she gave birth, nixed her reality show and now she won’t be gracing the boxes of Luster’s® Pink® Brand Smooth Touch® anymore. After failing to reach an agreement with the family-owned-and-operated black hair care company, she was publicly dismissed last night. 
An official Smooth Touch/Vibe Vixen launch party was held at New York’s Helen Mills Theater to announce LeToya Luckett, formerly of Destiny’s Child, as the Chicago-based company’s new face. Luckett even brought along her own Keshia (Knight-Pulliam) to help her rub it in … er … celebrate. But, there is no beef to speak of between LeToya and Keyshia, so take that with a grain of salt.
“I am so excited to even be here tonight. It makes you feel real warm on the inside to just be a part of the family, and that’s what Luster is and that’s what attracted me to the brand,” the platinum-selling artist said. “My family helped me to become the person that I am today, my mom helped me to open up my first two boutiques in the Houston area, Lady Elle, and even being a part of Destiny’s Child, Mrs. Tina had us in the salons doing each other’s hair all the time, so this was second nature to me. I always wanted to be the face of a hair care line for African Americans, because that’s what I am … and what better brand than the Luster brand.
The top brass of the 53-year-old company were on hand to announce the partnership, including CEO, Jory Luster:
“We are very excited and honored to be associated with the fabulous LeToya Luckett,” he said. “We are charged up because when you think about LeToya Luckett you think about beauty, you think about glamour, you think about the things we have associated with our Smooth Touch brand … she’s got the swag, but aside from all of that, she has the heart … It was a win-win.”
Everything’s coming up roses for Luckett. She’s got a lucrative new endorsement contract, she’s a successful business owner, and she’s in the studio putting the final touches on her third album due out this year. –gerald radford
