Kathryn greets you with an intimidating glow, flawless skin, striking confidence, and distinct Caribbean elocution.
She has been formulating her beauty products more than a decade. The founder and CEO of Immortelle Beauty, a luxury Caribbean bath, body, and home fragrance brand, is charting her way from Port of Spain to global shelves, one carnival at a time.
“I’ve been a nurse since the day I was born,” she quips with a laugh. Not that kind of nurse. “That’s my last name.”
And though her name may spark curiosity, it’s her mission that’s turning heads: creating a homegrown Caribbean beauty line that competes on an international level—without the billion-dollar resources of global brands like Fenty.
“I don’t know about a billion,” she laughs, referencing my comparison to Rihanna. “I work with a bit less resources than Rihanna does. So there’s that.”
But make no mistake—Immortelle is building quietly, steadily, and with purpose. Founded in 2011, the brand is approaching its 15th anniversary next year. From luxurious body scrubs and fragrant candles to their flagship product—the Skin Season Body Illuminator—the line is made with care in Trinidad and worn across the Caribbean.
“We call it ‘a little local luxury,’” Kathryn explains. “It’s about feeling beautiful with products that reflect our region, our sunlight, our culture.”
Carnival as the New Catwalk
For the second year in a row, Immortelle makes its way to Jamaica Carnival, offering shimmering skin solutions for masqueraders.
“We have this product that can not just cater for Trinidad Carnival, but wherever there’s a carnival, we want them to be wearing our body shimmer,” she says. “So right after Trinidad, the next one on the schedule is Jamaica.”
Not yet stocked in stores in Jamaica, the pop-up model is allowing Immortelle to test markets and build community. “I’m hoping to bring some samples so we can make a more permanent relationship happen with one of the retailers,” she reveals. “Fontana is who I’ve been speaking to.”
With Fontana recently landing a Fenty deal, the doors are opening for premium Caribbean beauty brands to coexist with the global giants—and Kathryn says she is ready to walk through them.
A Scientist at Heart, A Creative by Nature
Nurse isn’t just the face of the brand—she’s the formulator. After falling in love with beauty and science during university, she discovered the rare career path of cosmetic chemistry.
“I came across the job title ‘cosmetic chemist,’ and I decided I wanted to do that,” she says. “After university, I trained in the U.S. for several years. Then I came back home to start my own business.”
It’s this scientific foundation that gives Immortelle its edge. Kathryn’s formulas aren’t trendy—they’re thoughtful. They work because she’s obsessed with ingredients, efficacy, and the long-term health of skin.
And it shows.
At 40, she’s often mistaken for being much younger. “I’ve been putting things on my face, sunscreen, drinking water, the whole thing for my entire life,” she says.
Skin health is holistic as far as she is concerned. “If you’ve never put a product on your skin but you get eight hours of sleep every night, you drink water, you eat healthy, and you don’t smoke—it’s going to register on your face.”
But her approach is not one-size-fits-all. She believes in enhancement, not overhauling—something that’s rare in a world of filters and filler culture.
What About Men?
While Immortelle is currently a female-centric brand, Kathryn is aware of the growing interest in male grooming, an industry valued at more than USD 30.8 billion globally.
“With beauty products, you always have to think of volume and scale,” she explains. “I’m not 100% convinced that at our premium price point, there’s enough male interest to support a line.”
Still, she’s open. “I would have to expand my market much, much more… but I’m open to being convinced otherwise.”
Considering how men frequent barbershops and increasingly use hair and beard products, there’s potential. As I told her during our chat: “When you start with male beauty, I’ll start buying.”
In a time when Caribbean culture is rising globally—from music to fashion to food—it’s women like Kathryn Nurse who are quietly driving the region’s soft power through entrepreneurship.
“I’m really proud to be part of this generation,” she says. “We’re creating businesses that are not just Caribbean, but globally respected.”
