Lynn native, wife of Forest Whitaker, launches makeup line, meets teens

SWAMPSCOTT – Keisha (Nash) Whitaker, Lynn native and wife of Oscar-winning actor Forrest Whitaker, is living the Hollywood lifestyle, mingling with music superstars like Mary J. Blige and exchanging Christmas cards with Oprah.But the former model’s life was not always so easy going. Growing up in Lynn in the 1980s, she saw friends and family members battle drug addiction and struggle to raise children conceived much too young.But Whitaker remained focused and driven, overcoming the odds after having a daughter at 19 to become a nationally recognized model and, most recently, an entrepreneur, launching her new line of make-up called Kissable Couture with high school friend and local salon owner Amy DePerrior this week.Whitaker is in Swampscott this week at DePerrior’s LuxeBeautiQue Spa on Humphrey Street to officially launch the new make up collection, and took some time Wednesday to meet with a group of high school girls from Girls Inc.Whitaker said she spent a lot of time as a teenager at Girl’s Inc. and the Lynn Public Library, and she gave the next generation of Lynners some advice on how to avoid the dangerous temptations of sex and drugs, and succeed in becoming a powerful, successful woman.”I know what it is like to have things going on at home,” she said, describing how her family had to briefly move to Georgia because of her father’s crack addiction. “I learned about courage and strength growing up in the city when drug dealing and teenage pregnancy was going on. But you can become better than the situation that is going on around you. But if a door closes, you have to knock harder and do your best to achieve your dreams.”DePerrior also discussed growing up in the city with the eight girls in attendance, noting that her mother was divorced several times, and she was one of the few members of her high school class who managed to avoid doing drugs.”When we were younger growing up, we didn’t have many people to inspire us,” she said. “Just remember that whatever your dreams and goals are, you can do whatever you want.”After a short talk with the girls, Whitaker and DePerrior sat the group down and applied make-up samples of the new products before taking the group out to dinner.”Life is full of endless possibilities,” Whitaker said. “I was you. I had a lot of negative input growing up.”LuxeBeautiQue will host a formal cocktail party and product launch Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. at the spa’s 222 Humphrey St. location.