No, Kourtney Kardashian Did Not Take a Love Potion With Travis Barker

The first time I saw Kourtney Kardashian Barker was at a party for Alice + Olivia, and I thought maybe she had magnets in her blood. That’s not a new age treatment or anything — it’s literally the only thing that could explain the way she moved from one end of the bash to another, accumulating a growing cloud of people with every few steps. Watching “the quiet Kardashian” collect a crowd as she trailed designer Stacey Bendet felt like a throwback to videos of Elvis getting chased by screaming girls — except the gawkers didn’t say anything, much less scream “omigodiloveyoumarryme!” Instead, everyone watched their phone screens, which were watching Kourtney Kardashian. Her literal followers were broadcasting the whole close encounter to their virtual followers. And I realized right then that despite being a Leo with a Leo rising, if I were ever actually famous, I would lose my mind.

Kourtney Kardashian has not lost her mind though — she’s undeniably poised and seems actually cool, to be honest — and the 43-year-old says her growing interest in wellness is partly why. “It’s always been something I’ve been naturally drawn towards,” she says. “Ever since I had my first child, and going down so many rabbit holes researching what to feed him, and what we need for our bodies to really thrive.”

The eldest Kardashian is, of course, a very public expert on thriving, with a rock star husband (Travis Barker), a Goop-But-Not online empire called Poosh, a trio of glowing children, and a new-ish brand called Lemme that synthesizes decades of Kourtney’s wellness adventures into products. Included in the offerings are gummy gut-health boosters like probiotics, full doses of Vitamin B12, and an “organic flower extract” called Lemme Fall in Love that Kourtney’s publicists really do not want me to call a “love potion” even though the bottle literally says “Love harder, fall deeper: our limited edition organic flower elixir is expertly formulated with a botanical blend that helps open your heart to fall in love.” And for real, we’ve all seen The Craft. 

Here's what Kourtney Kardashian has to say about her Lemme offerings, her family photo challenges, and what happens at a party when you don’t wear heels. 

There’s a ton of “wellness” content, but you decided to create actual products. What did you learn when you went from buying this stuff to making it?

I was really surprised, in doing our research, about what ingredients were being used in things that were labeled “wellness” products. Like a lot of us, I would take [vitamin] gummies. To be honest, they didn’t taste amazing, but I thought, “Okay, well, they’re supposed to be good for you. If they don’t taste incredible, at least it’s because the ingredients are good for you,” right? And, uh, that was completely wrong.  The things in these top-selling gummies are terrible for you!

How so?

Artificial food coloring, added sugar, fillers, gelatin that’s not necessarily vegan. And I thought, “How is this what’s supposed to be good for you?” It really surprised me, and it definitely spurred me into action with Lemme.

You have “gifting bundles” on the Lemme site, but some of the products are very clearly marked for things like bloating or stress relief. What’s the etiquette of giving a wellness present without making it seem like someone looks tired and stressed?

Oh, I think people are always happy to get gifts that come from a place of love and caring, right? I hope so! But also, when you explain the ingredients, you can talk about how special these gummies are because they’re giving little gifts to your body every day. You can talk about ashwagandha, and how it has so many benefits because it’s an adaptogen, which means it adapts to what your body needs… You can also say, “Hey, this is something I love, and so I want you to try it, too.” 

Lemme Fall In Love is a “heart-opening” tincture. What is that, exactly? 

So, someone is going to say tinctures are a new wellness fad, I’m sure, but it’s not true. Tinctures are liquid herbal supplements that have been around for thousands of years. The first time I took one, it was a heart-opening tincture that my doctor had recommended, and Lemme Fall in Love is an evolution of that… In [Lemme Fall in Love], there’s honeysuckle flower, which is known to elicit feelings of happiness and excitement. There's heather leaf and flower, which has a history of supporting love and admiration. There's one flower, linden, that relieves nervous tension and supports balance. There’s ginger root that helps with energy. So like it's more than just, you know, “falling in love.” It’s also opening yourself up to positivity. 

What happens when you take a heart-opening tincture?

The first time I took a heart-opening tincture, I was not in a relationship at the time, so it wasn’t about falling in love with a partner. It was really about self-love, I think, and I felt that it softened me. I think using heart-opening botanicals [can help] for all kinds of different things that we may have experienced that can harden you. You can put up a wall like I did for years. And I feel like this can help soften and open up your heart. To me, I've noticed such a difference in myself. There’s obviously more to the journey than just a tincture, but to me it was one of one of the parts of that journey. 

What’s your favorite New Year’s Eve outfit?

Oh, the red leopard print pajamas I wore last year! I was matching my husband, and we had the best New Years at home with all the kids, and had a family dinner and did puzzles. One of them was crazy; it took forever, and when we finally finished it, we framed it because we were so excited. So yes, I think the red PJs that let me stay in, feel cozy, with no heels, barefoot? That’s easily the best New Year’s outfit.

You have a very large family with kids of all different ages. And yet, you always manage great Instagram photos. How do you get them all together, looking at the camera at the same time, without yelling?

You’ve got to believe the only way to have control is to give up control. [Laughing.] Definitely don’t force it. Let the kids lead the way. That’s what I do. Because even if they were wearing the outfits of my dreams, if they weren’t happy, even if it were a great photo, it wouldn’t be a great memory, and then what’s the point? So I never force outfits, and I let each of them take the lead for a bit. Of course I’ll make suggestions, and if it’s freezing out or something, of course I’ll say, “You need a coat!” But aside from that, you just kind of go with it…. You know, I just realized I haven’t taken a big family photo yet. And in a way, I think that’s kind of great, because we were all together, and having so much fun, and living in the moment being together. I think that’s a good sign. You don’t always need the photo but you always need the love.