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Ciara Continues To Diversify Her Brand After Announcing Her New Skincare Line
While Ciara’s claim to fame is singing and dancing, she has been taking steps to become a mogul over time. The southern beauty became an instant star after releasing her debut album Goodies in 2004 with the lead single of the same name that reached number one on the Billboard charts. From there, she one, two stepped her way into being a worldwide sensation with her Crunk&B sound and unbelievable dance moves. While Cici will always be known for her legendary moves and bops, she has shifted her focus and has been working on expanding her brand.
The mother of three made headlines recently when she revealed that she bought back her masters while starting her independent label Beauty Marks. And while she is the CEO of her own music imprint, she has also been making waves in other industries because a real boss diversifies their portfolio.
Here are five businesses that Ciara has launched over the years.
Skincare
The Grammy award-winning singer just announced that she will be launching a skincare line called OAM, which stands for On A Mission. She made the exciting announcement on Instagram. “You’ve been asking… and here it is. Meet my secret sauce ✨Years in the making. Coming 09/15/22. #OAMskin,” she wrote.
In an interview with Allure, the singer shared her motivation behind the line. "I used to think I was my most beautiful self with all the makeup on," Ciara said. "But that's not real. That's not how to live….While being on a mission to do so many things that I want to do, it's important to me that I'm loving who I am at the core and loving myself when there's not a whole lot going on."
The line, which is set to launch on Sept. 15, features Vitamin C Hydrating Cleanser, Vitamin C Brightening Pads, 20% Vitamin C Brightening Serum, Vitamin C Eye Revitalizer, and Vitamin C Radiance Moisturizer.
Fashion and Accessories
In 2021, Ciara released a fashion line called LITA by Ciara. LITA, which stands for Love is the Answer, is under her and her husband Russell Wilson’s brand The House of LR&C. The line features dresses, matching two-piece ‘fits, shoes, and accessories.
She also launched a travel accessories line called Dare to Roam which has a collection of fanny packs, duffel bags, backpacks, and more. The collection can be found at Kohl's and Target.
Spirits
Cici has followed in the footsteps of the likes of Diddy and Nicki Minaj and decided to throw her hat into the wine and spirits game. In 2019, Ciara co-founded Ten to One Rum with entrepreneur Marc-Kwesi Farrell. She is also an investor in the brand.
In an interview with Forbes, she revealed why she jumped at the opportunity to join the spirits community. “When I get a chance to do things and projects like this, I’m pretty involved,” she said. “I look a step before the actual product to work with really great business partners.”
Founder of Ten To One Rum Marc Farrell and co-owner of Ten To One Rum Ciara.
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Pronghorn
“For me, all the boxes were checked. This is a space that not too many women occupy, and I saw a tremendous opportunity as an entrepreneur, and as a woman of color.”
Fragrance
The “Jump” artist also has a fragrance with Russell called R&C. The fragrance, which can be found in Nordstorm, has three collections such as the Fragrance Duo, the Harmony Duo, and the Intense Duo. The bottles are magnetic and they click together for a unique scent. In 2021, their Harmony Duo perfume won gold at the Pentawards, which is a prestigious award for packaging and design.
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Featured image by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Pronghorn
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."