Taraji P. Henson is the queen of hair. Queen. Of. Hair. And one thing you will never be able to do when it comes to it, is box her in, because sis gets busy when it comes to rocking a new look. In the past month or so, Henson has been playing around with color, which we love to see. But her latest, may literally be her best one yet.
YouTube/Allure
The color she is wearing these days is a tone she refers to as a 'violet-magenta', a color so perfect (we'll touch on this word later) for her hectic year. Personally, Henson has been battling a called-off engagement, a pandemic, and admitted struggles with mental health. Thankfully, and likely, unknowingly, magenta is a color of universal harmony and emotional balance. It promotes compassion, kindness and cooperation and encourages a sense of self-respect and contentment in those who use it.
So, it'a perfect for her. Like I said: best one yet.
And she wears it so well.
Mostly because you can see an inner and outer glow from her again. But leave it to Taraji to call out anything deemed as absolute, or perfect. She recently told Coveteur:
"Perfection is the perfect lie. My therapist set me free when she said that. Who's the judge? Who do we go to and say, 'Is this perfect?' It's so objective."
And although she doesn't believe in perfect, some looks are too good to not acknowledge. Thankfully, Henson has used her hair as a means to express herself whilst creating a haircare line of her own, TPH by Taraji.
"Because I'm a creative person, I couldn't create how I'm normally used to creating, which is on a set or on a stage, so I had to find other ways to allow myself to be creative, and it's in this salon and I love it. I'm in here right now. [Experimenting with your hair] will keep you sane because in this time, no one's going anywhere, and that'll make you depressed.
She continues:
"My haircare line is all about self-care. I don't want people to treat wash day as a chore, but as a self-care day. That's why I have the exfoliant scrub for your scalp. There's steps to it, and you can take your time. I created a spa day for your scalp."
And TPH by Taraji promises a scalp-first approach, creating an optimal environment for healthy hair no matter the style. "We celebrate with you as you experiment with your looks while tackling real hair concerns. TPH by Taraji products deliver nourishment, protection, and deep cleansing solutions for every hair style, texture, and type," the website reads.
"When I started wearing weaves, I had to ask, how do you keep your scalp healthy under this thing? Black people, we have sensitive and very delicate hair. People think it's rough like Brillo, when it's actually not. We have to put our hair away to protect it. If you start doing too much to it, it'll break off. Knowing that, I knew I wanted to protect my hair when I started working."
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Taraji may have chopped off all of her hair to achieve this look, but regardless of where she stands on the topic of achieving full-circle perfection, Taraji, the color magenta for you, sis...is perfect.
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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