This article is in partnership with Ulta Beauty.
Fall is here y'all and since my hair is natural and chemically-treated with color, I need all the moisture I can get! When choosing any haircare line, my two main goals are to keep my hair moisturized and protect my color and Ulta Beauty has me covered with their Gorgeous Hair Event.
As one of their biggest sales of the year, you can expect up to 50% off of brands like PATTERN Beauty, The Mane Choice, and so much more. Their sale is available online, curbside pickup, and in-store now until Oct. 24. Make sure you grab your mask and hand sanitizer and get everything you need for half the price.
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
My hair is professionally colored so I can't be lazy with my maintenance to keep these edges, my color, and curls on point and I was so hype to try Black-owned brand, tgin's Rose Water collection––oh and the entire tgin line is on sale this Sunday, Oct. 18 at 50% off for 24 hours only! I heard some amazing things about the collection and had been wanting to try it for FAHEVA so, like all wash days, I started with a really dirty puff and got to werk!
Here's how I created my perfect wash and go using the tgin line from Ulta Beauty:
Step One:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Since my hair is color-treated, the shampoo I use has to be hydrating yet gentle enough to not strip my color. So I washed my hair with the tgin Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo in medium sections with lukewarm water twice. The first thing I noticed was how amazing it smelled and secondly, I noticed how my hair still felt hydrated and it gave a luxurious lather, honey! My hair was super soft after I rinsed it out and my curls were already popping with NO product on it!
Step Two:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Next, I deep conditioned with the tgin Rose Water Hydrating Mask and was in love! The best part of a mask is its slip which made unclumping tangles super easy. I parted my hair into 6 sections and applied the mask to each section while saturating each section with water to make the product spread evenly. A friendly tip: more water = less product (and more coins in your wallet).
Step Three:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Then, I placed my hair under a plastic bag (think greenhouse method) and sat under a hair dryer for 15 to 20 minutes so that the hair mask can really penetrate my hair. Moisture is key for natural hair with color!
Step Four:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
After rinsing out the Hydrating Mask, I followed up with the tgin Rose Water Leave-In Conditioner which seals in moisture and adds shine. Mind you, I haven't done a wash and go in forever so I really had to take my time to detangle section by section while rewetting my hair as needed so that the product distributes evenly. We don't have time for breakage boo.
Step Five:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Detangling with a wide-tooth comb during this step is better because it cuts down on potentially having to detangle before and after the deep conditioning process. It's easier just to do it when you're about to style your hair and cuts down on breakage which is key to maintaining length retention.
After detangling each section, I applied the Rose Water Curl Setting Mousse for definition and used a Denman brush to further detangle and smooth out my curls. I could already tell this wash and go was about to be lit!
Step Six:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Next, I allowed my hair to air dry for about an hour, and then while slightly damp, I diffused the ends and then went in with a concentrated nozzle to stretch out my roots (making sure to not mess up my curls). Then I picked out with my PATTERN Hair Pick and was veryyyyy happy with how my hair turned out!
The Final Look:
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com
Although the quarantine life has me grateful that I don't have to do my hair as often, it has made styling my hair a big ole treat, especially when it turns out bomb! I would definitely try the tgin Rose Water collection again because my hair clearly loved it and my color was still vibrant afterward. I'm so grateful to still be able to celebrate my curls, quarantine or not!
To shop all of my faves from the Ulta Beauty Gorgeous Hair Event, scroll below!
tgin Rose Water Sulfate-Free Hydrating Shampoo (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price:$14.99
Sale Price:
tgin Rose Water Leave-In Conditioner (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $14.99
Sale Price:
tgin Rose Water Hydrating Mask (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $17.99
Sale Price:
Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse (Saturday, Oct. 18 - 50% Off)
Ulta
Regular Price: $11.99
Sale Price:
Watch the defined wash-n-go on color-treated hair tutorial below:
Are you a member of our insiders squad? Join us in the xoTribe Members Community today!
Featured image by Anissa LiMara for xoNecole.com.
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.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Taylor founded Mastermind MGMT, an agency that represents some of Hollywood’s best “image architects” like Roach, Kellon Deryck, and Kollin Carter, who are responsible for creating unforgettable style and beauty moments for celebrities like Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion, Taraji P. Henson, and more. Taylor and her company possess an array of functions, but her biggest role is to be her client’s advocate. We hear endless stories about how creatives aren’t paid or underpaid in the entertainment industry, but Taylor ensures that her clients get their piece of the pie. The entrepreneur opened up about her company and her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, in an exclusive interview with xoNecole.
“I always say that I'm an artist advocate first, deal closer second. So my primary focus is to just make sure that the artist is getting everything that they deserve, whether it's compensation or, you know, certain accommodations, but just making sure that they have everything that they need to be able to show up and provide the best service that they're hired for,” she explained.
“So you know, in the beginning, it was hard because I didn't have any experience, and the artists who I was working with at the time–we were learning together, meaning neither of us had assisted anyone. We didn't have mentors in our specific fields. So every deal was like a new learning experience for us from the styling side and also from the business side, and so it took, you know, doing some research, using some very creative tactics, to find out information in the industry and just starting to request accommodations that I knew other artists were granted, who maybe didn't look like my artists.”
Photo courtesy of Tamara Taylor
Ten years later, there’s still not many people who are doing what Taylor is doing. However, things have gotten easier thanks to the research and connections she made in the beginning. During Mastermind MGMT’s ten-year anniversary celebration, she announced her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on helping young entrepreneurs through a 12-week program. The program is divided into “two routes.” The first route is for aspiring creative artists who want to start a business from their talent and all the things they need to learn about business, such as taxes, life insurance, etc. The second route is for practicing creative artists who are already in the industry but need resources such as how to plan for retirement or how to sustain themselves if they can’t work for a short amount of time, i.e., the pandemic.
“I just feel that I'm able to have a business and be successful because of their art as well. And so there are things that I know, I tried to teach it to them but understanding that I can only do so much because I'm not a subject matter expert in those fields,” she said. “So I at least want to be able to provide the resources, and then if they make their grown decision not to do it, then that's on them. But you know, I could be guilt-free and taking advantage of the resources that I'm also providing to them.”
Taylor continues to be an innovator in her industry by always pushing the boundaries of creativity and thinking one step ahead of everyone else. The Chicago-bred businesswoman is moving into the tech space thanks to a new invention created with her clients in mind, and she is looking forward to bigger collaborations in the future. Follow Mastermind MGMT on Instagram @mastermind_mgmt for more information.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy of Tamara Taylor
