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Flawless by Gabrielle Union believes in celebrating you and your style versatility. Their texture-specific products are infused with exotic hydrating ingredients at an affordable price point. Explore their collection and find your custom routine to hydrate, define, repair and protect.
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00:00Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Shop Essence Live in partnership with the
00:07New Voices family. I'm your host, Noni Donovan, and this is a show where we bring you new Black-owned
00:13businesses who shop with us every single week. Now, I always brag about how incredible the
00:19products are because they are. It is the truth. But today, when I tell you we have legendary status,
00:25we have iconic status in the hair world, in the entertainment world, joining forces to be the
00:32only hair care line you need, probably, across all the styles. I'll let them get into it.
00:37But without further ado, I want to welcome Gabrielle Union and Larry Sims.
00:43Hey! What's up? What's up? We're back. We're here. I am so excited to have you guys. You guys are
00:51co-creators of this incredible line, Flawless by Gabrielle Union. Before we get into our show
00:57and tell, please do tell us, how did this come about? So, I had gone into partnership several
01:05years ago with some folks that I was sort of nudged to partner with, and it turns out that it was not
01:13a Black-owned company that I had thought I had signed up for. It was a Black-fronted company that
01:19I ended up being a part of, and the prices were too high. They were including ingredients against
01:27my wishes that it actually does damage to textured hair. And so, I let that deal run out, and I said,
01:36I want to bring it back because there is a world where Flawless can be Black-owned, and I can partner
01:42with one of the best in the game and make sure the products work, they are accessible, and they are
01:49affordable. And so, there was no other person I would do this with other than one of my best
01:54friends, my long-time hairstylist, Larry Smith.
01:57Oh, come on. You guys have created some iconic looks that I'm sure we're all trying to create
02:03in our kitchens at home. Larry, can you talk about, you guys said something so beautifully on your website,
02:10just about being, it promotes how you are and who you are, can be flawless across all styles. Why was
02:17that important to you guys? Absolutely. With obviously coming into this partnership, it was a
02:24no-brainer for me. Like, the fact that I can work with one of my best friends and create something for
02:29our people that is for us, by us, was super important. And the thing that we talked about
02:35is looking in the mirror and seeing your flaws less, which resonated. Yes, which resonated so
02:43deeply for us. And, you know, we come in all types of tones and textures, and we wanted people to know
02:51that no matter what you're rocking, you are flawless. And we wanted to create a line that
02:57cater to everyone to make them feel their best. Oh, my goodness. And it is so true. You guys have
03:05such a wide array of products that can take care of whatever style that you're in, whatever style
03:11you're rocking, whether it's natural wig, weave, slick back, you guys have it. All of it. All of it.
03:17All the things. All the things. And then the price point. Yeah. Like, we're so used to, when you're a
03:22curly girl, you know, when it's time to re-up, you're basically breaking the bank. And the fact that
03:28your products are so efficient and they work so well, but you were able to get that price point down
03:33to be so affordable. That was non-negotiable. Yeah. Listen, Larry's from the north side of
03:41Chicago. I'm from the north side of Omaha. We wanted products that our own family could afford.
03:46Yes. Right. And a lot of times when the price drops, people are like, oh, it doesn't work as
03:51well. I have to pay. Right. And the reality is, if you're in, if you have been as blessed as Larry and
03:57I have been, that as blessed as the beauty industry has blessed us in our careers, you can
04:03afford to narrow the profit margins a little bit. To us, it's kind of pointless to provide an answer
04:10while at the same time as exploiting the very people who need it the most. So we just looked at
04:18ourselves as like, okay, we're blessed. This is not where we need to be gouging anyone who desperately
04:23need these products. We launched in the middle of the pandemic, right? Black owned, black led,
04:31black PR, black marketing, like everything. And we wanted, we wanted everyone to feel like they were
04:36a part of not just our, our company and that these products are for you and, and you can be beautiful
04:43and flawless and it not be aspirational. You are aspirational because you were born, you made it,
04:50you're breathing, you're aspirational. So the price, it doesn't, it doesn't have to be, uh, the price
04:56has to be aspirational for it to work. And we wanted to, um, change that, that perception that you
05:04can't get amazing products that work, that are in stores that you recognize that don't follow you around
05:10that allow you to twist off lids and smell and, and all of that. Yes. And it, and it be good.
05:15And it'd be good. And to add to that also for professionals, because that's the world that I
05:22come from, um, you know, we're used to also to piggyback off of what Gav said is, you know,
05:28using products or being sold products that have really high price margins and to, for the products
05:35to be professionally amazing. It's not just for people that are in their kitchen doing it themselves.
05:41There are so-called stylists, there are set stylists that do production that swear by the products
05:46also. So that was a really, um, telling experience for us in terms of the success of it and how, um,
05:53well they performed with the professionals. So, you know, that was really important.
05:57Yeah. Making sure all these products look right on HD because that's, ah, come on, that's the world
06:02we're in now. And I can't have a galate that is leaving a film, that white film. Like I,
06:10we can't do it with baby. Can't do it. Don't do it to me. You know that white
06:14She was the ultimate test for us. Okay. So now we have a flawless product. I love that.
06:21So I want to get into each of these products. You guys have a special promo code. So the products
06:27are all 1099 or less, but they're hooking us up. Shop Essence Live family promo code Essence 50
06:34for 50% off. 50% off. Okay. You guys have until Valentine's day. So make sure you stock up on
06:45every single one of these products. Let's get into it. So what's the first product that you guys want
06:50to highlight? Let's go into our nourishing scalp spray. Okay. This is like a spa for your scalp.
07:00So can I, I'm going to let the, I'm going to let y'all talk about it. But when I tell you
07:05this is a must, but go ahead. Yes. So we wanted to create something that was great for not only
07:11your hair, but your scalp, when you're in between braid styles, when you're rocking your braid styles
07:16and you need that refresher on your scalp. Um, this is also great for our girls that are rocking
07:22their units and they have their braid downs under there and they're itchy. And it really just gives
07:29you the opportunity to give your scalp a really dope refresher without having to do the full wash
07:35process. And like you said, it's like the spa for your scalp. It smells amazing. We have that
07:41peppermint oil in it, that rosemary oil. Instant tingle. That peppermint gives you that instant oil.
07:48And you're like, oh my God. That peppermint is like, oh, it felt like you got the itch scratched.
07:55Yes. And it's so, and it smells so good. And I know I'm not alone. I am notorious for getting
08:01a protective style. Then I can't take it after two weeks and I'm taking it out. So this is a great
08:06way to kind of maintain that and keep your scalp hydrated and fresh. So it just smells amazing.
08:12And it also, when you do your takedown, another like hack, I would call it, is it is great because
08:19it sort of removes any residue that you have on your scalp. You know how those buildups, those big
08:27like dandruff flakes, it really minimizes that because this is an active product that sort of
08:35like just replenishes your scalp with moisture. It's hotter with climate change and across the
08:43world. It's way hotter. So as you're in your protective styles, like braids, I use it all
08:49the time, like pretty much every day, sometimes a couple times a day because your hair is getting
08:53so dry from that high heat landing directly on your scalp, you know, due to some protective
09:00styles. So it's how I make sure that my scalp is moisturized. It's, you know, because sometimes
09:05it's, it gets so, um, what's the word, uh, sunburned that it starts to flick and itch
09:11and crack from the dryness, from the dryness. Yeah. I mean, look, if you're rocking, let's
09:16say this style, the gap is right. I got to do is, you know, spray between those parts and
09:23it lasts way longer. You get more wear out of your looks with the scalp refresher spray.
09:28So we love, love, love this 50% off. Put it in the cart. Y'all come on. All right. What's
09:37up next? It's the more nourishing sets, friend.
09:39I'm going to go to the fun brother leave it. This product, this one, when I tell you this
09:50is heaven for our four, eight of four consumers, both guys and girls, because the products work,
09:56there's no discrimination in terms of, you know, if you're a man or a woman, that hair
10:00is the same. That four A to four C, we need moisture. We need moisture. This five butter
10:07miracle leave and conditioner is so hydrating. It's so moisturizing. And I'm not even saying
10:12it because we created it, but it really is super and it's not heavy. That's the thing that
10:19I love about it. It's not heavy. It's not crunchy. Yes, exactly. It's so good. Now y'all
10:26see every, every curly neck in my family is empty, but you can see how, how light, how light
10:36it is. That, that would be good for a good chunk of my hair. He hates when I do this. Now,
10:45if something says, you know, a dime size amount, I'm like, but what about a quarter?
10:51You'll be fine. You'll be fine. The more the merrier.
10:55But yeah, like it's so good. So light. It smells, it smells. And this came, this, this dream came
11:02out of our other dream with the five butter miracle mask. Yes. And people wanting more to be able to use
11:07the mask, you know, as a deep conditioner and then the leave-in as a takeaway. But like, see,
11:13it just goes right. It's super absorbing, super absorbing. It goes right in. And what's great
11:19about it, like just for people to know what kind of styles you can rock with this, you want to use
11:24this after you shampoo and condition, you want to use your heat protective spray. If you're going
11:28under the dryer for your protective styles and you want to end with either your, with your coral
11:34cream also, or custard, but you also want to make sure you use your five butter miracle leave-in
11:40on your twist outs specifically. It's just, and it's, it's also great for if you're doing
11:46up styles, ponytails, even blowouts, but like for, for the moisture that we need, this product.
11:54This is the product of my life. I want you to, I want you guys to see how empty this is right now.
11:58You've been using more than a quarter size. I mean, I've had it for a minute. I've had it for a
12:08minute, for a little bit of a minute, but, and also I have a lot of curly heads in my house. So
12:12this has been making its rounds. So I'm putting it in my cart too. I'm putting it in my cart too,
12:16y'all. All right. What's up next? Okay. The glaze. The glaze. Okay. So this glaze
12:24is a problem. This glaze right here is magnificent. Now, of course, with me being a professional
12:33hairstylist, you know, I've used sort of everything that's been on the market and I've seen what we've
12:39discussed, like the flaking, the residue, the, the buildup, the buildup, the lack of, I work in sets
12:46on sets and, and, you know, doing photo shoots and everything and talk about that HD. It shows up
12:52and I have planted one set. I've tried to pack the product out. I've tried to brush it out and
12:58it's just been a catastrophe. So one of our main missions with wanting to go into the glaze space
13:04is to create something that was seamless, that was perfect, that was flawless. And we took our
13:10time with this because this, I mean, listen, we, we thought we had it. We thought we had it.
13:15We thought we had it. And we're like, I don't think we have it. We tested it out. We're like,
13:20we don't have it. We don't have it. We don't have it. So we had to go back to the drawing board
13:25because we wanted it to be flawless. Yes. And we're not doing anything out there before it's
13:31ready. So even though the demand was there, we were like, we, we got to get it right.
13:36We have to get it right. And if it doesn't look good on camera, it's not going to look good in
13:41your mirror. So we wanted to make sure it was, it was right. Yes, exactly. And yeah. Yeah. Let's
13:47go for it. And it's one stop shop. Cause I use it for my edges. You can use it for me. Exactly.
13:52It looks like it's clear. It's clear. It's infused with rice oil complex, which is great for your
14:02edges. Yeah. We use it on your edges right here. Uh-huh. And then it also has Brazilian
14:08Bakuri butter as well, because it's just great for moisture. It doesn't break your edges off,
14:14which is amazing. Um, you can use, yes, you can use it not only for your edges, but you can use
14:20it for your slick styles. Like Lola here. Yes, Lola over there. Lola, our gorgeous Lola. She has the glaze.
14:28She's got the glaze. And it lays down from 3A, 3B, Lola's like a 3B, down to 4C. Like, okay,
14:36for example, one of my clients that I use it on who has 4C hair is Danai Gurira. And you know,
14:44she has that kinky coily. And if you go back to look at like some of the recent styles that we've
14:50created for like red carpets, um, last year's Oscars, for example, that was the glaze.
14:56That's the glaze. That was the glaze. It is intense, but in a major way, in a fantastic way.
15:03Yeah. Yeah. And that was before we released it. Yeah. So once we do, we, we got that Oscar
15:07called. Like, okay, it's time. Yes, exactly. You know, because under those lights, that 4C
15:13hair in particular can revert the heat. And it was, I mean, look, I will be fully transparent
15:19and also saying, and I think this has happened with us too, with other glazes where I've seen
15:23you out and then it's like running down the back of the neck. Oh no.
15:26There is a very famous carpet that we, we had this, but it was really the impetus for
15:32why we got this glaze and feel free to look up and we're not, you know, Google fingers
15:39right now. Okay.
15:40So we're trying to look up, uh, the met ball look is what you're talking about.
15:44Yeah. Yeah. Listen, the idea was, I mean, it was fire, but the execution, because it was
15:50so hot, it was hell degrees. Yes. It started melting on that carpet.
15:56I was like, oh God. And I was mortified. Like I had her PR person asking me like on text,
16:03is there anything I can do to stop the dripping? And I'm like, oh my God. So, you know, obviously
16:09being mortified, being embarrassed. We're like, never again. And luckily it's her because I
16:14probably would have been fired and never called back. We were like, this is an opportunity
16:21for us to come up with a solution. And we did. Yeah. We're really proud of this one.
16:27Oh my goodness. I love this glaze. I feel like this line is such a unicorn. I hope you guys
16:34are listening to this because number one, they're testing out all these products on me. It's
16:38like the most, the biggest actresses in the world on the red carpets under the most intense
16:43situation. So, you know, it's going to work for us in our everyday lives. So that I love.
16:46And the price point is under 1099. That is so, and it works for every single type of hairstyle.
16:54I know so many of us have basically a whole aisle of the supermarket in our bathrooms because we have
17:00to adjust to a different line according to what our hair is going through. But you guys have really
17:05taken care of us at every step of our hair journey, which I absolutely love. So there's a lot
17:12of entrepreneurs that watch this show as well and being besties. What has that, what has that
17:18experience been like? Like being in business with someone that knows you so well, how has that been
17:24an advantage to you? I mean, here's the deal. It's like, you can't be in business with someone on this
17:34level without full trust and transparency. And the fact that we are so aligned on so many different
17:45levels in our lives and we have known each other for a gazillion years. It just, it made sense. And
17:52there are people that say you should not go in business with friends, with family members,
17:56because those are the things that will, you know, dismantle the relationship. And I think it's
18:02kind of the opposite for us. It's brought us closer together and it really is just like fun. And
18:07again, I couldn't imagine doing it with any other way with anybody else either. And we met on the set
18:13of Bring It On. Yes. Like when back, Larry had a whole other life as a professional dancer. He's a
18:21Missy dancer. All of those iconic Missy Elliott videos. Yeah. And when he, we met, they were doing a
18:29gig in San Diego while we were filming Bring It On, him and the girls from the singing group Black.
18:33Mm-hmm. That are in the movie. That are in the movie.
18:36Yeah. I was going to go see them on the weekend perform. And after the performance, I was like,
18:41whew, can mama get a cocktail? And this is- I was like, pick me. I know where they are.
18:47Yeah. And we've been best friends ever since.
18:52Absolutely.
18:52So our relationship isn't built on- Hollywood.
18:57Hollywood or working together even. Like the bonus is we get the opportunity to work with
19:02each other. She was one of the first people to say yes to me when I transitioned out of
19:07becoming a dancer. And we've been flying high ever since. So yeah, it's like the more we are around
19:14each other, it just makes sense for us to like bring it to the world flawless. And we're just really
19:19proud of it. Yeah. Oh my goodness. So inspiring. I know there's a lot of besties out there, besties
19:25in business out there that are really eating that up and inspired by that. So this show is in
19:32partnership with the New Voices family. And I know you guys are brand new members to it. I love for
19:37you to say a little bit about what it is about New Voices that is really, really great to be a part of
19:43the community. Just what you just said, the community. To be able to actually have somebody
19:49go like this, like pull your coattails and say, before you step down that road, let me show you
19:54and tell you how I made that same misstep and what not to do. People who have walked the walk
20:02that we are on and who came out the other side uber successful. It creates that kind of community.
20:09It provides resources and, you know, thank you for the mentorship and all of that, but also
20:15financial resources for, you know, historically underfunded companies to be able to learn from
20:22black entrepreneur, black entrepreneurs, specifically black women entrepreneurs. It is a very different
20:28road for us. And it, it, it gives you a place to land that's soft where the, where the learning
20:36is the foundation. And, um, cause nobody, like no one is interested in new voices foundation of
20:44watching you fail. That's right. Watch you fail. It is, it is a kinship of, I did what you're trying
20:53to do and I made all the same mistakes, but you don't have to keep making them. Let me help you.
20:59Absolutely. And it creates such a community of trust that you actually listen. Cause there's a lot of
21:04people that will tell you about your walk that have never, don't even have shoes on.
21:07Not only have they not done your walk, they don't know how far it is. They don't know.
21:12They don't have directions. They don't even have shoes. So that to me is, is the beauty of new
21:17voices, new voices foundation is that they've been there and they're speaking experience. And if you
21:23listen, um, and if you humble yourself too, listen, a lot of people assume that we know everything.
21:28We, we are still, we are still learning. We're still making mistakes. Um, but being a part of
21:33this community means we're going to make a lot less of them and we're going to be provided with
21:37answers. And what great company we're in, right? Yeah. Like the, the roster of companies that are
21:43involved in this initiative is absolutely amazing. So we couldn't be more proud to be amongst such
21:51great company. Yeah. Oh, so good. Yes. So if you're an entrepreneur at home listening to this,
21:57I want to be there where they are, but I don't know what to new voices, family.com go join. You
22:03don't even apply. You join the new voices family. It's a great community. There are resources right
22:09there for you. So bet on yourself and take a chance. Gabrielle Larry, it's been so amazing to
22:21have you guys on the show. If you guys are watching at home, once again, Essence 50 is the
22:27promo code. We're going to fly up. If you're watching on Pinterest, we're pinning the products
22:31or if you're going straight to their website, you have until Valentine's day. It's already very
22:37affordable, but then you can stock up right now. Now it's the time. Essence 50.
22:42Stock up. Speaking of stocking up, I would love to throw in there one last stock up.
22:47Let's go. It's our elongating curl custom. Yeah. You know that reverb, that, that, that bounce back,
22:55that clap back where you're, where it just goes back up. From here to. This is the only reason why
23:01my fro is this big today because of this. The more than a dime size. Okay. I can't, but you don't do
23:09the dime size. Oh, okay. And neither of you. Thank you. Thank you. This is another one. That's
23:15really amazing. We really love it. And the great thing about these products too,
23:19not to sound like a salesman or anything, but just facts is, I mean, look how yummy and customy that
23:28looks. It's so light. It's so amazing. It really gives the, hold on. There you go.
23:37Your twist outs, your, um, shampooing goes really great shine. It really elongates the curls without
23:47making the hair heavy. You know, some or crispy or crispy. I hate a crispy curl. I hate a crispy curl.
23:54Exactly. Sometimes when you use things to elongate the curl, it's really super heavy and can be really
24:01dry. So this is super moisturizing, super hydrating. And what's great about it is that it cocktails with
24:07beautifully with like, let's say our leave-in. So you can get our butter along with the elongation
24:14and then bam, you are set and ready to go. Yes. Come on. I'll tell you one thing.
24:22Yes. Everything can come.
24:25So good. I'll tell you one thing about this elongating custard. I have a five-year-old girl
24:31with a lots of curly hair. And when I tell you the detangling on this angle, the slip,
24:39the slip. Yes. Curly girls know about the slip. So it's usually torture the detangling time,
24:45but with this it's, Oh my gosh, it's such a godsend. So thank you. Thank you. I'm so glad.
24:51All right. No parabens, no silicones, all beautiful natural product. But curry butter is our hero
25:00ingredient. That's our through product for all of our products. We have our rice oil complex. We have
25:06all of the oils. We have so many different butters along with what we already just talked about. So
25:12it's really exciting to know that we have all natural ingredients.
25:16So Larry, I'm so glad that you touched on this before you guys left, because I know
25:22I know contributing to the health of hair is really important to this line. So those ingredients,
25:29those non-toxic ingredients is super important. So while we're doing all of these styles with our
25:34hair, we're still taking care of our hair, which is so important. We love that.
25:39And an affordable price. Yeah. And an affordable price. So they're hooking us up, y'all. They're
25:45hooking us up. But thank you. Thank you guys for being on Shop Essence Live. I cannot wait to see
25:51what to come from this line in the future. I feel like every black woman is about to have this in
25:57their bathroom. Everybody, woman, man, kid, everywhere. So, so great. Flawless by Gabrielle Union.
26:05Thank you. Thank you. Thank you guys. Thank you for having us. We love you. Yes. Yes.
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