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"Let me give you a trim." This is a phrase that typically strikes fear in a Black woman's heart. It takes only one salon appointment gone awry, where you ask for a dusting and get a three-inch haircut instead, to create trim trauma. But on this day, I don't think twice and say, "I'm game if you are."
The fact that it's been only four weeks since my last appointment with the scissors (I typically go every three months) doesn't even faze me because the person who is going to cut my split ends is Ms. Tina Knowles. (Yes, the Ms.Tina Knowles.) This woman plays an essential part in creating Beyoncé's image, including the various hairstyles she's worn over the years. Hell, if I walked out of there with a bob, I would have considered myself blessed and happily changed my name to Bobiana.
This trim is taking place at Neal Farinah Salon in Brooklyn, where the shades are pulled tight and the Renaissance album is playing on repeat. I'm here to preview the product lineup for Cécred, the hair-care line from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Tina Knowles. Neal, the man who is responsible for coloring and styling Beyoncé's hair, both the strands that grow out of her head and the extensions that are bought at a premium, is in attendance. He refers to her as "sister, friend, boss" at every mention. Grace Ray, the Cécred CEO who came over from Living Proof, is also present, along with Kari Williams, PhD, a hairstylist and head educator for the line. As far as beauty editors…well, there are only two of us (a few others saw the line in the afternoon).
Both of us are at the end of a seven-month trickle of information about this brand. It started in May 2023 with an Instagram post. In it, Beyoncé poses at a vanity with little sample bottles lined up and her hand in her hair. (Allure can confirm that this image is of Beyoncé's natural hair.) Next up, there were the influencer invites to the Renaissance tour concert on Bey's birthday in California. (Allure can confirm that no information was shared; it was just a good time.) And finally, on the morning of this event and precipitous trim, the name of the brand is announced: Cécred. (Allure can confirm that the Cé in Cécred is a nod to Beyoncé, similar to the recent perfume launch, Cé Noir.)
Before even seeing the line, I chatted with Ms. Tina. She explains how she and Beyoncé have been working on this line for six years. It would have happened faster, but like many beauty brand founders, they dealt with shady investment pitches (the brand is fully backed by Beyoncé with no outside investments), several rounds of sample testing to get top-of-the-line technology and performance (there is a patent pending on the technology), building an office with an in-house salon and lab, and interviews to find the right PR firm that would understand their POV as a brand looking to embody inclusivity. It seems as if a hair-care line was always in the long-range plan for Beyoncé, but she was just waiting on the right time.
In a Cécred press release, Beyoncé says. “We started by prioritizing the needs of textured hair like mine, along with other types and textures that need more moisture and strength. My entire life and career, I’ve worn my hair in so many different ways: natural, flat-ironed, braids, colored, weaves, wigs. I want everyone to have the freedom to express their hair in ways that make them feel good, so I began by creating the essentials for hair and scalp health.”
My first impression upon seeing the eight-piece Foundation Collection lined up on the station: "Greige packaging wins again!" But seriously, the vibe is luxury. Each bottle has a custom pebbled surface that's meant to mimic the stone of ancient monuments. The formulas inside strike a delicate balance between keratin-infused protein treatments and oil-rich moisturizers. The pitch is all about global rituals of hair care and this ritual is a lengthy one.
First, there's the Clarifying Shampoo & Scalp Scrub ($38), which contains purple willow bark, tea tree oil, lactic acid, and microcrystalline cellulose beads. Then, the Hydrating Shampoo ($30) that has hyaluronic acid on the ingredient list. These are meant to be used as a double-cleanse. For conditioning, you have two options: the Moisturizing Deep Conditioner ($38) with shea and murumuru butters or the Reconstructing Treatment Mask ($42). The reconstructor has a patent-pending "bioactive keratin ferment." This ingredient combines bioactive keratin from natural wool protein, lactobacillus ferment, and honey, and it "replaces depleted proteins in hair and has a molecular weight small enough to penetrate the cortex to visibly strengthen weak, damaged, or highly manipulated hair." This is according to the press release, but I was informed that there is third-party clinical data to back it up. (Allure wasn't able to reach out to an independent chemist to confirm because of the strict embargo.) Ms. Tina recommends that you use the conditioner and the mask in tandem, but the reconstructing mask is only meant to be as needed. (We’re at four steps, but who's counting?)
The star product in the line is a Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual ($52 for a four-pack), an intense strengthening treatment used every four to six weeks after you shampoo. This ritual involves two steps and a shaker vessel ($20, sold separately). My beauty editor comrade called it a "protein shake for your hair." You put the Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Powder in water, shake it up, and pour it over your hair. You follow with the Silk Rinse. After this, you use the deep conditioner. Dr. Williams says the multi-layered system is meant to be used as a preventative, maintenance treatment. For example, it was the secret weapon used before bleaching hair on the Renaissance tour. It's clear this is an experience. As someone who regularly spends 45 minutes in the shower cleansing, detangling, and deep conditioning… even I am a little intimidated by the potential time commitment.
The final two products are stylers: the Moisture Sealing Lotion ($38), a leave-in with light hold, and the Nourishing Hair Oil ($44) made with baobab, olive, castor, coconut, almond, moringa, and other oils. The entire collection has a warm, earthy Temple Oud scent that’s not overpowering. It's a great contrast to all the fruit-forward natural hair collections out there.
On the day of the event, my 4B hair was transformed with a silk press. It starts with the scrub. After a microscopic review of my scalp and strands, Dr. Williams recommends that my assigned stylist apply the scrub before heading to the shampoo bowl due to the buildup of greasy flakes. This is the only product in the collection that has a minty scent, which is from the tea tree oil. It feels silky, but the scrub isn't scrubby. The physical element is the cellulose beads that bounce more than they slough and won't give you the same scalp-scratching sensation you'd experience as a kid sitting between mom's knees (a Black hair tradition that is very bad for your scalp, by the way).
Once water is applied, the hydrating shampoo is next and this stuff lathers. Ms. Knowles and Neal mention that Beyoncé loves slip in her products and you get a lot of slip with this one, even though it's technically a cleansing step. Next, is the deep conditioner, a trip to the hood dryer, and detangling. I reach back to the sink to touch my hair after the rinse, and it's pillowy soft. I love that there isn't a light conditioner in the line. For those with coily hair, it's a mask or nothing. I'm always disappointed by those watery conditioners — and this line has none of that.
Before blow-drying and flat ironing, the leave-in is applied. Ms. Tina makes sure to quickly stop by to show me how my hair is shining through her phone — and it is. The straightened surface of my hair has the glassy gleam that Instagram girlies dream of. That's when the aforementioned trim goes down. I did not end up with a bob, but a conservative fourth of an inch was taken away. Neal says Ms. Tina does Beyoncé's trims when he isn't around. Even though it's been 30-plus years since she opened Headliners Hair Salon in Houston, Ms. Tina still does the hair of her grandbabies, friends, daughters, and other family members upon request.
Neal pops in to do the final styling touches, and I'm whisked away for my after pictures. Ms. Tina stops the cameraman multiple times to tweak and apply a bit of hair oil (this one is made without silicones, which is a major win in my book). She clearly has the detail-oriented eye of someone who has been styling hair and clothes for a multi-million dollar artist with a known perfectionist streak.
Overall, this line gives the impression of thoughtfulness and care. Ms. Tina's years in the salon are evident in the formulations. She wanted to find something that had the benefits of professional hair care but for at-home use, as well as something for natural hair that has the prestige feeling often missing in the category. In a press release, Ms. Tina says: "In my own experience serving clients, I loved witnessing the joy they felt watching their hair grow healthier, shinier, and more vibrant. I have personally witnessed how these products have stopped breakage in its tracks. I’ve seen the transformations from using these products on all different hair types and textures and the results have been amazing." The balance of strength and moisture is targeted to those with hair damage. The kind you might be trying to prevent if you were on a 56-stop world tour getting your hair dyed, fried, and laid to the side on the regular.
There's also a philanthropic bent to all of this. Cécred will partner with Knowles-Carter's philanthropic foundation, BeyGOOD, to create the BeyGOOD x Cécred Fund. As part of this initiative $500,000 annually will go to cosmetology school scholarships and salon business grants.
After five hours, I walk away with a hair transformation and a few questions. Are we going to see more of Beyoncé's hair sans-wigs and -weaves as she rolls this out? Will the Beyhive balk at the $30 price point for shampoo? Which retailer will snap up this huge exclusive? (It's sold direct to consumer… for now.)
But primarily, the question that remains as I bounce down the street with fresh ends and a Beyoncé-blessed wash and style, is the same one that I have every time I get a silk press: how long will this last and will I have to contend with heat damage on my next washday?
The full Cécred collection retails for $20 to $52 and will be sold on cecred.com.
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