Gabrielle Union's got some of the best hair in Hollywood — this we know. So why haven't you seen her flinging her long waves in some brand's shampoo commercial before? "Ive been asked repeatedly, for pretty much the bulk of my career, to be the face 0f different hair lines," the Being Mary Jane actress tells Refinery29. "But it offered zero control or input on actually creating anything. I wasn't going to put my face or reputation on the line for products I didn't use or couldn't stand behind."
And it turns out that Union had trouble finding goods that she'd vouch for off-camera, too. "In the past, I'd have to scour the internet, scour different stores, and hope that they'd have things in stock. There were things that got pretty close, but didn't quite have all the ingredients that I was looking for." After two years of trial and error, Union was finally able to create the line of her dreams: Flawless by Gabrielle Union, a 10-item collection fused with a magical blend of avocado, argan, and marula oils for textured hair that launches at Ulta today. And by textured, she doesn't mean just natural. "Whether you wear your hair natural or relaxed, this covers a gamut of ethnicities," she explains. "It's for hair that needs more moisture."
This also includes protective styles, like braids and weaves, both of which Union has experimented with throughout the years. But make no mistake: Your hair underneath needs some love, too. "If you bought a wig and got that receipt, honey, you take care of it," the actress, who's natural, says. "Whether that hair is growing out of your head, or if you bought it — take care of it. No matter what style you rock, you can still be flawless." Her product pick from the line? "I'd suggest the mask. You need to protect your own hair underneath. I like to put the mask on and catch up on Scandal and whatever's on my DVR. We call it deep condition and chill."
Scroll on to see Union's own flawless evolution, and follow the star (and her brand) to find out if she’ll be making a surprise visit at an Ulta near you.
March 2006
"I did my own hair and my own makeup, as you can see by the freakish amount of powder that I did not blend. Yeah, way to just not blend out your concealer. This is my own hair, and I took out some braids... this is what I came up with. And I added a headband. I think the hair is cute! But if you're not a professional makeup artist, this is what can happen. Make sure you blend, guys. This is a cautionary tale."
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
June 2009
"Oh gosh, this was a while ago. Every so often, I get it in my head that I want a bang. And very quickly, usually within a couple of days, I hate the bang. I have a greasy t-zone, and a bang sticks right to it. I actually think that's happening here. So yeah, this bang didn't last after a few days."
Photo: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage.
February 2012
"My team does power ponies. This is our take on the power fishtail. I love a fishtail braid. We wanted it to be more textured, which is why it's not perfect. So we pulled pieces out to give it a messier look. We're always trying to recreate the wheel."
Photo: Barry King/FilmMagic.
February 2013
"This was a vintage Versace dress, and the hair is pure Diana Ross — Central Park, in the rain, when she was still performing in her gown. Big curls, a lot of body, vintage Studio 54."
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.
May 2014
"We wanted to do a different take on the classic updo, and give the front a more structured, modern look. The dress was edgy, and as my team says, we gave you a little somethin' for the kids."
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.
March 2016
"The goal was to give a little romance, a little softness — a different kind of feminine flair. I generally kind of go for a tougher, deconstructed look. But the dress felt very feminine, and the hair went with it."
Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
June 2016
"These are my Senegalese twists. This was my first time rocking braids on the carpet, with my Marc Jacobs dress. We added these clips at the top that look like beads. I rocked this look throughout the summer and on vacation."
Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.
September 2016
"This is my natural hair —my frohawk! I was waiting for just the right premiere, waiting for the right dress. I was wearing this gorgeous Rodarte, and wanted to toughen up the look. I was inspired by Teyonah Parris. She rocked it first, but I wanted to add my own flair to it. We brought the front down a bit more, and sort of separated it into different sections. This is when we were first trying out the Flawless Edge Control, even before the line was out. I said if it could hold these sides and help us create this style, then we're on to something. The formula's perfected and we're ready to go."
Photo: Allen Berezovsky/WireImage.
October 2016
"This was Mary Jane's look at the start of last season, which coincided with the Almost Christmas premiere. I'm a fan of... bigger, better, pageant hair, or sleek and simple, keep it chic. I thought the dress was so bright, so I wanted to do a sleek and more subdued look with my hair. I love dark hair, especially in winter."
Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage.
February 2017
"I'm obsessed with this cut. This is Mary Jane's hair for this season. On the show, she gets in the anchor chair — spoiler alert!. Her predecessor cut her hair to be taken more seriously. You're looking at your TV ratings and feedback, and people tend to take anchors more seriously with shorter hairstyles. So Mary Jane is not immune to the market research. We wanted to go with a shorter look, and I happen to love it as well. I think it's great for the character, and I happen to be a fan."
Photo: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images.
January 2017
"Here, we did an ombré long bob. I was gagging over this at the time. I love this sort of graduated ombré bob, shorter in the back and longer in the front."
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.
April 2017
"My last look is always my favorite! This is actually one of the first times I wore my natural hair on a carpet. I rock a lot of braids, a lot of twists, a lot of natural hairstyles, but it's never been down. This is my first natural hairstyle where it's been down and free, and where I got to use all my products, which was amazing!"
"I plan on doing this more often, because I want to show people how to use the products. All of their looks can be red carpet ready, too. I also wanted to show that as much as I wear weaves and extensions, I've been treating my own hair with as much care as possible."
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