Latest news with #Cécred
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
I used Beyoncé's Cécred products on my curly, heat-damaged hair — here are my honest thoughts
When Beyoncé teased a new beauty brand, it was pure pandemonium online. When that was later revealed to be a haircare collection, the reception was overjoyed yet mixed. While some were banking on a wig and extensions brand (Beyoncé reportedly has countless wigs on rotation worth tens to hundreds of thousands), others were excited for a glimpse at the singer's hair secrets — and natural hair. The fact that Beyoncé grew up as a salon kid means that a lot of Cécred's core insight comes from her mother, Tina Knowles. Tina had shown how healthy and long Beyoncé's natural hair was online a few years before we even caught a whisper of Cécred, and the brand rollout showed insightful demos from both, plus an arsenal of notable hair and scalp pros like trichologist Dr Kari Williams. After six years in the making, the result is a masterfully elevated line that outperforms in both aesthetics and formulation with a powerhouse ingredients list honoring the best of science and nature globally. If you're looking for damage repair, moisture, and a power reset for the scalp, these are the strongest pillars I feel Cécred performs the best in. How I tested As a beauty editor, haircare has always been my main focus — especially scalp health, hair growth and loss, damage repair, and black-owned brands for curly-afro types. While my own hair is curly, fine (plus heat and color damaged), and finicky about what products it likes, I know it well, as well as other hair types and how formulations might respond to them. Some of the range I purchased myself and have been using for a year, and while a couple of products didn't earn five stars during my first impressions, giving them more time and learning how to make the most of them changed my mind over time. The remainder of the products were received for review and tested over a month. My expectations for Cécred's varied by product, so I've broken it down for you below: Cécred's clarifying shampoo and scalp scrub: I wanted the product to deeply cleanse and correct my unbalanced scalp, give a satisfying sensory scrub experience that's not too fine or too coarse, and to leave my hair feeling clean yet not squeaky. Cécred's moisturizing deep conditioner: I was looking for something to deeply hydrate rather than strengthen, allow for easy instant detangling after a deep cleanse, and add softness and shine to dry results after just one use. Cécred's reconstructing treatment mask: I wanted it to make hair feel and look stronger, noticeably increase strand elasticity and reduce breakage over time with fewer split ends, and to also allow for easy detangling in the shower. Cécred's fermented rice and rose protein ritual: I was expecting it to function like rival two-step protein/bond-building treatments from the likes of Aphogee, by making hair stronger, more supple, and hydrated after just one use. Cécred's moisture sealing lotion: I was looking for it to add softness, shine, and some hold to my curls, whether worn loose or in hairstyles that require some slicking down. Cécred's nourishing hair oil: To impress me, it needed to lock in moisture as hair dries, and add shine to dried hair day by day. Why you can trust IndyBest U.S. reviews IndyBest U.S. is the ultimate destination for product reviews from The Independent, all of which are a result of real-world testing. Ava Welsing-Kitcher is a beauty editor based in Los Angeles. She has a decade's worth of experience, accruing a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the products that do (and importantly don't) work. She has a particular interest in haircare products, with a focus on scalp health, hair growth and loss, damage repair, and black-owned brands for curly-afro types, making her the perfect candidate for this review of Beyoncé's brand Cécred.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Meghan Markle on the "Extraordinary Advice" Tina Knowles Gave Her During New Bonus Podcast Episode
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Duchess of Sussex wrapped up the first season of her new Lemonada Media podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder With Meghan, last week, but on Tuesday, June 3, she released a bonus episode—and none other than Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, opened up about her decades of experience as an entrepreneur. Speaking exclusively to Marie Claire, Meghan says, "Wrapping 'Confessions of a Female Founder' with Tina Knowles felt like the perfect end to a very special podcast; as I grow my own business, As ever, I spoke to women who had turned their own entrepreneurial dreams into reality." "Ms. Tina's conversation fulfills the promise of the podcast, offering extraordinary advice, and sharing insights about being a working mom, building something special, and remaining true to herself through every twist and turn," she continues. "This episode proves to be a powerful toolkit of truths that I will apply to my own life as I, too, grow my business, care for my family, and look forward to new adventures." Knowles, who opened Houston hair salon Headliners in 1990, told Meghan she "learned to be a boss" through her decades in the hair industry. 'I think that you start your business and then you find yourself," she said during the episode. "It gives you confidence that you didn't have before." When it comes to Cécred, her haircare line with Beyoncé, Knowles—who released her memoir, Matriarch, in April—said it was a longtime goal to create her own beauty products. 'It has been a dream of mine forever, and Beyoncé, it's been a dream of hers,' she told the duchess. In fact, Knowles revealed that Beyoncé "could actually be a hairstylist" since she grew up watching her at the salon. When Meghan asked what it was like working with her daughter, the number-one New York Times bestselling author said that she deferred to the "Single Ladies" singer on business decisions. "You know you have disagreements, and you have to—I'm the one to always cave," Knowles admitted. "If my kids are mad at me, I can't take it. I'll cave." She added that with Beyoncé, "If we have a disagreement, it's her business, so she gets the win." While discussing the behind-the-scenes stresses of launching a brand, the Duchess of Sussex shared what happened after her new lifestyle brand, As ever, sold out of its jam, tea, honey and baking mixes less than an hour after its debut. "For me at the moment with As ever, it we plan, we planned for a year, and then everything sells out in 45 minutes—which yes, amazing. Great news," the duchess said. "Then what do you do then?" Knowles interjected. Meghan said that she contemplated what her brand's next move should be while looking at it from a customer's perspective. "And then you say, 'Okay, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer?'" the duchess continued. Ultimately, Meghan said she decided to reassess rather than leave people disappointed. "I'm looking at it saying, 'Just pause. That happened. Let's wait until we are completely stable and we have everything we need.'" Knowles agreed based on her own experiences, with Meghan adding that the public can "see all the flashy stuff and they see the product. But that end game…I think you're right. Those behind the scenes moments, how many tears I've shed." The duchess pointed out that a "scarcity mentality at the beginning might be a hook for people," comparing it to "a sneaker drop." However, she said in terms of a long-term customer experience, it's not ideal. "I don't want you to eat that jam once every six months!" she said.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How CFOs and CMOs can team up to drive long-term growth
Good morning. Some modern CFOs now view marketing as a growth center rather than a cost center. Yet, despite this shift in mindset, marketing is still taking a back seat at many companies, squeezed by trade tensions, economic uncertainty, and cautious consumer spending. New research from McKinsey highlights the evolving role of the chief marketing officer (CMO) and argues that better alignment between the CMO, CEO, and CFO is key to finding new growth opportunities. However, achieving this alignment is easier said than done. When accountability for the customer is unclear and everyone in the C-suite is responsible for growth, often no one truly is. McKinsey's analysis of Fortune 500 executive teams, based on publicly available data, reveals a telling trend: companies with a single customer- or growth-focused executive, such as a CMO, grow up to 2.3 times faster than companies with multiple roles sharing those responsibilities. But simply appointing a CMO isn't enough. 'Pull the CMO back to the center, have them align with the CFO, and get everyone moving in the same direction,' McKinsey recommends. Without clear ownership and support, even the most talented CMO can't deliver their full potential. Despite its strategic importance, marketing is often sidelined. According to Spencer Stuart, the percentage of Fortune 500 companies with a CMO dropped from 71% in 2023 to just 66% in 2024. One challenge: CMOs often struggle to clearly communicate the value and costs of marketing to their finance counterparts. The most successful marketing organizations use sophisticated systems and agreed-upon KPIs to demonstrate the financial impact of their investments, McKinsey finds. This data-driven approach helps get CFOs on board. Retail is one sector where this alignment is increasingly evident. Ulta Beauty CFO Paula Oyibo, for example, recently told me that the company's partnership with Beyoncé's Cécred hair care line is a natural fit—highlighting how marketing and partnerships can drive growth. Similarly, Mandy Fields, CFO of e.l.f. Beauty, believes in the power of collaboration between finance and marketing. 'Oftentimes they're at odds because finance looks at marketing as an expense,' she told me. 'We have taken a different approach, seeing marketing as a sales driver, and that has proven to work for us.' For the full year 2024, e.l.f. Beauty delivered 28% sales growth and a 26% increase in adjusted EBITDA. Kory Marchisotto, chief marketing officer at e.l.f. Beauty, recently told me that from the first day she and Fields met, 'we just knew that, whatever was going to happen around us, there was this common respect and admiration for each other's career.' As McKinsey puts it, for growth strategies to succeed, C-suite leaders must truly view marketing as a strategic function. Have a good weekend. See you on Monday. Sheryl This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle Talks Possible Future Collab with Princess Lilibet—and Tina Knowles Weighs In
Running a business is no small feat—but throw family into the mix and, well, things can get complicated fast. Meghan Markle touched on exactly that during the latest episode of her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, in a conversation with none other than Tina Knowles. Yep, that Tina Knowles—the woman who raised Beyoncé and built a brand alongside her with their haircare line, Cécred. If anyone has insight on navigating family and business, it's her. During their chat on the Tuesday, June 3 episode, Meghan brought up a really sweet and thoughtful idea: What would it be like to one day go into business with her daughter, Princess Lilibet? 'What fascinates me about Cécred is that you're working directly with your daughter,' Meghan said. 'Just curious—I wonder if one day I'll be in business with Lili and we'll be building something.' She then asked Tina what advice she'd give to anyone going into business with a family member, especially a mother or daughter. Tina didn't hold back with her honest (and very relatable) answer. She said working with Beyoncé is 'the best' but also acknowledged that it comes with challenges. 'There are difficulties sometimes because when you're dealing with your child—or their dealing with their mother—you know, you have disagreements,' she explained. 'I'm the one that always caves. I've been like that since I was young. If my kids are mad at me, I can't take it, so I'll apologize.' She was quick to clarify she wasn't a pushover, though. 'Not that they ran over me—because they were really good kids. But even as adults, if we have a disagreement or whatever, I'm the one to call because I don't want to waste that time. And I don't ever want to not be close to my kids.' Tina added that trust is essential in a partnership and Meghan chimed in to agree, adding that communication is just as important. And honestly? That might be the ultimate family business strategy: love, trust and knowing when to call first. Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here. Meghan Markle's Baby-Naming Advice Is Incredibly Simple (But Low-Key Brilliant)
Elle
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Meghan Markle Turned To Beyoncé's Mum For Advice On Working With Lilibet
Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet will turn four tomorrow, but her mother is already dreaming about Lili's career and the possibility of them being in business together. The Duchess of Sussex interviewed Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, on her podcast Confessions of a Female Founder and asked Knowles for her advice on working with your children. Meghan specifically asked Knowles about Beyoncé's hair care line, Cécred, which Knowles and Beyoncé work on together. (Knowles is a beautician and owned a Houston salon when Beyoncé was growing up.) 'I mean, I wonder if one day I'll be in business with Lili and we'll be building something...' she began, before asking Knowles, 'What advice do you have for people really digging into business together in that way, especially as mother and daughter?' Knowles had a thoughtful answer, saying, 'There are difficulties sometimes because when you're dealing with your child or they're dealing with their mother. You have disagreements and you have to—I'm the one to always cave. I've been like that since I was young. If my kids are mad at me, I can't take it. So, I'll cave, I'll apologize. Not that they ran over me because they were really good kids, but even as adults, if we have a disagreement or whatever, I'm the one to call because I don't want to waste that time, and I don't ever want to not be close to my kids. It's just my priority.' On working with Beyoncé, Knowles said that she respects her daughter's judgment. 'We have disagreements about things, but it's her business,' she said. 'I'm helping with the business because I just want to leave this earth knowing that she is, other than entertainment, is going to be okay. That's a big part of it for me. But overall, we get along really, really well.' You can listen to the full episode here. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
