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The Late Late Show with James Corden

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When you see Gabrielle Union these days, the beloved actress turned beauty boss is proudly flaunting her natural hair in curls or corn rows. But she didn’t always love her hair the way she does today. Union is like many women, who’ve had to relearnt the beauty of her hair the way it grows from her scalp.

“When I was younger, I hated everything about [my hair]. I wanted it to be anything but what it was,” Union told PEOPLE in an interview. “I wasted so much of my youth in my twenties, thirties and certainly my teens wanting to be someone else. I was inundated with images and messages saying, ‘You’re just not as pretty as so-and-so.'”

It took Union 40 years to “empty her bag of f*cks.” But better late than never! Ever since she embarked on a journey of self-love she’s discovered her true essence and been able to instill in her daughter, Kaavia Wade, that same confidence and space to grow into herself. She also launched a beauty line to help other women care for their natural hair.

Flawless by Gabrielle Union is a budget-friendly collection of products created to nourish your natural hair and get it to its healthiest state. She and Flawless collaborated Larry Sims, recently taught a masterclass on how to achieve the a flawless two strand twist out in partnership with Sally Beauty’s DIY University, a platform that gives everyday women access to haircare professionals.

“There’s something about mastering a hairstyle. I have really tight shoulders so doing my hair at home is a real challenge,” Union said.

As for her baby girl Kaavia, she told our sister site MadameNoire, “You’ll see her natural curls. You’ll also see that they’re going to be moisturized. That’s more of what I care about, hair health, not the style.”

Shoutout to Gabrielle’s new growth *pun intended*.

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