POSHbeauty
Rihanna’s
Hair Stylist’s Collection of Rihanna is the queen of hairstyle morphing. She rocks her long, long tendrils just as beautifully as she can slay cropped short hair. All this is thanks to her natural Barbadian good looks, and of course, her absolutely fabulous hairstylist, Yusef Williams.
Hair Tools
However, Yusef has a little help—his hairstyling tools! Over the years, Yusef learned the ins and outs of his work tools. He knew that one of the most important elements of creating perfect works of hair art was using quality hair tools. In his interview with Essence, Yusef tells more about the story behind his latest baby. THE Y BY YUSEF: THE BACKSTORY We can say that the many interviews about hair tools that Yusef had, was the lightbulb idea that kicked off his hair tools collection project. He said, “I found myself doing an overwhelming amount of interviews about [my] tools, but it was weird. So I thought, how do I come up with something that’s super cool to where every woman can have these things at her fingertips and know exactly what they’re for? These are essentials. They work, they’re durable, they’re affordable.” Yusef took time and utmost care to ensure that his hair tools’ production was high-quality, such that the brand could speak for itself. One of the reasons he “busted his ass” and put in much time, research, and effort to make sure his tools were top-line was because there were no brands out there that he could compare the collection to, so he had to make self-effort to ensure everything worked right.
If you have ever fallen in love with any of Rihanna’s hair looks, your gratitude should go to Yusef for creating another premium masterpiece. Yusef prides himself on his work and his ability to create unique yet grounded hairstyles for Rihanna from scratch.
The tools are functional and clever to ease up the hairstyling process. For instance, you could part, detangle, and braid hair using just one item out of his hairstyling collection. He designed brushes with a hidden pin that only comes to play when you need it. Through research about various hair tools’ origins, Yusef made the most of them by simply enhancing their functions.
With the multiplicity of each tool’s functions, hairstylists no longer have to work with so many tools in one hand. These products are also made to be durable and long-lasting; some are even made with titanium barrels for type 4C queens with tougher-textured hair. Yusef considered hair attributes for different hair types and paid attention to the littlest details, so the products are all-hair type-inclusive. “I’m always trying to make things accessible and cool at the same time. Because I feel like hair is just icing on the cake, so if your hair is going to be pulled back in a ponytail, there are things you can do to give it that push. That street cred... Hair with purpose,” William said.
THE Y BY YUSEF: THE COLLECTION
The collection launched in New York City, last spring, at the peak of the pandemic. Without much pomp and fanfare, and only word of mouth promotion, the brand kicked off. Yusef released a styling course called the Y Sessions with the collection to help eager hair stylists boost their styling game and style like a pro. The affordability of the items in his collection means one thing for sure; Williams is eager to bid bad hair days goodbye for everyone. Check out some of the tools that caught our fancy on The Y by Yusef site.
1. YUSEF 2 PK TOOTHBRUSH WITH SECTIONING PIN
2. YUSEF 2-SIDED CLUB BRUSH
Many of us are guilty of substituting toothbrushes for laying our edges or styling the hair. Wrong!
This is another versatile 2-in-1 tool. One side works for polishing coarse beard hair; the other smoothly distributes natural oils. It goes for $12.
Yusef ’s 2 pk Toothbrush with Sectioning Pin is the ideal tool you need for laying those edges because it is designed for hair. Even nicer, you get a sectioning pin with a bald tip to help you section your hair accurately. No more switching tools while styling. 3. YUSEF 8 CT. NO CREASE CLIP KIT
These babies are an absolute delight for styling hair without crease. You can pin your hair in different styles without a mark or a bend, all for $15.
4. YUSEF BRUSH AND BOTTLE SET
Yusef also has a few pro sets in his collection. This one is our favorite. At $60, hair professionals can cop this much-needed styling set for everyday use.
