Taraji P. Henson Has a Fully Functional Nail Salon in Her House

Annie Blay
·7 min read
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Collage: Bella Geraci; Source images: Getty

Welcome to Shelf Life, where celebrities break down every last detail of their beauty routines. Today, actor Taraji P. Henson reveals her hidden beauty talent, the luxe tool she uses in her skin care routine, and her best hair care tips.

If you think pampering is a bad word, Taraji P. Henson is the wrong person to talk to. The actor takes her beauty routines and rituals very seriously. This includes slathering herself in fragrant body washes, creams, and oils daily, switching up her manicure weekly, and using an airbrush tool in her skin-care routine. If you’ve seen any of Henson’s onscreen characters (like Shug Avery in The Color Purple or Lauren in Think Like a Man) you know they tend to have a glamorous flair—that isn’t dissimilar from Henson IRL. “I love to luxuriate. That's my favorite word,” Henson tells Allure.

Henson is now on a mission to help women everywhere incorporate a little luxury into their lives through her beauty brand, TPH by Taraji. “We [women] are so busy trying to take care of everybody else in the family….who's taking care of us, who's pouring into us?” says Henson. “I realized that we need to change this narrative.”

The brand has body and hair care products that are intended to be used together in a routine. At a glance, the aromatic five-step body and hair routines (which Henson herself abides by) might seem like a lot, but Henson sees them through the lens of self-care. “I look forward to washing my hair now, and I have these steps because it forces me to slow down,” she says.

Here, Henson breaks down her beauty practices in greater depth—including the spa practice she uses in her skin care routine and the personalized nail salon she’s created in her home.

Hair

I wash my hair every week. If it's in a protective style, I spend a little more time on it and use a scalp scrub; usually my Never Salty Scalp Scrub. For my wash days, I’ll use the TPH by Taraji Strengthening & Lengthening line I love using the Felicia Leatherwood Detangler Brush while I have the New Levelz conditioner in my hair. If my hair is out [not in a protective style], nine times out of 10 it's probably up in a curly bun.

TPH By Taraji Never Salty Scalp Scrub

$14.00, Walmart

TPH By Taraji So Lengthy Strengthening & Lengthening Shampoo

$10.00, Walmart

TPH By Taraji Long Run Bonding & Strengthening Treatment

$12.00, Walmart

TPH By Taraji New Levelz Conditioner

$10.00, Walmart

Felicia Leatherwood Brush

$28.00, Amazon

Skin

I start by cleansing my face with the Miage Purity Clarifying Cleanser that Sheryl Lee Ralph gifted me. It cleans your face but doesn't feel like it’s stripping it of all the moisture — plus it smells like bananas. I’ll use my Lancôme Crème Radiance Gentle Cleansing Creamy-Foam Cleanser too, depending on if I’m in Los Angeles or Atlanta. Right now, I’m in Atlanta, so the Miage is what I have in my shower.

Miage Skin Purity Clarifying Cleanser

$69.00, Amazon

Lancôme Crème Radiance Gentle Cleansing Creamy-Foam Cleanser

$38.00, Nordstrom

If I have time in the morning, I'll do a mask. If I don't have time, I'll use the Dermora Golden Glow Under Eye Patches because I feel like I need help under the eyes when I first wake up — they're soothing and make me feel good. Then I use Dr. Diamond’s Metacine Plasma serum. My makeup artist gave me this Le Mieux airbrush tool, so I use that to spray on my serum. I always finish with my JMSolution Marine Luminous Pearl Sun Spray, which has SPF 50.

Dermora Golden Glow Under Eye Patches

$17.00, Amazon

Dr. Diamond’s Metacine Plasma Serum

$200.00, Moda Operandi

In the evenings, I’ll get in the dry sauna and sweat out those toxins. After that, I put on a hydrating mask, usually the JMSolutions Marine Luminous Pearl Deep Moisture Mask which is a three-step mask. It starts with the essence, the mask, then the face cream. After I do my mask, I'll usually slather on the Miage Invoke The Night Cream, and then I'll go to sleep.

JMSolution Marine Luminous Pearl Sun Spray

$10.00, Walmart

JMSolution Marine Luminous Pearl Deep Moisture Mask

$16.00, Amazon

Miage Skin Invoke The Night Cream

$179.00, Miage Skin

Makeup

I try to duplicate what Saisha Beecham, my makeup artist, puts on my face. For my base, I use the Koh Gen Do foundation—if I’m doing a real face beat and I need coverage—and the Lip Bar Quick Conceal Caffeine concealer. I love the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Color Adaptive Blush, and there’s this Dior Backstage Contour palette that I love for bronzing. It’s discontinued now but it’s the perfect palette because it has a pink powder, a translucent powder, a dark brown shade for bronzing, and a light gold bronze for highlighter.

Koh Gen Do Foundation

$96.00, Amazon

Fenty Beauty Match Stix Color Adaptive Blush

$32.00, Ulta Beauty

The Lip Bar Quick Conceal Caffeine Concealer

$15.00, Target

Lancôme L’Absolu Lip Gloss

$28.00, Nordstrom

I always finish with the Lancôme L’Absolu Lip Gloss. It’s this incredible rosy plumping lip gloss that I love. I don't even know if it's plumping my lips, I just love it; I love things that tingle.

Body

My girlfriend Lisa Logan, who is a nail artist, makes soap through her brand The Body Suite, so she always sends me soap; I start with that in the shower.

Then I luxuriate with the entire TPH body line. I'm not being biased just because it's my product; this is what I actually use. I use the Good Daze body wash even after using the bar soap because the body wash has mandarin, and any citrusy smell puts me in a great mood. After the body wash, I do the Baby Buff’d scrub to exfoliate followed by the Ish Condish because, again, it has mandarin in it.

TPH By Taraji Baby Buff’d

$12.00, Walmart

TPH By Taraji The Ish Condish

$11.00, Walmart

TPH By Taraji Good Daze Body Wash

$9.00, Walmart

When I get out of the shower I use Softer Than A Mutha shea butter and Anything Glows Oil mixed and put on my favorite robe from Savage X Fenty. That's what I use for my body every day. I'll be late for a meeting because I don't skip a step.

TPH By Taraji Anything Glows Oil

$13.00, TPH By Taraji

TPH By Taraji Softer Than A Mutha Shea Butter

$12.00, Walmart

Savage X Fenty Forever Savage Showgirl Short Robe

$75.00, Savage X Fenty

Nails

The nail girls—the professional nail techs—love me because they swear I’m a pro, too. They send me free products because they [think] I have customers. I ain't doing nobody but my own. But I do have a functioning salon in my house. Most of the time I’m wearing press-ons made by my nail technician Temeka Jackson. I have her pre-make them so I can switch out sets as quickly as I want.

Aprés Almond-Shaped Long Tips

$19.00, Amazon

Aprés Novice Extend Gel

$23.00, Aprés

Nail Tek Recovery System

$16.00, Amazon

For this movie I'm doing right now, Fight Night, I did my own nails — I put on the almond-shaped long tips from Aprés using the Novice Extend Gel. Sometimes you'll catch my work on the red carpet, too. I'm a true Virgo, so I don't like to be at the mercy of anybody’s schedule; I'll do it myself if I have to. And underneath those nails, my nails are healthy AF because I take care of them using the Nail Tek Recovery System. It's a little three-polish system that has a cuticle oil, a fiber filler, and a strengthening polish.

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Originally Appeared on Allure