#Scandal 4 x 1: Back to Life From the Beach

Situation at the Location: Livin’ La Vida Pacífica

In the opening scene of “Randy, Red, Superfreak and Julia,” Olivia (a.k.a. Julia Baker) has gotten her life on the coast of Zanzibar. Curly, bouncy natural hair reigned supreme for the political fixer since we last saw her. Her beach was better with a pair of Dior Exquise Sunglasses, her Monique Pean White Diamond & Gold Cage Ring, a white Kosmos by La Perla Mare Non-Wired Swimsuit, a Roberta Freyman Nicola Dress Magik…and Jake. I imagined the former B-613 operative bathing her in countless ounces of Coola Body SPF 30 Unscented Moisturizer. These moments happened, of course, between rounds of sultry beach sex. Olivia’s lip-of-the-day, always, was Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick in Warm Caramel. Her wine? ’94 Duvillet, a lavish vino that only exists in Shondaland. Gone Girl, indeed.

Kerry Washington tweeted this photo of the sublime One & Only Luxury Resorts. Their particular site was the Ocean Club in the Bahamas.

Hair to the Yes: Heat Free Hair

Let’s get into that hair. The show’s hairstylist Linda Villalobos never identified the brand of hair extensions (sorry ladies, I know you’ve searched) Kerry wears on the show but her natural hair? I volunteer Heat Free Hair as tribute, specifically their For Koils (3B-3C) Collection.  You can manipulate the For Koils Empress Wig with a DENMAN D31 9 Row Volumizing Brush, clarifying shampoo, deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner per the brand’s wig care video:

However, grave news of a beloved gladiator cuts their impromptu getaway short. And with that, the carefree, curly-haired Julia Baker ceased to exist, and a serious, smooth-stranded Olivia Pope materialized in her wake. People Magazine (who clearly has a problem with ethnic, textured hair – hell, with black women period) tweeted the following (which the publication deleted) asinine comment:

Olivia’s back to straight hair so you KNOW she means business. #Scandal

People Magazine, really? Do you realize that there are a few natural-haired CEOs? In fact, Black Enterprise penned an article where they asked, “Natural Hair and Professionalism. An oxymoron?” and “Is it possible to reach the C-suite without straight hair?” Ask Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns. 

Perhaps the most prominent example of a black women CEO braving politically stormy Corporate America, Burns conducts business with a close-cropped fro with a sliver of corded silver. Are you telling me that this woman would be more powerful with an Olivia Pope-esque press?  To whoever posted that tweet: Girl, bye.

Hair to the Yes (Part II): MoroccanOil

Truthfully, that’s neither here or there but I’ll tell you what matters: how Olivia was able to go from curly to straight in preparation for her D.C. trip. One hair straightening system to try is the Moroccanoil Smooth  Collection ($78). Now, Olivia doesn’t have “unruly” or “frizzy” strands (buzzwords that the brand used to describe the hair of their ideal customer) but whenever she appears on-screen, her coif is always so sleek and satin personified. Image courtesy of The Cut.

The Smooth Collection has a three-step system – shampoo, conditioner, and lotion – that all work together to “tame hair and leave it soft, shiny and healthier-looking with increased manageability.” Both my sister and my mom adore the Smoothing Lotion, which is a lightweight brow-dry solution that seemingly does it all…and damn well. It tames frizz, is humidity proof, and provides definition. Usually, when a product provides medium hold, you expect to sacrifice something.  However, Moroccanoil’s formula allows the hair to move, all the while remaining soft and shiny. And as we all know, when Olivia Pope gets her strut on, her hair pulses in tandem with every step she takes. Moroccanoil will have your hair on fleek!

In my Achieve Select TV-Inspired Hairstyles with Motions post, I also said the Motions Curly to Straight system would be another option in case anyone was on a budget and prefers to straighten their hair for length checks or even trims.

In the meantime, read my Olivia Pope Hair: Her Style Regimens for Seasons 1-3 post. I’ve decided that I’ll try to make more of an effort to comment on the hair, beauty and style this season. Which hairstyle do you prefer?