Looking for specifics? Ahead Kelly Rowland opens up about her skin-care routine, favorite way to wear her hair, and the special bond she shares with Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, for Glamour’s Big Beauty Questions.
Glamour: If someone looks at your Instagram, they will see that you’re a girl’s girl. Who are the women that inspire you right now?
Kelly Rowland: I have a great circle. We champion each other. It’s not one-sided. And we love each other. We support each other. Even the ones you don’t see on camera, like my girls back home in Houston. I have a beautiful circle and they happen to be very talented as well. We’re not competing against each other. We compete against the person we look at in the mirror every day.
Not only do you support the people in your life, but you show support for organizations that you believe in—specifically Baby2Baby and Birth Fund. Why is it so important for you to show up and show out?
With Birth Fund, I remember Elaine [Welteroth] called me about it and she told me how crazy the numbers were. This money goes directly to the mothers so that they can feel safe and cared for. They will have the funds to have a safe pregnancy and to feel like they have someone to advocate for them.
When I became a mother, I became a part of Baby2Baby. I met Kelly Sawyer, CEO of Baby2Baby, and she told me that in my position, a lot of people will send me things. She said, “Whatever you don’t use, my kids need them.” In my head, I’m going, How many kids does she have? But she was talking about all of these babies. The more I got involved, the deeper I got into the Baby2Baby family. So it holds a special place for me.
Switching gears, you’re not one to shy away from changing up your hair. Fill in the blank: I love my hair when ___.
I love my hair when it’s freshly washed and I can feel the leave-in conditioner in it, and it smells so yummy. I turn my head for a moment, and I get a whiff of it. When I can see my little coils, that’s a good feeling.
What are your go-to hair products right now?
Off the top? Well, to be honest, there is a conditioner by Cécred. I’m actually kind of obsessed with it. It’s in the jar and it smells so good. I remember there was another product years ago when my mama—well, Tina [Knowles]—first started doing my hair. I get the same feeling that I felt when I first smelled that product as when I smell this one. So it’s really cool to have these moments that remind me of childhood.
What is one skin-care product you’ve been obsessed with recently?
I’ve been using the Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream. I’m really particular when it comes to products, I don’t sugarcoat anything. But when I tell you, I tried it, and I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. Let me try again. So I tried it again and it’s just so hydrating. So I always look for that in products.
