I’ve been following Maya Smith and her brand, The Doux, on social media for a few years now. I think the thing that caught my attention about this brand, from the very beginning, was her love and homage to old-school hip hop.  It was apparent in her branding, her personal style, and in her product line.  Just scroll through the bottom of her Instagram feed and you’ll see what I mean. https://www.instagram.com/ilovethedoux

The Woman Behind The Doux

As a mother and woman of color, I can’t help to be inspired by the story of Maya Smith and how The Doux came to be.  While still in high school, Maya got her license to cut hair AND graduated from beauty school. After graduation, she went on to work with celebrity stylist, Tracy Johnson as an assistant and then progressed to styling hair for celebs and entertainers.

She later opened up her first salon for textured hair, in Germany, where she was relocated as a military wife. Her salon served women all over Europe and as far as Africa.  Her products were first launched overseas but then eventually made their debut here in the U.S., due to demand.

Today, Maya leads her own team of stylists at The Doux salon in Macon, GA, and is celebrating the success of her recent product launch in Target Stores nationwide.

I’ve seen her products displayed prominently on end caps in my local Target, where the packaging has so much punch, they separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  These natural products are impressive to look at.  Check them out!

More On Naturally Stellar | Newest Target Collections Come Just In Time For Spring And Home Makeovers

Love and Hip Hop, A Perfect Match

I’m an old-school hip-hop head, so I fell in love with the musical references and clever names given to her products. Not to mention, the whole aesthetic of the salon and how Maya catered to heat-styling naturals, like me.

I’ve always been a proponent of letting people live.  I don’t believe in chastising naturals that may prefer to rock heat styles from time to time.  Or, those who specifically prefer to wear their hair heat styled versus rocking their natural curls.   At the beginning of my personal journey (23 Years ago), I wore my hair straight or in micro braids as I transitioned from relaxers.  I was never a big chopped girl, so to me, heat styling was something that I was comfortable with and I knew what my hair could and couldn’t tolerate.  The straightening comb and flat-iron were my jam, so breakage and heat damage were never really an issue for me.  I learned my hair. 

But I’m not gonna sugarcoat, it was a struggle learning how to care for my hair without chemicals and there weren’t a lot of great references, groups, or places online to learn about caring for natural hair.

So I’ve probably been natural for about as long as Maya has been perfecting her craft and learning her clients’ hair needs.  She really gets it.  That’s what I appreciate about the woman behind the brand and the #glowup to competing in a big box retailer. 

The Doux At Target

When I first heard that The Doux would be coming to Target.  I started to get excited because I had wanted to try this product line for so long, but like many naturals, I am super picky about what I use on my hair.  I also like to use whole collections vs. buying one-off products.

To me, product lines work best when all of the products are used in conjunction with each other.  I hate splitting up lines unless I have no other choice.

I did not receive the complete line for The Doux to try, so I won’t be doing a full review until I get a chance to get my hands on One Love, Bonita Afro Balm, and The Light.  But I must say I am really impressed with the packaging and the ingredients, from what I do have so far.

This week I tried Mousse Def right before my latest blowout, in preparation for braiding and a crochet braid install.  I think it worked well as a heat protectant for that process.  My blowout came out really soft and bouncy. The product smells great and I’m looking forward to trying it out on a future natural rod set.

More on Naturally Stellar | Natural Hair Inspiration – Zury Naturalistar Rod Set 

Other The Doux Products To Check Out

• Big Poppa – Defining gel
• One Love – Co-wash *My Fav!
• C.R.E.A.M. – Twist and curl cream
• Pop Lock – Wash and go glaze
• Fresh to Def – Leave in conditioner spray
• We Want Easy – Leave in conditioner and smoothing lotion
• Swag Goo – Edge control gel