Lianna Albrizio, Assistant Editor09.05.22
Cue 2 Unlimited’s “Get Ready for This.”
Bring It On—the epic cheerleading comedy-drama shot at the turn of the 21st Century starring Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union—is having a renaissance of sorts. Brandi Williams, entrepreneur and one-half of the girl group Blaque, also known for her role in the cult classic film as Clover cheerleader LaFred, is launching a limited-edition cosmetics line through her two-year-old cosmetics brand BEIPolished. The Bring It collection debuts to celebrate the beloved blockbuster’s 22nd anniversary.
Williams created the limited-edition collection with fellow Blaque member Shamari DeVoe, who is also a cheerleader in the film.
“I can’t believe it’s been 22 years. It feels like we shot it last week,” said Williams in a recent Zoom interview with Happi. “The craziness is that it’s still a pop culture phenomenon. People still love it. They’re dressing up like the Clovers for Halloween. It’s still, after 22 years, a special movie, and we are so thankful that people fell in love with this movie…We couldn’t ask for a better movie to be a part of.”
Williams started BEIPolished in 2020 when Blaque was forced to halt touring due to the covid-19 pandemic. During that time, she put her energy into turning her other dream of forming a cosmetics line into a reality.
BEI—which stands for Beautiful Elegant Icon—includes a range of highly-pigmented vegan and cruelty-free nail polishes along with a long-wearing gloss.
“Feeling glamorous and special—I just want women to feel like that when they wear the product,” said Williams.
Spirit Fingers are Golden
Movie fans can polish their “spirit fingers” with Bring It’s two shades—an intense, vibrant orange and electric yellow, both of which match the girls’ personalities and Clover uniform. Williams likens the orange hue, called Bring It Brandi, to her optimistic personality and a setting sun that’s not too strong; the kind she and consumers would “want to be in.”
“That’s what nail polish is about—a form of self-expression. Being creative, expressing your personality like there’s no rules. This matches me like ‘I’m cool, calm, collected, but I have an edge and a spunk to it,’” explained Williams. “Shamari’s is super bright, super fun, super off the chain—that’s her personality. She’s always up, always wants to have a good time, super energized. That’s what the yellow [represents].”
Williams likes to embellish her acrylic nails with jewels applied by her nail technician, an accessory she hopes to incorporate into her nail polish line in 2023.
What’s more, BEI nail polishes also contain healing properties to fortify nails and heal cracked nail beds while argan oil helps with shine. Williams recommends using BEIpolished nail polishes for 60-90 days as a manicure and pedicure before consumers see an effect.
More Than Nails
The Bring It On collection also includes a long-wearing lip gloss, a relatively new product for the brand. BEIPolished currently offers five lip colors available with matching nail polishes.
“I wear this stuff every day,” said Williams about the lip color. “I don’t have to reapply it a million times. You can eat, drink with it, and you’ll still have it on. It’s not super sticky. It’s kissable; you can kiss your boo and he won’t be like ‘what is this? Get this off of me.’”
Williams said BEIPolished plans to expand its lip offerings, including a full gloss line timed for Valentine’s Day 2023.
“It’s all about self-love and self-care, and if putting nail polish on makes you feel like a million bucks, then do it. And that’s what I want people to feel when they wear BEIPolished,” Williams said.
Consumers can pick up the Bring It Collection while supplies last here.