I always thought Blake Lively would launch a beauty brand. I had no idea if it would be skincare like Haley Bieber's Lorde or feel-good cosmetics like Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty. But in a post-Gossip Girl world, it only seemed fitting that Lively should finally bottle the ingredients responsible for Selena Van Der Woodsen's enviable head of hair and flawless skin.

But as the celebrity beauty craze swept the industry, Blake Lively's name was never whispered. Aside from casual gossip on Deuxmoi, an anonymously hosted celebrity podcast, there was no concrete evidence of Lively jumping into the beauty world. (She did, however, launch Betty Buzz, a brand of non-alcoholic beverages. I opened the subject line: "There was an invitation to meet with Lively to discuss her new beauty brand. A few days later, a package arrived at my apartment containing samples from a mystery lab. It was not revealed which beauty category they belonged to, but they smelled incredible. It smelled of santal, bergamot, and vanilla.

Two weeks later, one night after the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine, Lively had a phone-free meeting with beauty editors at Fouquet's penthouse in New York City. There she introduced Tilted Blake Brown, a Target-exclusive hair care product line that took seven years to perfect.

Blake Brown's debut lineup includes eight fragrant products, ranging from nourishing shampoos to volumizing mousses to three rich hair masks. Each was rigorously tested by Lively's friends and family, as well as her husband Ryan Reynolds.

One would assume that a hair brand with eight products would also include conditioner. However, Blake Brown does not. Out of the blue, Lively does not even believe in conditioner. Instead, she is a shampoo and hair mask person. 'I use a mask every time,' she says. I don't want to provide conditioner just to provide conditioner," Lively said.

Blake Brown's flagship products are designed like a system, with a fortifying shampoo and mask duo and a nourishing duo. The two can be alternated to provide both strength and elasticity. They are also designed to be used in small spaces. They fit together like a "beehive" and can be lined up or stacked.

Blake Brown means that although they look and smell decadent, they are meant to be everyday luxuries. 'The reason I like this line is the same reason I'm a foodie. I have to eat, I have to drink water. I wanted to create a smell that I would want to wear. I wanted to make it more affordable, and I wanted the packaging to be beautiful."

After meeting Lively, I was sent back to Marie Claire headquarters with all of Blake Brown's products. Having finally learned her beauty secrets, I needed to know if her products would work for different hair types; after testing all eight products with my team, the general consensus was that "scent is really the star."

Read Marie Claire's honest review of Blake Lively's hair brand Blake Brown and more important details about the line here.

"No matter what perfume I wear, people smell my hair," Lively says. Her Blake Brown products are the closest they can get to knowing what her curls smell like without meeting her.

Guided by a gourmet palette, Lively drew inspiration from her favorite perfumes and candles. These include the discontinued Burberry's The Beat, Votivo's Red Currant Candle, and Diptyque's L'eau de Neroli.

However, the actual Blake Brown blend is clearly unique and, in my personal opinion, the highlight of the brand. Each product is infused with milky musk, vanilla, sandalwood, and citrus. The scents are good enough to really eat, while remaining uplifting enough that you might not even need perfume.

Sentimental story. Blake Lively's father took her mother's last name when they married. Brown was her father's last name, so by naming her Blake Brown, the actress and slash entrepreneur "honors" her father.

"I'm convinced Blake Lively and I have the same nose. I'm picky about fragrance, so with the exception of four or five well-used perfumes, I opt for all of them unscented. But when I sneaked a whiff of Blake Brown's product in early July, I immediately asked Lively to bottle the scent into a hair perfume. The Sandalwood Vanille scent is my favorite, but frankly, every scent is delicious. It's sweet and alluring, but with a leathery base that keeps it from resembling baked goods too much.

"My favorite part of this product is the pre-shampoo mask. Technically you are supposed to leave it on for 30 minutes, but I use it to leave my hair back for 8 hours (oops). I have fine hair, so after I leave the mask in, I double shampoo with Fundamental Strength Shampoo. At this point, I notice that my hair is incredibly silky and knots much less than usual. Also, the shower smells amazing.

"I have to admit I was nervous about replacing the conditioner with a hair mask, convinced that using it multiple times every other day would make my fine hair oily. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. After these five washes, I noticed that my hair was stronger, healthier, shinier, and smoother. It doesn't warp my hair color or irritate my sensitive scalp.

"Overall, I am incredibly impressed.

"I've been a loyal fan of Ouai's dry shampoo for years, but the brand recently discontinued it - cue panic. So the launch of Blake Brown couldn't have come at a better time. I was skeptical at first, but it worked. I immediately noticed that my hair had more luster and bounce. Being colorless, it didn't leave white streaks in my dark hair. However, I did not like the woody, amber scent."

"At first, I was skeptical of the hair care Blake Lively recommended. I love hair masks, but using them in place of conditioner seemed time consuming and unnecessary. However, the routine produced impressive results, including defined, soft curls and lots of volume. I just wish it could tame the frizz as well as my thicker, more curl-oriented products, but I'll probably pair this shampoo and conditioner on less humid days."

"The Blake Brown mousse has given my hair serious shine and body. I blended a golf ball sized amount from roots to ends and blow-dried at the highest temperature until my hair was dry. My hair is basically not very shiny, but this lightweight mousse added a lot of shine. It didn't weigh my hair down or make my roots greasy. The scent is wonderful, but not overpowering. It smells more like a perfume than an actual hair product."

"Blake Brown's Leave-In Potion promises to detangle, prime, protect, smooth, and much more, and after trying it myself, I can say it delivers. After a few sprays after showering, I noticed that my hair was immediately softer. Also, the unruly springiness on the top of my head that I struggled with every day subsided. A small amount works wonders, especially for fine, thin hair like mine. The best thing about this leave-in, however, is its scent. It has an earthy, woody scent that stays in my hair all day."