Revisiting My Curl Refinery Twist Video + Plus Why I Don'T Do A Lot Of Collaborations With Bran

Hey Youtube fam: It's your girl, Lia back again with another video in today's video, as you can see from the title, I'm gon na be addressing the curl refinery and truly why I just cannot work with every brand or I don't present. Every single collaboration request that I get from anybody.. I don't respond to every email, every DM that I get from brands who want to collaborate with me. Now first, I need you guys to understand what prompted me to make this video.. This is super impromptu.. Yesterday, literally yesterday afternoon, I got this message., So I posted a photo on my Instagram. If you follow me there., I asked you guys to ask me any questions that you have about my human hair crochet install because I was going to make a whole video, which I did make a whole video. I filmed that already and I wanted to make sure I addressed you. Guys'S questions. And everybody was generally asking questions as it related to the hair itself, but one of you guys said I ordered hair by the curl refinery.. They took the money and their website is now deactivated.. Everything else was about human hair and I was like skirt What's going on here., So I messaged her back and I'm gon na blur out her name just in case she doesn't want it shared on here., But I said oh wow. When was it.. I can't even find the Instagram anymore because as soon as she messaged that., I typically ... .this has happened before where somebody has said: hey a brand that you know you showed on your channel, didn't send my thing on time. And I'm like uh-uh you're, not about To have me looking crazy out here, What's going on, I'm about to email, the business., I'm about to say what is going on. Now again, now that I said that don't y'all email me all the time with brands, because sometimes I use my own money and buy 97 % of the stuff that you guys see on this channel. If Sam's Beauty didn't send your stuff on time.. I ain't got no pull there in any kind of way.. I don't work there., But if it's a brand, a smaller brand that I collaborated with, then yes, I'm gon na figure it out because you're not about to not have your stuff.. But then I went to their Instagram couldn't find it anymore, and I know they had an Instagram., A pretty robust Instagram if I'm remembering it correctly., And then I couldn't log on to their website anymore., I tried to Google stuff to see. Okay did something happened. Like I need to know. What'S going on, because a website to be deactivated. Instagram to disappear.? That'S not the owner got bogged down., That's a deliberate takedown, because the Instagram something behind the scenes has to go on to take down. A button has to be pushed. You know. What'S going on., I ordered it. 25Th. I've sent emails.. I finally had to send a fraudulent dispute.. I just wanted you to know, because I know you would not recommend a company like this and I said absolutely not., I'm going to take down my review video.. So I took down my review video.. I forgot. I had a install video.. I took both of those down almost immediately because when I found out, I couldn't find the website or any of that I said. Oh, it's gots to go.. It'S got to go., I'm taking this down right. Now. Now future me is coming in on this part of the video, because I recorded this video before I got this comment on my rankings, video from 2022, where somebody else is saying something about curl Refinery, not sending them their order. They're. Also talking about femafric, which I don't have much information on right now, but if they are in the same boat as curl Refinery, I will handle business as I need to.. But I just wanted to pull another comment in and say. This is why this video is important.. I have so many videos talking about the curl refinery that it's going to be hard to catch it all the time., So I'm making this one dedicated video. So I am sorry if you guys have any future issues with them. Hopefully, their site being down is going to help this issue., But then last night, as I was thinking about it, I was like. Oh no, I don't know if that's enough, because you know how many compilation videos., How many probably times in an activewear video in a water friendly in my annual rankings video. In my low maintenance videos in my top hair bottom hair.. I do a lot of compilation. Videos where I'm talking about a hair and then on top of that there's vlogs, where I might be wearing the hair., There's, probably non-reviews, that are just normal videos where I'm wearing the hair.. I would have to go through probably hundreds of videos and I'll probably talk about that hair, at least once or I've said something in passing. Or I'm talking black owned businesses in a video, and it's like the amount of videos where I'm talking specifically about that hair Is probably unprecedented., Like I'm probably thinking of like 10 right now off the top of my head., And I was like I don't know if just taking down those two videos are even gon na help.. But I don't want to take down my swim friendly videos, because those videos really help you guys.. I think the fact that the site can't be accessed right now gives me a little Comfort, because at least I know if you guys even tried to find them right now, it wouldn't be possible to find them.. But I don't want you to have to dispute things with your bank. Moments like this is why I don't collaborate that often - and I hate to say that, because there's so many Brands who have reached out to me. Like if you guys knew the amount of DMs, Like some people might think, oh she's, just a small Creator. She's not getting hit up. That'S why she doesn't do.. No! It'S because I do due diligence when I pick out brands that I collaborate with.. I have to look at your website. Make sure it looks steady. Make sure that you offer payment plans like PayPal and other things where people could get their money back. Like you, have to do that. You have to have a paid site that looks legit.. I want like customer service emails.. I want people to know that if they, you know, email you at two o'clock on a Wednesday and the excuse won't be well, I'm a small business. So I can't get back to you until Wednesday of the next week, because it's just me., Like I get small business., I get the side. Being a business major. I understand the business and how they operate, but I also understand that if you embark on saying that you're going to be a business, you have to have the infrastructure to support requests, returns, payments making sure the site doesn't crash inventory. Making sure you have all those Things and if I look at your site - and I know you're in your beginning stages - I applaud you because it takes a lot to get out of the beginning stages.. But it's not the right time for us to collaborate at that moment and I hate saying that, but it's the truth, sometimes.. I do want to help out every business that I can.. I truly want to help out every business, especially black, owned., Black owned business, like the curl refinery, femafric any brand that I've brought you that's black owned businesses. I try to do my due diligence and I want to work with you, but you have to also you know, be a business that I could support and I can get behind.. So I really take time to look at the business and use my discernment to understand. If the business can take on you know if a massive influx of people view their site., If a lot of people came, I just want to make sure that your business that can accommodate that. - And I did that due diligence with the curl refinery.. I do truly care about what I present to you guys and I don't want to bring anything crazy. Nine times out of ten, I buy the stuff I show you., So I'm the customer of these businesses, just like you, would be a customer. Future Lia jumping in Again for another statement., Now, as I was recording this video, I thought my curl refinery original video was a collaboration.. However, going back watching the video and looking at my receipts, I realized I paid for this. Like I found my receipt., I paid $ 109 for this hair myself and again going back to what I was saying. I do my due diligence., Like I'm a customer myself, because one I want to support these businesses and two. I want to give you a genuine customer experience, how everything went on my end. From shipping to payment to customer service and all of that.. So that's why I feel, like I'm, even more upset looking back on this, because I didn't even do a collaboration.. They didn't pay me to do this., I paid them and got hair, and I presented it to you guys and over. Like 80,000 of you, guys watched my review., But let me go back to the present Lia.. I want to support us in any way that I possibly can, but I need, on the back end things like this to not happen and that's what I'm truly afraid of. Like, for example, one business, and this is not to bash this business. This is purely just to say how one video in real time can have its effects later.. So I reviewed a hair from a company at that time was called Pure Beauty Supply Co.. So throughout that video, I'm saying Pure Beauty Supply Co., I'm wearing a hair. From that business., I'm doing all that and then maybe six months nine months later, I think the next year they changed their name. And so everything I'm uttering out my mouth in that video and saying pure beauty, pure beauty, pure beauty, they're, not called that at this.. I think they're called Be famous right now., So a lot of people still comment on their video like what's pure beauty., I can't find it. The link's, not working., That's not working and all of that and it's because the business just changed their name. And that's fine Love that for the business. It was probably for the best just to kind of switch names and be something else. But if I filmed the video and I'm talking at that date in 2018 - and you do something different in 2019, then it negates what I did back in those days.. So I need to make sure again. The business is not going to change the name.. It'S not going to change the formulation of products., It's not going to shut the whole site down, take customers, money and then have them have to file a fraud. Complaint.! That'S! What'S pissing me off about this situation., I'm trying to be cool about it.. I talked about that hair so many times in so many videos and I was trying not to be frustrated in this video. But it's what makes me not want to do collaborations. And I don't want to have to say well no and then be that standoff person, because y'all know how passionate I am about our community and wanting to collab with you know, people in our community.. So I don't don't ever want to stop doing that, but I also at the same time at the same time, want to make sure that I collaborate with the right businesses and you can never be a hundred percent sure and that's what's pissing me off.. So some people might be like well Lia. This was just one company.. It was one company that out of all the companies that I believed in it probably was at the top. Like the site was legit. They had been around for years., Everything seemed so legit. Instagram seems so. Legit.They were good about marketing.. I thought I was picking out the perfect one.. There is no perfect. Like there is no ..., I'm I'm literally learning right now. There is no way. Businesses. You know fail every day, and I know that for me, because I've realized about myself and I'm I'm trying to work on this, but I realize I'm a huge people pleaser.. If people are upset about something that I still have no control over. I still am like: what can I do? What can I do to help? What can I do? Oh, my god., Do I need to run up. Do I need to do something Like what can I do to help? So I'm massive in that way in terms of people pleasing., So I internalize any negative comments. Like all of that stuff.. That'S why Tik Tok is going to be real hard for me, because I can already see that them Tik-Tok people., I'm I'm newer on Tik Tok.! I can already see they don't hold their tongue on Tik, Tok. They'll say what they got to say on tik tok. Tik tok is a different site., The few and far between negatives that I get on YouTube and on Instagram it's just like, maybe one every a Week, it's not even that bad, but I do hold on to it like. Oh, my god did I say something: wrong. Did I do something wrong., So I just wanted to share with you guys if this ever happens in the future, and if you see a video of mine. Like from this day forward, we ain't bringing up the curl Refinery.. We already got a long list of hair that I don't even bring up anymore.. The list just keeps getting longer with the hair brands that do something ridiculous. By the end of the day. There'S gon na be barely anything on the list, but we're adding that to the list., But this is a brand again that that it really pains me that this is happening. Side is gone. I want answers too.. I would love to know. What'S going on as well., I think last year right around the holidays, the owner - or at least the marketing team had reached out to me because they wanted to collaborate on the hair that I reviewed. But they have it in wig form and they sent me over a contract.. I signed said contract.. I was like yeah yeah, let's do a collaboration and it was near the holidays. Too.. I was like yes, we're gon na review, a hair. It'll be great. And I was like if I love the hair in crochet form, I'm gon na love it in a headband wig form.. So it was a headband wig of the ultimate Island twist hair.. So I was like this is gon na be perfect.. It'S just ... .., it's just a wig of what I wore., So they sent over the wig., The wig wasn't wigging.. The wig was .... I think the first issue and I'll see if I still have pictures, because I can't go to the site, but I think I had included pictures from the site when I reached out to her and I was like girl. The wig is too much hair.. It'S too. It'S too big.. I look I'll insert the pictures right now., It's looking crazy., It's looking crazy. Um, and this is what it looks like on your site. So I'm confused on me.. I was in the process of filming my review.. I was gon na. Do an unboxing - and I put it on my head and I was like ... ( *sigh* ). Let me give them a chance to kind of Rectify this because I might have got a bad batch.. You know, Let me ... .., let's see how this goes and then so I was sent another wig.. Then she was like. Oh no, I don't know what happened. We might have overdid it. Let me send you another. One got sent another one. This time. The wig was um a little bit gappy. A little. Let me say a lot a bit gappy. Um, so I was having a Goldilocks situation where the first time too much hair was used.. The second time not enough. And it's hard with wigs, especially in this kind of twisty format, because if you use too much you're gon na have the original situation I had. And then, if you use too little, you gon na have the gappiness.. So it's hard with a braided wig or this type of wig to get it all right, and I understand that, however um I said at this, you know it was a mutual decision. At that point we need to forego this collaboration., So you know I was like you, don't even have to pay me for my time, because again you know I have to put makeup on. I had filmed the intro. I said I have this curl Refinery wig like I put it on and it wasn't giving and again I have something I couldn't bring to my audience. I couldn't even bring. There was nothing I could do to bring that to my audience either the way it was super full or the way that it was saying, I'm not going to bring this mess. I I can't stand behind this, but at the same time, you're back on business - and I know this is a new product for you. You know behind the scenes work on it, work on it and we, you know later on, maybe when it's a different kind of thing we can. We can revisit this, but at this current moment, Lil Alan ain't about to put this on on camera. She ain't about to do this again. It'S that double-edged economy of I want to support these businesses, but at the same time I got to keep it real, I'm sending you these photos beforehand, so you know what I'm talking about. I didn't want to come on here like I could have just come on here. I know what a null and void the the contract because ain't, nobody gon na pay me to sit on here and rip y'all. The Smithereens like I would have, I would have probably said in a cute and nice way, but honey it wasn't it just looking back at me, child I'm just thinking back at that moment I sent pictures to my friends. I sent pictures to my friends, honey. The group chat was lit back in the days. Okay, I'm just letting you know. I again only want to bring you guys, The Good, the positive, the truths about things and, if there's ever a time where a business has not held up to the standards of which I'm talking about in the video, please let me know please let me know I Can dick down the videos we can make the list as long as we need to make the list, because I want you guys to have good experiences. I want you guys to not um come to me saying some brand took your money or you can't find the site anymore or Leah. What'S pure beauty or what's the current, what are all these things? I want to bring you guys things that I'm talking about in videos that can last this test of time, because if you find my video on 2025 or you know, you saw it back in 2019, I want everything to ring true from year to year to year. I don't want to bring you guys, you know foolishness. So I know there's videos out there, there's hundreds of videos that I probably mentioned the curl Refinery and I hate that that I, those videos, just exist and there's nothing. I can do about them, but at least I took down the two focused videos. You cannot find them. They are privated they're done, but there's probably videos where I say the curl Refinery for five seconds and they just exist out here and I'm heating it I'm heated, but I'm calming down. So that is today's video. I just want you guys to be in the loop fully aware where that video went, why I don't collaborate with anybody. Why you just not gon na see anything behind me. If I bring you things on this channel, you gon na know, I did my research if something happened six months from later, that does not negate the research that I did six months prior I get so many emails about nail polishes I get so many emails. I try not to bring you guys the Riff Raff. I try to bring you guys true, authentic things, but Godly. When I try to bring you true and authentic, you know. But what can we do? Um, if you enjoyed this video, make sure you give it a big thumbs up, even if you didn't still give it a big thumbs up. Let me know down below sound off your opinions, your thoughts, anything you want to say Down Below in the comment section. I'M all ears, you guys know I listen to you. I listen to you guys clearly, whenever you say anything, make sure that you are following me on Instagram at lilavon89, so you can keep up with my Shenanigans in real time and then make sure you're following me on tick tock, so that you can see me in More real time because I feel like I'm more present there now than Instagram, but I have my moments where I change between the two and I'll see you in my next video. Thank you so much for watching bye. Take it all back!