Tracee Ellis Ross On Turning 47 & Finding The Courage To Go Makeup-Free
We've all been taught that beauty is only skin deep, but according to the latest YouTube tutorial I watched, beauty also requires hundreds of dollars worth of brushes, palettes, and other miscellaneous makeup products that simply do not fit into my weekly budget. For women, like me, who have grown tired of beating our faces (and our bank accounts) into submission but still seek to keep our glow-on-go, never fear, because the Girlfriend in our head just slid through with a must-have beauty tip you didn't know you needed. According to Tracee Ellis Ross, the key to putting on your best face for the day is not putting anything on your face at all. At this year's PaleyFest, the actress explained:
"There are so many other things to focus my time and attention on. And I think we all do the best with what we've been given."
Although the Black-ish actress is the queen of style, hair, and beauty hacks alike, at 46, she's grown to appreciate the beauty of being totally barefaced. To Tracee, not only is going make-up free more convenient, but it's one helluva self-confidence booster. She continued:
"I would call it confidence. I think what it is is that I am comfortable with myself. And the truth is that I prefer my face the way it actually looks, then some weird sort of brushed version of it."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love makeup and I love playing things and all of that. But I'm really conscious of not getting trapped in not liking what I actually got, you know?"
A little over one week from now, this sexy Scorpio will celebrate her 47th birthday and couldn't be more proud of the woman she's become. While Tracee says that it took more than four decades of primping, prodding, and once even ironing her hair to become something that she wasn't, she's finally grown to embrace and fall in love with the woman that she is. She told the co-anchor of Good Morning Philadelphia:
"I love a birthday. I feel good in my skin. I'm 46, I'm going to be 47 on Oct. 29 … It took me a long time to figure out who I was. Once I figured it out, I knew who I was but I didn't have the courage to be that person. Now I'm like, this is me. Take it or leave it. I may not be your cup of tea. But this is me."
Life won't always turn out the way you planned it, but that's good news for you, sis, because that means it can turn out to be more than you ever imagined.
Tracee said that although years ago, she would have pictured her life looking much differently, possibly with a husband and children, she's become the woman of her dreams by living outside of her comfort zone and she doesn't plan on changing that mentality anytime soon:
"So much of the good stuff of life comes out of the comfort zone. But I personally have learned, from experience, there is no point in pushing myself so far outside of the comfort zone so that it creates another wound."
Featured image by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
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Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy