Tracee Ellis Ross Is Launching A Haircare Brand That Embraces All Curl Patterns
While most of the time I'm on my India Arie sh*t and know that my hair is not a definition of me, I have grown to learn that my crown is a national treasure that should be protected at all costs. Along with being an outward expression of who I am, it's also a reflection of my melanated ancestors and should be treated as such. Although it is a blessing to have coils and curls that, like me, have no desire for rules and won't lay down without a fight, it can also be quite a burden.
But thanks to one kinky-crowned celebrity, our days of spending hours in the mirror only to discover the results of a terrible twist out are over. Tracee Ellis Ross just announced a brand new collection of products that promise to answer all of our haircare prayers.
The 46-year-old actress took to Instagram to introduce the world to PATTERN, an all-natural, affordable haircare brand that has been handcrafted by Tracee and a team of natural haircare specialists to cater to all kinky/coily hair types. Tracee, who's been rocking her natural tresses since before it was trending, says that she's been cooking up this idea since high school, and officially started mapping out her business plan after Girlfriends ended. She wrote on Instagram:
"@patternbeauty is the result of 20 years of dreaming, 10 years in the making (I wrote my first brand pitch in 2008, right when Girlfriends finished ) and 2 years of working with chemists. I'm so excited to share this with y'all."
She explained that like many brown-skinned women, she's lived through years of hot combs, perms, and blowouts in an attempt to transform her hair into something that it was never really meant to be. Tracee told WWD:
"I can literally chronicle my journey of self-acceptance through my journey with my hair. Growing up, society told me there was a right way to wear my hair and a right way to look. Those ideals didn't match what I saw in the mirror, so I tried to beat my curls into submission— putting body lotion in my hair, sleeping in rollers, blowouts, relaxers, texturizers, ponytails so tight they gave me a headache."
Tracee said that at one point, her path to the perfect mane took a pretty drastic turn when she used an unlikely household product to get rid of her curls for good:
"I even whipped out an iron (the kind you use for clothes) in an attempt to straighten it that way. Trying to make my hair look 'easy and breezy', 'bouncin' and behavin' actually had the opposite effect. My hair was broken, damaged, and tired of trying to be something that it wasn't."
According to Tracee, her experience is what led her to create a collection of products that actually work for women that look like her. Tracee says that you shouldn't have to go to break the bank to have top-notch tresses, and these products are for women who want salon-quality hair in the comfort of their own shower. The Black-ish star explained:
The Pattern Argan Oil Serum ($25), Jojoba Serum ($25), Medium Conditioner ($9-42) Hydration Shampoo ($9-20), Leave-in Conditioner, ($9-$25), Shower Brush ($17), Hair Clip ($10), and microfiber towel ($19)
"The goal is to give people access to their best curls in the bathroom. I don't believe that people should have to be dependent on a professional to feel their most beautiful and for their hair to be healthy."
Although in the past, Tracee had beef with her crown, she realized that we're now in an age where she doesn't have to iron her hair to feel fly:
"If we are in a time right now, where we have gone from our hair being about a revolution to a celebration, where we allow our crowns to flourish as electric, beautiful, and gravity-defying, then we need for everyone to have access to those products so that their hair can feel as beautiful and as hydrated as it should."
The collection features the basics of every woman's wash and go routine, including but not limited to hydration shampoo, conditioner, jojoba oil, a shower brush and start at only $9 for a 3 ounce bottle. While you can't snag the collection officially until September 9th, you can sign up for updates here!
Featured image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for NAACP
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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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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage