Tracee Ellis Ross on Braids, Baths and Being the CEO of a Beauty Brand: 'It Keeps Me Young' (Exclusive)

When Tracee Ellis Ross was young, she wondered what a muse was. Now she is one.

In September, the actress/producer/beauty entrepreneur was revealed as the cover star of Byrdie’s Muse Issue and was also named the brand’s first Muse Award winner.

Ross, who also celebrated the fifth anniversary of her hair care brand Pattern Beauty with a live event this month, attended Byrdie Beauty Lab’s VIP night on Sept. 20 at Iron23 to accept the honor.

“The word muse, it’s really elegant and beautiful and free,” Ross told PEOPLE at the event. “I remember as a kid actually saying, ‘I don’t get it. What does that mean?’ And when someone described it, I said, ‘oh, I want to be a muse.’ So here we are.”

Tracee Ellis Ross Launches Pattern Brand’s First Warm Up Tool: ‘Dream Come True’

Tracee Ellis Ross honored with Byrdie’s inaugural Muse Award at the Byrdie Beauty Lab Grand Opening Party in NYC on September 20, 2024.

Stephen Lovekin / Shutterstock for Dotdash Meredith

Ross’ interpretation of the word emphasizes authenticity. “It’s about being who you are, not about being someone else than you are.”

The star, whose brand celebrates curly, frizzy and tightly textured hair in all its glorious forms, is a source of inspiration for countless others. When it comes to what inspires her, Ross says, “It’s usually more esoteric than anything.”

“I love beauty, and for me beauty is actually nature,” she says. “When I moved to New York, one of my favorite apartments was on the third floor because it was level with the canopy. So I saw the tops of the trees and that was important,” says Ross.

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Byrdie Beauty Lab.

Stephen Lovekin / Shutterstock for Dotdash Meredith

“[Now] there are some trees in front of my house that I watch all the time dancing and singing, and it’s amazing. And I was just early for makeup, so I was sitting with my really good friend who was also doing my makeup and looking at the architecture in New York. It’s beautiful.”

Her influences do not end there.

“I’m also very inspired by people who inhabit their skin, people who are very much who they are, fully. Honesty inspires me. I am inspired by tenderness. That’s all to say, I’m inspired by many things,” explains Ross.

Byrdie Beauty Lab.

Stephen Lovekin / Shutterstock for Dotdash Meredith

The sold-out Beauty Lab, which featured more than 40 brands, focused on the theme of “Breakthrough Beauty” and “products and people that drive impact and discovery,” according to a statement.

As Ross sat on a couch overlooking her own brand’s activation, the visionary began talking about breaking through in this tumultuous category.

“I love that the beauty industry is full of sounds and textures,” she says. “I think that Pattern for me was actually a chronicle of my personal journey. And then I discovered that I am not alone, that there are so many of us. There was a huge culture of people who were also underserved and cared for, respected and celebrated in our authentic beauty.”

Byrdie Beauty Lab.

Stephen Lovekin / Shutterstock for Dotdash Meredith

For Ross, whose brand introduced an innovative interchangeable curling iron this year, challenging moments are met with fear, but also with ferocity.

“I find all the growth in being a CEO and founder and owning a beauty company exciting. It’s the kind of challenge that keeps me young and excited about life,” she says.

Watch Tracee Ellis Ross’s ecstatic reaction when she saw herself on the first Pattern Beauty Billboard

“The nice part,” she adds, “is the feedback I get, big and small. The moments when a mother says, ‘I couldn’t get my daughter to love her hair, and now that we’re using Patterns, she knows how to do it herself and wears her own curls.'”

“To hear that people are finally finding products that work for them, or that they like the packaging, or any of that, I think that’s really special to me in terms of the community that we serve.”

Byrdie Beauty Lab.

Stephen Lovekin / Shutterstock for Dotdash Meredith

In the five years since Pattern took off, Ross has also starred in a number of projects. And just a day before this event, another one was announced: she will appear in the seventh season Black mirror.

With all he has going on, Ross says the secret to performing at his best on set or at his Pattern headquarters requires “mapping with military precision.”

Tracee Ellis Ross on how ‘girls’ inspired her to start her hair care line: ‘The most rewarding thing’

“It may be an escape and a defense mechanism, and the way I manage to do it all. But I take moments: what I call is being mindful and slow between A and B. So instead of rushing between things, I really allow myself to be present between them.”

“I don’t sleep well. One of my responses to menopause was that I just don’t sleep well, but sometimes I can. I managed to fall asleep this morning too. And then I wandered around the city. So I can recharge by being able to sleep when I can, by being a person in the world, by cooking for myself, taking a bath, by connecting and being with my family, all those things. I’m like everyone else, just trying to find fun things, watching TV, too much TV on my iPad.”

Byrdie Beauty Lab.

Stephen Lovekin / Shutterstock for Dotdash Meredith

Ross’s hair, whether slicked back or voluminous, has served as a proof of concept for half a decade. Today she wears it in braids.

“I washed my hair with a cleansing shampoo and an intensive conditioner. Then my hairstylist dried me with our blow dryer and then braided me with styling cream and then finished with Palo Santo curling mousse and then dunked me in hot water.”

Tracee Ellis Ross on her entrepreneurial journey, supporting black businesses and “pride” in her hair

Tracee Ellis Ross honored with Byrdie’s inaugural Muse Award at the Byrdie Beauty Lab Grand Opening Party in NYC on September 20, 2024.

Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

“The beauty of our products, which I love, is that they really support you at whatever stage you’re at, at whatever point you’re at. So if you have braids, you’re good. If you’re in a deep state, we’ve got you covered. If you want to heat up your hair, we’ve got you covered. So it’s really all-encompassing: every day, every moment, every pattern.”

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Ross is in celebration mode tonight. But when asked what words come to mind for Pattern’s next five years, she pauses.

“Expansive. Continuing to be effective. Bold, and, domestic.”

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Source: HIS Education