Tracee Ellis-Ross is looking to make her mark in the beauty industry with Pattern Beauty! And not since Fenty Beauty have I been this excited.
This natural hair care line is so right on brand for her, voluminous curls is what she’s known for. But, she didn't forget about us type 4 naturals. This brand is not just about glorifying “curls”, Pattern Beauty is all about loving your curls, coils and kinks!
And there is so much joy around this brand, from the bright yellow colors to Tracee’s fun-loving personality. And that resonates with me. I feel like most black woman brands cater to the fierce, sexy, fierce side of us but sometimes we want to let our hair down, dance and laugh with reckless abandon. Bravo Tracee, for stepping outside of the norm and creating a new lane.
I purchased the hydration shampoo and the intensive conditioner (unfortunately the leave-in conditioner was already sold out when I purchased) on the same day that Pattern Beauty launched.
I’ve now tested the products by incorporating them into my usual wash day hair routine and I am sharing my thoughts with you.
Packaging
I’m not a sucker for pointlessly pretty packaging, but the unexpected thing I noticed about this packaging definitely isn't pointless. It’s the texture of the plastic bottle. It’s not quite rubber, it has a non-slip matte texture and it's so genius because most other plastic bottles get so slippery in soapy hands and easily slide right out and onto the bathroom floor. I love a thoughtful design that solves problems I never realized could be fixed.
Scent
Scents are so tricky, what smells like heaven to some, is trash for another. But it is so important, an offensive scent will keep me from purchasing even the best products (ahem, Fenty Beauty, when can we get the Gloss bomb in another scent?)
The smell of the shampoo is light, but still reminds me of mens deodorant, the kind that usually has a name like Arctic Wave or Cool Rush. I enjoy these types of scents but if it bothers you, you might want to stay away.
And for those of you who have fond thoughts of your Nana or Great-Aunt Edna, the scent of this conditioner is for you. It is still light, but it has a mature edge to it. Whatever creams or powders the elder women in our lives use, is what this conditioner smells like to me. And it’s important to note, that although it is light, the scent does linger.
Performance
Very rarely do I run across a bad shampoo. I’m willing to use most, although I do try to avoid sulphates which this shampoo does not have but other than that, I’m not a tough critic because they never wow me.
And it was the same story with this one, nothing in particular stood out to me with the performance of this shampoo, it lathered well and left my hair clean without feeling stripped even after 2 shampoos.
I do however have high standards for my conditioners. By the end of the week on wash day, my hair is in need of resuscitation, so I expect big things in terms of hydration and moisture.
I made sure to follow the directions on the bottle, so after I worked the conditioner through my hair, I let it sit (with a shower cap on) for 10 minutes. And I know my hair liked it because my strands soaked up every bit of this thick, creamy conditioner. Which I believe is a good thing, it’s penetrating my strands and not just sitting on top of my hair.
After I rinsed the product out, my hair was left frizzy and I prefer when my coils are bouncy after rinsing out conditioner. Also, my hair didn’t feel smooth and silky like I like it. This also could be because this conditioner has some protein in it, which strengthens hair, but can also leave hair hard.
BUT, when I began my routine of adding my usual Shea Moisture Detangler and Alikay Naturals Shea Hair Yogurt, my hair transformed like I haven’t felt in a long time. My strands were oh so soft.
The Pattern Beauty products work very well as part of a team with my other hair moisturizers and stylers. And once I added my Olive Oil Eco-Styler Gel to set my wash-n-go. Girl! My coils were defined, shiny and all around poppin’. I also noticed a bit more length to my usual super shrunken coils.
I was so happy with the final results, this is one of the best wash-n-gos I have ever done and the only thing I changed and that I can attribute this bomb performance to, are the Pattern Beauty shampoo and conditioner.
Final Thoughts
These products may just be the missing member of my wash day lineup. I am extremely happy with how my hair turned out. I have only glowing recommendations for you.
Would I Re-purchase?
The million-dollar question and a hard question for this frugal girl. Would I trade my beloved and inexpensive Shea Moisture for the lovely but more expensive Pattern Beauty? Well...
When the shampoo is finished, I won’t be repurchasing. And I want to give this conditioner a try with a twist out or a braid out and see how it works and if I get the same or better results, I will buy it again. I’d also like to try their conditioner for coily textures to see how that works for me, so if I decide to repurchase, I will give that one a try.
And that's it, I say you should go for it. And it's more accessible now that the products are available for purchase at Ulta. I will also be sure to update this post after I try these products on my braid out to give you my final final thoughts.
Question: Do you have any questions about my Pattern beauty experience? And let me know if you’ve tried these products or if you’re planning to.
