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Ulta Beauty recently launched the MUSE 100, a celebration of 100 inspirational Black voices in and around beauty, from entrepreneurs and creators to visionary leaders, and more. These individuals are creating impact and driving change in the industry and beyond, to help make beauty in our world possible. Each MUSE honoree will be awarded a $10,000 grant to help accelerate their impact, totaling over a $1M commitment from Ulta Beauty.
The MUSE 100 honorees embody the commitment of Magnifying, Uplifting, Supporting, and Empowering Black voices – and, Andrea Reed is someone who totally reflects this commitment. She has been named an honoree of the Next Gen category, “the emerging young Black leaders shaking up our world.”
Andrea is a content creator across TikTok and YouTube and is an inspiration to those who want to feel comfortable in their hair journey. As a reliable resource, Andrea reminds her audience that they should love every curl, coil, and kink they have while demonstrating how to style and maintain afro-textured hair, and going from relaxed hair to natural curls.
We got the chance to sit down with Andrea to hear more about teaching others to embrace their afro-textured hair, amplifying representation for Black women, and so much more. Read below to hear what she had to say, and help us celebrate her as an honoree of MUSE 100!
Here’s to Andrea, and all of the other MUSE 100 HONOREES!
Click here to learn more about Andrea and the other MUSE 100 honorees!
Her Campus: What does beauty mean to you?
Andrea Reed: Beauty is the ability to be your authentic self. It is being comfortable in your own skin and embracing all aspects of yourself. Beauty is just a word, and it isn’t defined by one specific definition. It is universal. Beauty is something that radiates from the inside out.
Her Campus: How are you using your platform to educate and empower others through beauty?
Andrea: I am creating a safe space for individuals with afro-textured hair to embrace their beauty. As a Black woman, I understand the importance of representation, and my platform amplifies Black beauty and hair texture in a positive light. My platform is helping individuals to become confident in themselves, loving and embracing their beautiful texture.
Her Campus: How do you define success?
Andrea: To me, success is the ability to help others in the process of achieving my goals. I have been able to help thousands of individuals become fearless with experimenting with different hairstyles and feeling secure within themselves. My journey as a content creator is one of my biggest accomplishments and I have been able to become more centered in myself as I share and make content.
Her Campus: What goal are you currently chasing?
Andrea: Currently, I am using my platform to empower women of color to be confident in their hair texture. This includes starting my own product line to continue to support and represent women like me in their journey to enhance their natural beauty.
Her Campus: What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Andrea: Look for beauty from within. I was always looking for outside sources to validate myself from appearance to personality. I’d say now that beauty is what I define beauty to be. I remind myself that I am beautiful, and I shouldn’t have to change for anything or anyone.
Her Campus: The Muse 100 mission is to amplify and uplift Black voices and individuals. How are you personally aligned with this mission?
Andrea: To be a part of the Muse 100 mission means that I am able to continue to amplify my voice pertaining to Afro-textured hair. I consider myself an advocate for individuals navigating natural hair, and I am upholding that notion to support my voice with my platform.
Here’s to Andrea, and all of the other MUSE 100 HONOREES!
Click here to learn more about Andrea and the other MUSE 100 honorees!