Guest Feature: My Sister, Alison

My sister, Alison, had some thoughts on the segment "Naturals in Advertisement". Check it out below:-)

What I Like About Naturals in Recent Advertisements and Commercials

From reading this blog and paying more attention, I've been noticing more and more naturals in print and television ads. It has been something that I view as positive and inspiring, for quite a few reasons: it exposes the public to images of beautiful black women in their natural glory; it demonstrates that we are members of society as well, not members of the margin; and it is a step in alleviating some of the ignorant assumptions about the natural black woman.

But what I am loving most about this recent crop up of natural black women in advertisements is that we are not being limited to certain types or groups of ads.

Back in the day, I would have expected a natural black woman to pop up in an ad targeted towards black women, like an Ambi Skincare advertisement. Even more disturbing, in the past the only time I noticed a natural black women in advertisements, the ads were related to cleaning products (such as the Pine-Sol lady or the Palmolive ads).

There's nothing wrong with cleaning products, because everybody uses them. But limiting the natural black woman to those type of ads seem to illicit the stereotypical idea that a natural black women should be the maids, servants, and even slaves of the world. We all know that a natural black woman can be anything she wants to be!

But now, we're seeing the natural black woman in advertisements for beauty products, cars, cocktails and drinks...all kinds of things. This demonstrates what is true for us and any woman: we are diverse and cannot be put in a box. The Natural Black Woman can be a professional or a laborer; she can be a mother or a wife or a proudly single woman; she can party it up like the girls from Sex and the City (if she wants to), or she can be laidback and cool in a poetry cafe. It's not up to society, it's up to each individual person.

Basically, the natural black woman is just as amazing as any woman made by the hands of God!

Naturals in Advertisement: TGIF Margarita

My sister, Alison, showed me a link on Essence.com that had some pictures of some naturals. This article was telling how to plan a Girl's Night. Go HERE to view the article. There is a picture of a woman with a natural toasting her friend.

While looking at the article, I noticed the advertisement for TGIF margaritas and thought it was very nice. I love that the model in the advertisement is rocking a simple afro (and I must admit that I like that she has type 4 hair). It's great to see naturals in advertisement.

Sealing Hair Ends

Since becoming natural, I have learned that it is important to seal the ends of my hair. The reasons that we should seal our hair is because the ends of the hair are the oldest. Because they're the oldest parts of the hair, they experience breakage and dryness more than the other parts of the hair. Natural Chica (www.naturalchica.com) uses Shea Butter to seal her hair ends and I think this is great. For example, from a previous post I noted that Shea Butter is great for giving moisture to the hair and helping to retain moisture in the hair. Olive Oil is also a great moisturizer to the hair. For this reason, I mix in Shea Butter and Olive Oil (about half and half). I will then put in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute. And then I would take it out and let it set. This allows for me to have a soft supple shea butter/olive oil mixture.

After I take down my braids from the previous night, I will take my mixture and rub it between my hands and apply it to the ends of my hair. This really helps to diminish the amount of brittle and dry ends significantly. It is also very important that we stick to a routine of sealing our hair, which is why I do it every morning when taking down my braids.

It should be noted, that split ends are going to occur no matter what. And for this reason I can see myself trimming my hair twice a year. However, we can reduce the amount of split ends and brittle ends by sealing our hair.

Sealing the hair also ensures that we will retain length--if that is what we are going for.

Hair Today: the Braid-Out Pinup

It's back...

I have not worn the braid-out pinup for a long minute now. Its crazy because at one point I was wearing it religiously. I tried something new with the pinup this time and I'm sure you've noticed. I have a center part! I know its not the boldest move, but I always felt you had to be really confident to rock a center part--and now I have (crazy, I know).

With my hair like this, I feel like I'm one of the student's at a university from the 1800s. They would always rock the pinups with with the center part. My sister saw my hair this morning and was like "I see you with the center part looking like one of those old pics of students at HBCUs." This was the look I was going for:-)

A Staple Product: Shea Butter

If you are familiar with the natural world then, I am sure you have heard a lot about the benefits of Shea Butter. Even before I was fully natural, I bought a thing of Shea Butter. Many people use shea butter for their hair, but some also use it for the skin.

The definition of Shea Butter: Shea butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory colored natural fat extracted from the seed of the African shea tree by crushing and boiling. It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and salve. (source: www.wikipedia.org)

These are some of the known benefits of shea butter: Daily skin moisturizer (face and body),Dry skin relief, Dry scalp, Skin rash- including diaper rash, Skin peeling(after tanning), Blemishes and wrinkles, Itching skin due to dryness, Sunburn, Shaving cream to reduce razor irritation, Small skin wounds, Skin cracks, Soften tough skin on feet (especially heels), Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy, Minor burns, Eczema, Sun and wind protection, Even skin tone, Reduce blemishes and scarring, Eliminating scalp irritation from dryness or chemical processing, Preventing bumps after shaving, Reducing acne (especially in combination with African Black Soap), Absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue, helps restore elasticity to skin, Restores luster to hair (source: www.treasuredlocks.com)

Now here's my take (experience) on shea butter: I have tried in the past to use shea butter on my skin because I have eczema. However, the shea butter has made it even more irritated. So, I use shea butter solely for my hair. Shea butter has a very thick texture and has to be melted down in order to use it on the hair. In the past, I would transfer some to a microwaveable safe bowl and just melt it down with no added products. Now, I add olive oil to it and then melt it down and mix the two together. The benefit of adding olive oil is that it softens the shea butter so that I may use it again without having to melt it down. Adding olive oil also gives me the benefit of having even more moisture and sheen.The pros of this product are: (1)it provides a great sheen/moisture to the hair (2) it softens the hair (3) its thick texture allows for me to control frizzy hair--like around my edges. (4)it works wonderfully for sealing the ends of my hair. The cons of this product are: (1)it has a hard texture that must be melted down or mixed with other products in order to make it soft. (2)the smell is not the best (not the worse either).

This is a staple product for me and it is very beneficial to the hair. Additonally, shea butter is growing in popularity so much! You can walk down the hair product aisle at any store and find so many shampoos, conditioners--even relaxers--that boast about having shea butter in their product. However, I have always felt it best to eliminate the middle man and go straight to the source. That is why I buy shea butter in its pure form. This way, I can gain all the nutrients of the product without it being diluted with other ingredients that I know nothing about.

Beautiful Natural Men: Troy Polamalu

That hair! That hair! That hair! I am not a big watcher of football, however; I am familiar with Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I have always been fascinated with his hair and his confidence to wear it streaming down his back during the games. I must admit that I am sometimes nervous that it will snag while he's playing or that someone will pull it. But whatev...

His hair is simply gorgeous and it compliments his beautiful features. I love the many curls he has in his hair and that he proudly wears them. He is a great example of a man who is proud of his crown of glory. He was even feature in a Head & Shoulders commercial!

Hair Today: High Afro Puff

Today was definitely a lazy hair day. I got home late last night and I simple did not feel like braiding my hair up for the night. So, all I did was cover my hair with a satin bonnet. I did not oil or moisturize my hair.

Despite this, my hair was still moisturized this morning and had a nice sheen--as you can see in the pics. Also, this morning I gently pulled at any smooshed hair and then tied my headscarf on it into a high puff. I must say I was pleased with the results. And it took no time at all!

**Tonight I will go back to my regimen. This includes co-washing my hair and then braiding it up.

My Trusty Tools

Since I have become natural there are a number of "tools" that I rely on to work with my hair. I will give details about each of them.

1. The Spray Bottle - I simply adore my spray bottle! I use the spray bottle when I need to work with my hair--especially if it is tangled--but I don't feel like completely washing my hair. It is great for dampening the hair. Sometimes I would put in a leave-in conditioner with the water with my bottle to give some moisture to my hair. And most of the time, I simply use water only in the bottle.

2. The Three-Sided Comb - I don't think this is the official name for this comb but, that is what I call it. I use this comb A LOT! I love the wide side of the comb for when I am wearing my afro it is great for combing it out. I also love the three prong side (the side that looks like an afro pic) because I use this side to pic out my afro and to help shape the comb. I have about three of these combs floating around the house and in my purse:-)

3. The Wide-Tooth Comb - This comb is only used on my hair when it is damp or wet. I know it is not the widest comb, but it is perfectly wide for detangling. I actually used this comb last night while detangling my hair.

4. The Fine-Tooth Pointy Comb - Again, this is not the officical name for this comb. However, I use this comb quite a bit! I NEVER use the tooth side. I ONLY use the prong side. I use the prong side for parting my hair. And since I braid my hair almost every night or every other night, I use this for parting my hair in sections for braiding.

5. The Afro Pic - Please ignore the superman symbol and Black power fist on the Afro pick. LOL. This is what the Beauty Supply Store sells. I use the afro pic soley for my afro. And I must admit that I don't always use it to pic out my afro. Sometime, I will use the three-sided comb. I like to use the afro pic to give more volume to my hair and when it needs more seperation. I don't use it that often because its almost like a fine tooth comb and can rip out your hair if you're not careful. I only use it on my roots and never pick it to the very ends of my hair.

6. The Hair Clips - Because my hair is so thick, I have to use hair clips to clip it out of the way when working with certain sections. The hair clips come in handy when I am braiding my hair or picking it out and I need to move the hair I am not working with out of the way. I adore these clips because they have a strong hold and they do not pull out my hair.

7. The Head Scarf - I use this head scarf quite a bit! It is my go-to headscarf whenever I'm wearing my hair in an afro, or when I want it pulled away from my face, or when I want a puff, etc. I have this scarf in the color brown also. It is the perfect length because I can tie it once or double it up.

8. Bobby Pins - If you have been a faithful follower for awhile you will understand how much I use the bobby pins. I use it for my pompadours, my cinnabun, my braid-out updos, my twist updos, etc. These pins are definitely a must for me! I have so many bobby pins in the house. I am constantly finding them in the floor, my bed, the bathroom sink, etc.

9. Satin Bonnet (not pictured) - This is the most consistently used "tool" for my natural hair. I will NOT go to bed or lie down without my satin bonnet on. It protects my hair for rubbing against my cotton pillow and sheets. I know some naturals sleep on a satin pillow, but I love the coolness of cotton pillows and sheets:-)

10. Hair Brush - I use the brush simply to brush back my edges around the perimeter of my hair.

**Those are my main "tools" for now. If I add some more to my regimen I will be sure to do a post about it.

Quick Note: Regarding the Cinnabun Hairstyle

So, I have worn the Cinnabun Hairstyle for the past 4 days and I feel it should be noted that this style is NOT the best protective style. I know that some people say its great because the ends are protected and tucked in. However, I have noticed that over the past 4 days that the ends of my hair were shedding more than usual.

I think the reason behind this is that you have to twirl the ends of the hair, then tuck and pin it. When I would take the pins out at night, I would notice that my hair would be REALLY tangled at the end part (where the twirl was). I would try to detangle gently, but I still experienced hair loss.

So, last night I got out my trusty spray bottle and took sections of my hair and started detangling my hair. I should have taken pics of the hair loss. It wasn't that major but, it was more than usual. I feel it could have been worse but, I am patient when it comes to detangling my hair. The amount of hair loss was about the size of a gum ball. (the big kind you buy in the gumball machines).

For the future, I will stick to the protective styles that work best for me--the braid out pinup, the twists, the twist pinup, etc.

Please note: I do adore the elegance of the cinnabun and will put this hairstyle in the category for Special Occasions. Its not gone forever, it just won't appear that often.

Natural Inspiration: Zahara Jolie-Pitt

I know that I am much older that Zahara, however; I still adore Zahara's hair. Therefore, she is definitely a natural inspiration. I love that Zahara's parents kept her hair in its natural state and did not feel a need to conform it with a relaxer, texturizer, pressiong comb, etc.

Zahara has faced some controversey from others regarding her hair. There are blogs out there who feel that she needs a comb and that her hair is unkempt. First off, our hair should not be combed with a fine-tooth comb. It can be detangled while wet with a wide tooth comb. But, some people--even in the black community--don't know this. Secondly, I adore when they allow her hair to be in its free-formed afro. It looks simply adorable:-) And lastly, Zahara'a hair has never looked damaged/dry/brittle to me. It looks as if it is always moisturized/clean/healthy.

I look forward to the day I will have children and get to embrace their natural texture.

Pics of My Hair Texture after Co-Washing

I noticed that I always show pics of my hair after it has been styled. So...I decided to show a few pics of my hair after a co-wash. Hopefully, these pics will give you a better understanding of my hair texture. There are no products on my hair and this is after the conditioner was rinsed out. Additionally, the hair is still wet in this pic--actually its dripping wet:-)

I have also noticed my hair has been growing since I did the BC (big chop) back in April 5, 2010. However, I am beginning to notice some split ends and I may trim the hair on my 6-month natural anniversary.

Naturals in Advertisement: MAC Cosmetics

Today I was searching the internet for naturals featured in cosmetic advertisements. I must admit that it was difficult to find cosmetic advertisements with naturals.

I did come across this MAC cosmetic advertisement for the Style Warriors collection that was launched in Summer 2009. (I even own a blush from this collection). I think the woman is beautiful on the advertisement, however; it would be nice if we could find naturals in advertisement without "warrior" attached to it. It goes back to people thinking naturals are militant or making political statements (this is just my opinion). Cosmetic companies should feature more naturals so that our little girls and women can know that they are beautiful.

I know some people feel cosmetics are not natural, which is true. However, as women we love to accentuate our beauty or just feel pampered some days. Yet, we must also feel beautiful/confident in our own skin without the cosmetics. I digress...

I did search out cosmetic companies that cater to the African-American woman to see if they featured naturals. And Black Radiance did have a natural featured on the home page of their site. Click here to view.

Please note: I do believe that is a wig on the models hair, however; they were going for the appearance of natural hair. This is why I featured it.

Hairstyle: The CinnaBun

For church yesterday, I tried out a new hairstyle that was on CurlyNikki.com this week. It was the CinnaBun with a pompadour in the front. (I'm sorry that I don't have any pics.) I received some compliments on the hairstyle. So, for work, I decided to do the CinnaBun without the pompadour.

Click here for a tutorial.

The only difference between my CinnaBun and motorcitymoxie (the youtuber) is that I cornrowed my hair the night before. So mine was done on braid-out hair. Also, my hair is shorter than hers, but it still worked:-)

A Staple Product: Cheapie Conditioners

Cheap Conditioners are a must for me since I have been natural. I co-wash (washing with conditioner only) my hair once a week and sometimes twice a week. So it is imperative that I have my cheapie conditioners.

The reasons I co-wash are listed below:
1. Retain my natural oils in my hair.
2. Avoid harsh sulfates on my hair.
3. Effectively clean my scalp.
4. Moisture, moisture, moisture!

There is a vast amount of information on co-washing on a number of blogs/websites if you wish to learn more. Google it:-)

My favorite conditioner that has been a staple--even when transitioning--is Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner. I learned about the benefits of this conditioner from CurlyNikki.com. I buy this product in the family size bottle because I use it that much. I love the following about this conditioner: (1)the texture is rich and thick (2)provides great moisture to the hair (3)the smell is wonderful.
Another conditioner that I buy in bulk is the V05 Moisture Milks conditioner. This is the cheapest of the conditioners with a price range of .77 at my local CVS. I love the following about this product: (1)comes in a wide range of flavor (strawberry, passion fruit, lavender, etc.) that smells simply divine (2)very inexpensive (3)provides moisture to the hair (4)and though the texture is very thin/watery I still love that it is effective.
The last conditioner I will discuss is the Suave Naturals Cocunut Conditioner. I have just started using this product because my sister Auset is a faithful user of it and she loves it. So, while at Target I bought a bottle for $1.12. This past weekend was the first time I ever used this conditioner and I must say that I love it. This is what I lvoe about the product: (1)the texture is not too thin or too thick (2)the cocunut scent is wonderful but, not overpowering (3)this conditioner made my curls/coils POP! (4)provided great moisture to my hair.
These are the cheapie conditioners I am currently using. If I try any new conditioners I will be sure to provide a post about it. In addition, I use all of these conditioners to deep condition my hair. This simply means I saturate my hair in the conditioner and then put a plastic shower cap on my hair. I usually deep condition for 15 minutes and then wash it out.

Natural Blast from the Past: Aretha Franklin

Aretha, the Queen of Soul!

Aretha is a very talented singer who is still standing strong in the music industry. I love that she still possesses her beautiful voice. I am so typical because my favorite song by her is "Respect"--her signature song. But, I love it nonetheless.

Currently, Aretha wears the straight tresses, but back in the day she was rocking her beautiful natural afro. Simply put, I adore it and she looked beautiful:-)

Hairstyle: Cornrows with a Low Pin-up

So, this week was supposed to be my "Afro Week". I was going to wear my hair in an afro for every day of the week. But...it didn't work out. I mentioned previously that when I wear my hair in the Afro I have many tangles/fairy knots in the hair. Also, when I wear the afro I spend so much time picking it out. However, I still wanted to rock the afro despite all of this. I made it three days and I gave in.





Therefore, today's hairstyle is a lazy/protective/low-manipulation hairstyle:-) I cornrowed my hair last night. Then, this morning I unbraided some of the hair in the back and pinned it up. I played with it by putting in a flower, then i put some of the hair over my ear. In the end, I took out the flower and pinned the hair behind my ear.

These are the steps:
1. Cornrow hair into desired direction.
2. Un-braid the hair to about the middle back section of the head.
3. Pin the hair up to achieve a low pin-up/bun style. (refer to the pics for an idea)

Pretty simple.

I am so over the IGNORANCE!!!

Solange rocking her beautiful short natural.

Sandra Rose, the blogger.

Ok, I must rant!

I was on Black Girl Long Hair today and was reading the first post. This post was giving details about Sandra Rose attacking Solange's short natural and "complimenting" her on her new afro wig. Go here to view this article. The SAD thing is that Sandra Rose felt as if she was giving Solange a "compliment" by making the comment "Work it girl! That short nappy look was not working for you, baby." Really though...

I personally do not take offense to the word nappy when used in a positive light. Such as "Nappily Ever After" or the "Nappy Chronicles" (a youtuber). Yet, when people take that word to use it negatively, I take offense.

In this article, Black Girl Long Hair made a GREAT point on how just a few months ago Sandra Rose was encouraging everyone to accept their beautiful brown skin. She was defending herself against a comment Chris Brown made over her being "black and ugly". Mind you, I take extreme offense to Chris Brown's comments also and agree. Yet, its ironic that Sandra Rose wants us to accept our natural skin color but, to reject our natural hair texture. People look down on others who use bleach on their skin but, they think its absolutely normal to put in weaves/relaxers/wigs to hide the natural texture of the hair. This is just ignorant! Mind you, I am not attacking anyone for wearing a weave/relaxer/wig however; it is imperative that we understand that our natural beauty should NOT be rejected.

Another thing I am so sick of is people who are obsessed with length. What is the difference between Solange rocking a short natural and a longer natural. Nothing, in my opinion. The wig was a natural textured wig and had essentially the same coil pattern as her hair. So technically it was still "nappy". Sandra Rose just showed me that she is a very ignorant person who still rejects the natural beauty of the black woman.

How can we expect others to accept us when we can't even accept ourselves???

Hair Frustration...

Ever had one of those days when your hair is just not acting right???

Well, this morning I definitely had one of those days.

This week I have been wearing my hair out in an afro. Yesterday my hair was just perfect! This morning it was :-/

I think the problem is sometimes when I cornrow my hair for the night the braids will make the pieces too straight. I will begin to lose my natural coil/curl. The main area that this occurs in is the middle of my head. To alleviate this problem, I will dampen my hands with water and run it through this area of my head. This helped my hair somewhat but, it is still a little too fluffy. I may dampen the hair before I braid it for the night b/c it seems my afro comes out better when the hair was braided while damp. We will see how this goes...

Besides this little problem I have no issues with my hair. The scalp is clean and its moisturized. This is still a learning process for me...

My Hair Regimen

Sunday – style hair for the week (i.e. twists, cornrow hair for afro/braid-out, etc.)

Monday – continue to maintain my hairstyle, oil hair with EVOO/carol’s daughter tui oil/other essential oils (I do not use all these oils at once. I alternate.)

Tuesday – continue to maintain hairstyle, seal ends with Hollywood Beauty Olive Crème or Shea Butter Olive Oil mixture

Wednesday – continue to maintain hairstyle, oil hair with EVOO/carol's daughter tui oil/other essential oils (I do not use all these oils at once. I alternate.)

Thursday – continue to maintain hairstyle, seal ends with Hollywood Beauty Olive Crème or Shea Butter Olive Oil mixture

Friday – continue to maintain hairstyle, co-wash in the evening with Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner or Suave Tropical Coconut or V05 Moisture Milks, deep condition hair, use a leave-in of Cantu Shea butter or Garnier Fructise Leave-in Conditioning Cream, braid hair while damp

Saturday – wear hair in cornrows with a tam over it, oil/moisturize hair that night, sometimes I will co-wash on Saturday night if I did not do it on Friday night (the routine is the same as detailed above, which is co-wash, deep condition, use a leave-in, braid while damp)

**Once a month I will shampoo my hair with Giovanni Deep Moisture Shampoo, Condition with the Giovanni Deep Moisture Conditioner, and then use Giovanni Deep Moisture Leave-in. This is usually done on the last Friday or Saturday in the month. I do not use the other conditioners/leave-ins mentioned previously on this day.

**Maintain hairstyle refers to braiding my hair up for the night if wearing an afro or braid out. When I have twists I will simple cover the hair with a satin bonnet

**I always cover my hair with a satin bonnet for the night and even when taking a nap.

Please note: I try to keep my hair routine as simple as possible. It does not take a complex routine to maintain our hair. We must simply care for it by ensuring the scalp is clean and the hair is moisturized. Refer to this KISS method in this article.

Naturally Poetic

Letting Go...and Embracing

why did I hate my natural wave
I chose to be bonded to relaxers as a slave

but GOD made no mistake when He created us

yet, I denied my GOD-given texture to avoid the fuss

the curls, coils, kinks, I now choose to fully embrace

I want to never be held back by a set standard that denies my race

written: August 18, 2009

Natural Inspiration: Debbi Morgan

Debbi Morgan is simply elegant! That smile! Those dimples! It is evident that she is very beautiful and her hair is simply dazzling.

Debbi Morgan is most known for playing Angie on the soap opera "All My Children". As a young woman she was beautiful and she continued to evolve over the years. I also remember Debbi Morgan in Eve's Bayou (a fave movie of mine) and her hair was simply gorgeous throughout the movie.

Debbi's hair has been diverse throughout her career. When she played a young Angie on "All My Children" she would wear her hair in long individual braids. She has had locs in her career. She has worn bantu knots. She has worn extension. She wore her hair naturally free in Eve's Bayou. I could go on...

Currently, Debbi is wearing a wig on "All My Children". However, I believe she is still natural and is wearing the wig for the role.

Overall, she is a beautiful woman and pulls off almost any hairstyle she chooses to rock!

A Staple Product: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

My, oh my! How I love EVOO!

I have heard about the many wonderful benefits of EVOO on a number of blogs. But, I did not fully understand the joys of this product until I used it on my own hair.

Pros:
(1) Gives a great sheen to the hair that lasts for days
(2) Does not give a oily/greasy feel to the hair
(3) The smell is very subtle and does not compete with other fagrances
(4) Leaves hair feeling wonderfully soft
(5) It is great for the hair and skin as a moisturizer and leaves a wonderful glow
(6) Controls frizzy hair
(7) A little goes a long way
(8) And though this pro does not relate to hair...it is one of the most healthy oils to cook with!

Cons:
(1) None

According to the Global Healing Center: Extra virgin olive oil comes from the first press only and is the highest quality olive oil with perfect flavor, aroma, and balanced acidity.

Because of this description of EVOO, I choose to use the extra virgin form of olive oil compared to Pure Olive Oil, Virgin Olive Oil, or Cold Pressed Olive Oil. It is best that we use the oil in its highest quality because only then can we gain all the nutrients and full benefits of it.

EVOO will definitely be a staple product and added to my regimen.

Hair Today: Curly Twists Pulled Back

So, I have had the mini twists in my hair coming up two weeks now. I have had them curled for about a week now. Needless, to say the curls are starting to drop and the twists don't look like they did originally.

This morning, I tried to do my usual pin to the side style. But...it wasn't working out. Then, I tried to pin both sides...still wasn't working out. So, I went to the trusty headscarf and pulled them back. And I liked the style:-)

Tomorrow, I will be wearing the hair pulled back and will be taking the twists out this weekend.

Feature: My Sister, Alison

My sister has been natural for quite awhile--on and off. I have decided to feature her on my blog and learn a little more about her natural journey. Enjoy!

Why did you go natural? Well, this is my third time going natural. The initial times I went natural was because I recognized early on that perms were not good for my hair (I was constantly experiencing breakage). But I would revert back to perming my hair because I never "went natural" emotionally and mentally as well...it was always just a physical transition. This last time I went natural, I was just overall disgusted with the issues that were resulting from having a perm. So this last time, I was mentally and emotionally changed into realizing that my natural hair (and natural self) was beautiful and need to be cultivated, not changed.

Are you a high maintenance or low maintenance natural? Why? I am most often a low maintenance natural. Honestly, that basically means that I am a lazy natural. All of my life, I've been very blase about hair styling. I like to look nice, but I go through phases where I am just completely laidback and uneager to do anything to my hair. On those days, I just wear a scarf, headwrap, or just rock a textured afro (where I've only wet it and pulled it out with my fingers). But I do have days where I put in effort to style my hair. Even then, these styles are usually not that difficult or require very little upkeep and maintenance.
Would you ever straighten your hair again? Never say never, but I have absolutely no desire to straighten my hair again. I've come to truly feel that natural hair is beautiful. So if I'm ever wanting to "do it up" or look especially beautiful, I don't feel like I have to get my hair straightened to accomplish that...I can just do an updo, braids, or whatever. Some people think you have to straighten your hair for special occassions like weddings, but I don't feel that way at all. Also, the only other reason I feel one would straighten their hair is to see how long it is, but I can accomplish this by just stretching it out through braids, twists, or ponytails.

Would you ever BC again? I don't feel a desire to BC again right now, but I can see myself doing it later in the future for various reasons. Basically, I've noticed that a lot of older women tend to rock TWAs because of the low maintenance...I can see myself doing that if I were married with children and felt too overwhelmed to constantly keep my hair up.

What is a hair move (ex. hairstyle, color, etc) that you would love to try? Well, I can't wait until my hair grows longer, to about my shoulder blades, because I love a lot of the updos and formal styles that I've seen people do with long natural hair. French twists, coiffed ponytails, individual twists styled like straight hair...so many options! So that's what I'm waiting for.

Any advice? For anybody who is attempting to go natural, I suggest that they transition in more than just the physical sense. While growing out your perm, visit natural blogs and websites often and take notice of all of the beautiful women who are natural. Then, once you feel an overwhelming desire to be all natural...cut it off! I also recommend that people surround themselves with positive influences when it comes to being natural...fellow natural friends, books on the subject, print out of pictures and webpages....whatever it takes. Though the world has evolved in a lot of ways, there is still a lot of ignorance when it comes to black women wearing their natural hair...don't let the ignorance of others discourage you. Instead, use it as a source of inspiration to remind yourself that you are no longer in that category, but have achieved a level of beauty and appreciation that they still need to catch up to:)

Any blogs? My blog is at http://naturalcommentary.blogspot.com/

Naturals in Advertisement: Clorox

I love this advertisement! Her TWA (teeny weeny afro) is so pretty. Clorox sure picked the best person for this advertisement because her smile is simply gorgeous. Simply put, she is a beautiful natural woman.

I must reiterate how much I love seeing naturals in advertisement. It was not this easy 10 or 20 years ago to see so many naturals in commercials, print advertisments, etc. That's why I love this segment so much. It shows me that natural is well on its way to becoming the norm.

Hairstyle: Curly Mini Twists

Thursday night I set the curls on sponge rollers...
Wasn't feeling the hair at all on Friday morning...
Put a tam on it to cover it...
I eventually started to like the tight curls on Saturday...
Started wearing the hair out and this is Sunday...
Its Monday and I am now loving my hair!

So, on a previous post I mentioned that I was going to curl my mini twists on sponge rollers. I did not know what to expect and I must admit that initially I hated them! However, I did not want to wear my hair covered by a tam the entire weekend so I wore the curls out. By then, the curls were looser and I started to kinda like my hair. As the days went by I started to really like my hair.

This hairstyle is a low maintenance hairstyle. Over my 3-day weekend in Birmingham, all I did was cover my hair with a satin scarf. The next day, I would take the scarf off and pull any curls that were smooshed overnight. I am on day 4 of the curly twists and my hair is still looking nice. This will definitely be a recurring hairstyle.

These are the steps:
1. Put hair in mini twists using some sort of locking gel or leave-in.
2. Take sections of hair and spritz hair lightly with water and add a small amount of leave-in conditioner (this will help to set the curls).
3. After spritzing a section of hair, curl with the sponge roller in the direction you want the curl to fall.
4. Let the curls set overnight.
5. Take the rollers out the next morning and gently pull at the hair to loosen some of the curls.
6. Optional: Pin some of the hair on the side with two bobby pins (I do this to avoid looking like Orphan Annie).