Nafisat is Naturally Glamorous

Can't remember where exactly I read about Nafisat, but I ended up on her blog some day. I read a bunch of her posts and was like, "I'd love to interview her!" Plus, she's from my black country! I support anyone going natural from my black country 'cause I know how hard it is to go natural there. It's hard to find products, salons aren't tailored to you, like, all the salons basically know how to do is to slap a relaxer on people's hairs and to work with relaxed hair.

Anyways, so, I saw a pic of Nafisat on Twitter and she was like totally rocking a WnG on her twa and it looked absolutely amazing! She has such a lovely twa.

So, I got to interview Nafisat. Yay! Here's the interview below. Enjoy!

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Introduction

Hi People, I am Nafisat, a recent high school-leaver with passion for Architecture, Music and all things natural.

What made you decide to go natural?

I had no problem with my relaxed hair until recently last year when I noticed that some parts of my hair had uneven length. I was really bothered; the mid section way down to the back is quite shorter than other part. The difference in length was clear! So being my young and curious self, I went online to fish out the culprit behind my uneven lengths and how I could effectively grow back my hair and I stumbled across the famous natural hair blog ‘Black Girl Long Hair’ and after so many sessions of reading, researching and asking questions alongside watching Chris Rock’s Good Hair, I was convinced that going natural is the best way and there was no turning back!



What was the reaction of the people in your school when they noticed you were transitioning (I know high schoolers can be pretty opinionated)?

Lol…my transitioning days were quite short. They lasted for 4 months. With very little new growth, my hair was as good as having my relaxed hair on, so nobody noticed I was transitioning but I shared my new hair journey with some friends at school. Some showed their disgust and thought my decision would prove futile sooner or late (yeah, it was that bad) while some commended my courage to want to keep my hair natural.

How did your parents react to the idea of you going natural?

When I told my mum I was going natural. She didn’t take me seriously...she just didn’t. My mum thought I was one of those teens who are fond of obsessing over irrelevant things online; she must have really thought I was joking because she never took me serious until I did the big chop! On the other hand, my dad didn’t have much to say but on the inside, I knew he had my back on this one.



What were your go-to transitioning styles?

Like I said, my hair was 90% relaxed while transitioning but I still tried some transitioning styles like the Bantu knots. The few Bantu knots I have done turned out quite good but I’m still getting the hang of it. I also tried the twist out and it wasn’t so favorable for my relaxed hair probably because my ends were damaged. It didn’t just come out right.

I just graduated, you just graduated, though from two separate schools. When my graduation was coming up, what I was going to do with my hair was such a big deal. I ended up having my hair up in cinnabuns. What did you do?

Yeah! I thought of it, “What am I going to? What am I going to do?” For something so big like my graduation, I would really need to look quite astonishing and my damaged relaxed hair wasn’t going to do the job for me, so, after my regular deep conditioning treatment, I headed to a salon and tucked my hair under some weave which really helped protect my new growth.



When did you big chop and how did people react to that?

I big chopped on the 10th of august barely 3 weeks ago. (I know right? I’m a newbie in this natural hair game.) The big chop is such a dramatic change for people who had worn longer hair before like me. Most people were really shocked and gave out their positive opinions. I have had very few negative comments since I big chopped. Well, everyone has something to say about you all the time, so I wasn’t bothered at all :-) I was happy with my decision so every other thing didn’t matter.

How do you feel about this very different length of hair?

As at this time last week, I was still getting used to my new look because I  had never cut my hair before, ever since I was born! I would sometimes look at my reflection in the mirror and I would keep questioning my identity. “Is that really me?” It was almost unbelievable for me but now that I’m used to it, I just love everything about my new hair.



What are your plans for your hair? Any goals?

Right now, I would say my quest for healthy hair has over powered my quest for longer hair so I’m really looking forward to having a healthy looking natural hair and also retaining as much length as possible.



I'm curious. What did you do with your twa (I didn't BC)? How do you style it? D'you rock a wash'n'go, finger coils, what? I'm really curious.

Most of the time, I rock wash and gos. It just suits my hair. I have tried twist-outs and I think they also rock. I have watched YouTube videos of finger coils on teeny weenie afros that I haven’t tried. I just didn’t like them, I don’t know why. I also love the teeny weenie afro puff…not much of a puff but I love it.

What are your go-to products and what products are you eager to try and why?

I co-wash and detangle with Gentelle Hair Fruits Conditioner and shampoo with Dudu Osun soap bar whenever I have build up, I moisturize with my homemade water – oil mix and I seal with my oil mix or my homemade Shea butter mix. My hair is so much in love with Shea butter. I looove Vitale Hair Mayonnaise. It keeps my hair perfectly conditioned for me but the 10 minutes leave-in duration on the label doesn’t work for me so I leave it in for 3 to 4 hours without heat. From so many reviews from the internet and some people I know, it seems Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) products are on everyone’s favorite list so I’m looking forward to getting some ORS products. Nature’s Gentle product line would also be a must- try for me.



Quick question. Did you ever go to hair salons while transitioning? I want to know your experience. I love hearing salon experiences!

Yes, though I haven’t had any dramatic salon experiences. (sorry to disappoint you) Well, I made just one salon visit when I was transitioning. That was when I was about to install my Jumbo braids. I had initially taken my comb and Shea butter mix, just in case this ignorant hair dresser of a woman tries to load my hair with those greasy and hair- drying products. I made it clear to her what I wanted so there was no room for mistakes. She kept bugging me about why I have decided to dump relaxers and I shared my journey with her. She just thought that I must reeaaaallly have plenty of time to want to do it.

D'you still go to hair salons? Why?

That is my last salon visit till date although I plan to go there to install my braids again with my own products and tools.



Any advice for those considering going natural and those already transitioning?
Every lady has the right to wear her hair whatever way she wants to wear it and there’s no crime in doing that. If you’ve recently big chopped or you’re currently transitioning, don’t pout or fret when people go all negative about your hair. It’s your hair and your style. Be cool and be free to flaunt it because it’s what makes you you.

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You can find Nafisat on

Her blog

and on

Her twitter page

Countdown (Small Chop)

So!

I've pretty much been procrastinating about this, but this time, it's for real.
Tomorrow, I'm getting my hair cut. I'm losing all the relaxed ends left (not like they're that much). If not tomorrow, on Wednesday. Why either/or? Well...
1. My mum needs to be able to drive me down to the hair salon and
2. I need a specific lady to be there (the salon owner) 'cause she's the only person there that I'll let cut my hair. Even though she's scary when at it (she tends to take off too much hair sometimes x_X).

I know I've not put up very decent pictures of me on here. They're not bad, it's just that they don't look that good. Anyways, so I'm going to get my SC recorded and well...I'm skipping a lil here. So, I'm going to get some really good hair pics and my SC vid and put them up here once my dad finally lets me do so  and I don't know when he'll do that....

So excited! and at the same time.....scared x_X lol.
Can't wait! :)

Venting + First sulphate wash in like half a year...ish

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Hi,

So....I don't know which to start with; the venting or the sulphate wash............

I guess I'll start with the sulphate wash.

So, y'all know that I've been CG for quite some time now, but today, I had my mum wash out my hair with a sulphate shampoo. Yeah, I know, I said my mum :) I'm going to get my hair braided/twisted with extensions some time soon so I was bound to sulphate wash some time. By the way, I used a John Freida shampoo (you, know, the one for curly hair). My ends feel dry, but despite that, my hair's fine. I am, however, cutting off my ends, God-willing, next week. I might get a sulphate wash done again once before I switch to the BeeMine Botanical (sulphate-free) shampoo (ordering it this summer).

Now, the venting:

So, my dad's threatening to cut my hair off, like everything. It's going to be like a whole new big chop. Okay! so, if you've ever read my hair story (which is up on here somewhere), you'll know how I got my first BC. Dad got a pair of scissors (not hair shears/hair scissors) and snipped off my ponytail then had me got  to a barber's shop (yup! full of guys getting their hair cut) and level it out. So, I had this boy-ish hair cut, like a really short hair cut. You know, like a Denzel Washington kind of hair cut. Totally wasn't funny. I was the girl with the short hair at school. I carried my bag on my head the next day just to try and hide off my hair. I was the girl with the gorgeous long hair one day, and the next, my hair was gone.

So, Mr. daddy-o is threatening to cut my hair off again. I should mention that he claims to not like short hair. My sis always had her hair short while she was in high school and I think part of uni then my dad was like, "enough is enough!" got mad and made her grow her hair out (which is like back-length now). My sis loved her hair short. I love my hair long and now, he wants to take that away from me. Again?

I know I've been talking about this 'getting my hair cut' for some time now. You know, finally getting the less than an inch of my relaxed ends off. Won't this be a way to achieve that? Yes, but NO. I'm working at BSL before prom. If I have another "Denzel" cut, I would never achieve that. I doubt I'll even be at APL by then. The same man that acted as if he was finally relieved that I had decided to grow my natural hair out is so against it. I don't get it!
He thinks that unless my hair is stick straight, it's messy and not combed (he thinks that my hair's only culry when it's not been combed right). What is that? Hair discrimination or what? He makes my bro get his hair cut lower than that "Denzel" cut and why's that? "Curly hair's not responsible." OH.MY.DAYS!!!! My bro grows out his hair whenever he's away from home, but once he visits or updates, say, his BB Profile pic with a picture of him, woof! his hair has to go. He once got suspended from school for cutting his hair! I know, I know, it's a British thing. Same thing happened to my cousin when he cut his hair. They were both on suspension till their hair grew back out.
We talk about standing up to the curl haters. I just wish I could stand up to this one (but I know I'm just going to get shut down).

~SammyWithTheBigHair


p.s I'm done venting and talking bout my sulphate wash for now.
p.p.s My dad's the black parent. So, yup! he's got really kinky hair, but it's cut so low it's almost like the guy from 'My Wife and Kids'."