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

My (sorta) New Routine + Update

Hey everyone,

So, I know it's been almost a month since my last post on here. I have an excuse. Yes! And it's a good one. I've been laptop deprived. Yup! And my iPhone, for some reason, won't let me post anything on here. *sad face* :(

Anyways, so I'm here now and yes, I have graduated. :) Oh! yeah! so, I said I was going to tell you guys what I'll do with my hair for my graduation and prom. So, I had my hair up in a cinnabun for graduation and then for prom, I picked my hair out into an afro and pinned off part of the front-left-side. The prom do shrunk so bad at my prom, but it shrunk beautifully, people were still going, "I love your hair!" even after it had shrunk till it could shrink no more.

So....back when I was still in high school (which was like 12 days ago, I know, it's been so long since i graduated), I was so busy with exams and stuff (exams started in February and ended on the 12th of June - an almost daily thing) so I started to deep condition less and take care of my hair less. Fortunately, due to my previous regimen, my hair still remained moisturised and soft even without being deep conditioned weekly, it did need a protein treatment real-bad, though, my ends, those babies suffered :( Another thing is that I started to wash my hair less. Like I normally would wash my hair once a week and during really dry weeks, a sulfate-free shampoo wash during the weekend and a co-wash mid-week. Well, the shampoo and co-wash, both were out of my equation. Don't get me wrong, I didn't become a smelly-haired, dirty girl, my hair looked and smelt fine. I just didn't have the time to wash it and like I was always so tired so even at night, I wasn't really up for washing my hair and I didn't have enough time to do it in the morning. And please don't being up the weekend 'cause I was at school on Saturdays AND SUNDAYS too doing exams. During that period of washing less, I noticed something, umm.... dirt is good. Okay! let's just put that as "washing less is good" 'cause the whole dirt is good thing gives me the image of a dustbin, trash can, rubbish bin, dumpster, whatever you want to call it. My hair actually felt better without being washed as often and it stayed stretched longer. I guess it's because it's retaining nutrients longer and losing its oil less. I'm getting this vibe that some of you might be thinking up something rather nasty right now, so I'll just set things straight with y'all, I didn't go without washing my hair from February till June! Okay! so it's out there! I washed my hair a couple of times, just not as often as I usually did. Like I could go 3 weeks without a wash. But hey! I only washed my hair with a shampoo once every 4 weeks while I was transitioning (but I believe I co-washed between that, so it's still different, hmm..... but anyways!)

Right now, I'm out of high school (yup! :) ) and well....I've been sleeping so much. I'm still not washing my hair as often as I used to, but it's not as bad as while I had exams. Right now, I'm just letting my hair be unless I need to step out of my house. Like I had messy bantu-knots in for almost a week and even stepped out with them (under a satin scarf with a cotton scarf over the satin scarf).

It's been raining practically every day and when I'm rocking a short style (rocking some shrunken hair), that's a bit of a rinse for me. I would wash my hair this week, but I've got rehearsals for a fundraiser (concert I'm performing at on Sunday) and I'm heading out to the beach with a bunch of friends (something I haven't done in quite a long time) on Saturday I guess I can try squeezing in a wash after the beach 'cause of the salty water and stuff, but it takes a day for my hair to dry nowadays so, I'm not guaranteed it'll be dry by the time I'm heading out to church and I need it to be sorta stretched out so I can easily style it for the fundraiser.

Okay! So, I'm going to force myself to wrap up this post now. I'll just put up my sorta new routine:

• Wash whenever time is found, but don't go longer than two and a half weeks before a wash.
• Alternate between amla and BeeMine Botanical Shampoo (sulfate-free) or make an alma-shampoo mixture to wash with (weird....this just came to mind....."alma-poo")
• Co-wash more often and with a conditioner and oil mixture.
• Condition after every alma or shampoo wash with a conditioner and coconut oil mixture.
• Twirl hair in random, but medium-small sections with fingers or twirl/roll and bantu knot (to secure) hair immediately after washing till it dries to aid the clumping (my hair doesn't clump everywhere and it usually loses it clumps especially when manipulated or it gets frizzy)
• Finger detangle and style rather than comb-detangle and style,
• Spray hair with a mixture of water, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil every morning and every night (ensure every night before bed incase the one in the morning doesn't work out) and seal it in with a 1p coin (never more than a 50p coin) amount of coconut oil (I'm sorry, but I don't know what size the different cent coins come in). This helps to keep the hair moisturised and soft. Oh! yeah and I have to caps of a bottle of Heinz ACV (poured the ACV in the bottle top/cap twice and poured it into a very large spray bottle that's half full with water).
• Deep condition before every wash, with a moisturiser, with coconut oil, with damp hair, with a mixture of honey, mayo and an egg (preferably egg yolks) and deep condition with coconut milk (mixed with coconut oil, honey and cornstarch (cornstarch for thickness)) only when I don't mind getting myself and my bathroom messy.
• Don't manipulate hair unless leaving the house and going for something quite important (that is not the grocery store/supermarket).
• Rock twist-outs (flat and two-strand), bantu-knot-outs or a flat twist going through the ends of my hair whenever leaving the house. Avoid rocking puffs often (even though it's your signature style). Rock puff only when you have concert. Save 'em edges! (and ends)
• Shower without hair covered (I usually left my hair with a satin-scarf on when showering to prevent frizz due to the humidity 'caused by the hot water, but right now, the steam gives my curls a wake-up call and helps keep it moisturised).

That's basically it!

Toodles!

(can't believe I just said that!)

I'm Tired.....

*sigh*

I'm getting bored and tired with my hair. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely still love my hair, but I've been so stressed out and sleep deprived. This last year of HS has been horrid. So much homework, so much studying to do, I'm up till midnight, 1am or 2am doing homework....on Friday night, sometimes, I forget to DC and when I remember, whip up my DC and get it into my hair, it's some odd hour of the morning and I've got to be up to study early the next day. *sigh*
I cut my hair last week. I got fed up with the single-strand knots and few spilts and my stylist....she won't  cut my hair. So, I was like, "I've had enough!" I washed my hair at night on Sat (I usually wash in the morning, but I forgot to DC and I was so busy). After the wash, I was like, "it has got to go!" and cut off a bit of my hair (less than an inch, though). My hair feels much better now.
I'm worried about dry scalp and my hair breaking and stuff and my length not really showing, I'm worried that I won't reach my goal or anything near it by June so, I've started this new thing of wearing in flat braids and twists (flat braids till hair lifts off the scalp then twists to the end) and keeping them in for as long as possible, but I feel like washing my hair! I have done a light co-wash, but still.... By the way, I keep my hair looking neat when there are flyaways by getting some BeeMine BeeHold Curly Butter onto my hair then tying a scarf down on it and sleeping with it. By the next morning, my hair looks as good as new.
I don't have the time to moisturise daily and stuff and I can't seem to find a good spray bottle anywhere so it's not like I can make some moisturising spritz or whatever. I can try finding a spray bottle again no matter how tiny, I don't know, if I have the time, whip up something and put in it and leave in my locker at school and on my table at home.
I just remembered that I made a batch of rosemary extract and oil over a month ago.....x_X (don't worry, it doesn't go bad quickly).

I'm not going to go back to relaxing or texturising my hair, but I'm just tired and stressed out! (*sigh*)
What should I do?

Curly and Young: Being Curly In Highschool

By NaturallyChelsea of Curly and Young and NaturallyCurly

At the beginning of my transition it never crossed my mind to be natural in high school. As far as I was concerned it was something you just didn’t do. I mean we are all just little fish in the big sea they call high school and no one wants to be the odd fish out.

Then one day without thinking I cut off my hair, I BC’d!!! When the euphoria and giddiness from my new do wore off I was left with the ‘What now?’ feeling. I mean there were so many things to think through- styling, the opinions of others, how to fit my new hair into my routine and much more. Well I do not want you to be like me so I’ve broken it down for all you lovely divas thinking about taking the plunge and joining team natural and those who are already naturally divalicious.

BEING FLY

I do not know about your school but at my school the girls take their hair very seriously. Weaves and wigs are always worn and hair is gelled, straightened and slicked into submission. This in and of itself scared me. How could I ever match up to those girls? Well I took affirmative action ladies and in my first week of being natural I tried at least 3 styles in one week. I wanted to find my signature look and be able to pull it off at the drop of a hat so at all times at school I would look my best.

Also, if you are anything like me you do not want those girls to outshine you. Sometimes I feel that it is my duty to keep my hair fly to prove to people that natural hair can be beautiful and maybe convince a few other girls out there to consider becoming natural.

Lastly, there are times when your hair may not look its best; be it a bad hair day, a protective style that isn’t too fly or maybe you just haven’t fallen in love with your hair yet, take heart. I can empathize with you as I have been there and all whilst beginning at a new school. The first day of school I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me especially when the comments began and when the cold came in and I began to twist my hair I quickly felt that my tiny scalpy twists looked ugly when compared to the tresses of others. Then I realized something- Who cares? As important as my hair is to me it isn’t the most important thing. Since going natural I have learnt many things and one of them is to let go of the idea that my hair defines my beauty. Simply by continuing to allow my inner beauty to shine through and trudging along despite of my insecurities I was able to make friends and get a guy to ask me out, scalpy twists and all.

Also, I urge you to wear your hair out and not hide it at the beginning of your natural journey. The first few days you may feel self conscience but it is imperative that you learn to be comfortable with your natural hair. The first few days may be rough but any negativity surrounding your hair, be it from others or you, will come to pass. Hang on in there

BOYS

The average teenage girl probably spends quite some time thinking of boys, thinking of ways to attract boys and worrying about whether or not she’s considered cute by the boy she likes this week, I know I do. One of the things that deterred me from cutting my hair, which I am ashamed to say, is the possibility of being labeled ugly by the opposite sex. Can you blame me though, no girl wants to be thought of as ugly by anyone let alone a guy? After my sporadic cut I actually avoided some of the guys I knew for awhile. Eventually I had to meet them and I dreaded what they had to say. But something weird happened, they liked my hair.

When you peruse some of the hair boards and forums you may get the feeling that men are somehow anti-natural hair- especially black males. I can not speak for every male out there but the ones I know loved my new hair and told me so. In fact I had convinced myself that no on would like my hair when in fact the opposite was true. Everyone seemed fascinated by my hair; they asked questions and couldn’t keep their hands out of it (I didn’t mind). We do not give boys enough credit. They can appreciate natural hair and find beauty in it. Also, they do appreciate and will choose substance over a relaxer or weave. However, there will always be ignorant boys but think about it, is this guy worthy of being your BF anyway?

SNOOTY GIRLS

Well this one is simple. In most cases a good side eye and or simply ignoring such girls usually does the trick. At first it may be hard to ignore the unsolicited comments of others but remember this is high school. Today you might be the talk of the school but tomorrow everyone will go back to talking about ‘Who’s dating who?’ and ‘Who did what with whom?’

TIME

I can not tell a lie, it is hard to schedule hair play into the hectic schedule of high school. Usually when I complete my mountain of work at sometime around 12 in the night the last thing that I want to do the following morning is style and moisturize. Also, when the weekend rolls around all I want to do is catch up on the sleep that I missed out on not cleanse, DC and style! The way to remedy this situation is to manage your time. I find that if I set a schedule for myself I can get everything done. This has not only helped me with my hair but with my school work as well as I am now more organized.

RESOURCES

As a new teen natural it is easy to become overwhelmed by not being able to afford all of the organic hair lines out there, but do not fret. There are plenty of affordable lines out there for you to try some of which can be found in our local beauty supply stores. Lastly, I am all for naturals whipping up their own hair products. Without being a pro you can easily whip up your own DC, sealant, twisting cream etc from inexpensive ingredients so get mixing.

Being natural in high school in a sea of straight makes you unique not an outcast. So makes the most of it and represent team natural well

Love, Peace and much hair grease (mineral oil and petrolatum free of course :-)

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Check out a bunch of other posts by Chelsea by going through the links below.

You'll love them!

First Link

Second Link

So, have a great summer! and I'll talk to you guys later.

~SammyWithTheBigHair

p.s those posts 'ComingSoon' are going to come soon not today, maybe not tomorrow, but they're coming soon.