Simbi Akanni is Naturally Glamourous

 

Simbi and I first met when we were much younger. However, after she moved, we hadn't contacted each other till this summer. I am glad we're in touch now.

Simbi is an inspiring young lady (I say that like we're not the same age!) and I'm glad that I got the chance to interview her for this blog.

Check out her out online! All her links are at the end of this interview!

I hope you enjoy this reading this interview!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm Simbi Akanni, an 18 year-old student and Christian blogger!  I was born in New York, raised in Nigeria and now I'm back here in NY for as long as God desires. In addition to that, I'm a sister to 3 handsome brothers and 1 loving sister. I've been blessed with an amazing family!    

In my spare time, I blog, edit films and videos (yes, I'm a Nikon and Final Cut Pro X girl), I love dancing, singing and frolicking around in pretty dresses with sunflowers in my hair. That's a bit about myself for now!  Thanks for having me on your blog today.

How long have you been natural?

Oh man, I've been natural since 2009. That's 6 years now! Wooh! 

When did you get your first relaxer and why did you get it?

Here's my little relaxer story (according to my mom!) I had just moved to Nigeria and I was about 5 or 6 years old. The hairdressers and my mom constantly complained that my hair was too "hard", it cut their fingers and all the other regular unkept natural hair problems. Therefore, momma put a relaxer in my hair.  She regretted it though, because my natural hair was really long and cute. It was what I had been known for.

What made you decide to go natural?

When I moved back to america, I just decided to stop relaxing my hair. If I remember clearly, my hair had been breaking off and I decided I wanted it to grow. So I transitioned from 2009.

How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?

No one really knew because I always had a protective style in. I would wear braids and weaves back to back (drake reference, did you catch it? no? ok) but leave my hair out for a week or just the weekend.

What's your hair journey been like so far (and how has it changed your perception on some things)?

My hair journey has been awesome. Most girls want long hair and that was my goal for a while.  Now, I focus more on healthy and bouncy curls as opposed to length.  I'm also getting more comfortable with wearing my hair out.  I never knew how to style it so I would always hide it, but thank God for YouTube!  I've grown to love my kinks/curls/fro, whatever you call it.

What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?

When my hair isn't in a protective style, my go-to hairstyle is a braid out/high-puff. I spritz some water on my hair, apply some of my shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and put about 9 single braids in. Then in the morning, I unravel the braids and voila! However, if I have more time, I love doing flat twist outs with perm rods at the end. Those usually come out looking pretty dope!

Do you think you might be changing or incorporating new things to your regimen soon? If so, what do you have in mind?

Not really, my regimen works for me. It also matches my lifestyle. I'm always on-the-go so I need a quick and easy regimen that doesn't take up too much time. Although, if I were to change my regimen, I'd probably be a bit more consistent with my protein treatments and just treating my hair in general. Laziness is an underlying theme lol!

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?

I think I may have answered this in a previous question but to recap; my go-to is a quick braidout. My fave is my flat twist out with perm rods at the end. I tried a bantu knot out a while back and I was pretty disappointed but i'm actually giving it another shot tonight, so we'll see how that goes. (update: it came out looking great)

What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?

For about a week now, I've been rocking a high puff. So in this case, it's a wide tooth comb, my hands and the stockings I use to tie my hair up.  

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length retention and moisture?

Shrinkage is beautiful! Let's accept it and not see it as an issue. But to answer the question, I put a few braids, twists, bantu knots (or something) in my hair every night before I sleep. I try to keep my hair stretched as much as possible because that hang time is beautiful too!

As far as breakage, oh gosh, I deal with this so much. Most of my breakage results from super tight braid patterns under my weaves. I literally have patches of broken off hair because of this and it sucks. However, I'm now enforcing less tension in my hair routines and hair styles, keeping my hair soft and making sure I deep condition (or do a protein treatment every now and then). Let's see how it'll work out.

Length retention- I'm not afraid to trim my dead ends, cut off a few inches and allow my hair to grow back healthier. Protective styles are also really good for length retention and growth (braids, weaves etc)

Moisture- This is tough to keep up with when my hair is in a protective style, but when it isn't, I'm usually really good with moisturizing my hair. I love to use the l.o.c. (liquid, oil, then cream) method. For that, I use water, coconut oil and my shea moisture curl enhancing smothie.

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

Currently, I'm loving my shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie, extra virgin coconut oil, creme of nature moisture & shine argan oil shampoo, shea moisture restorative conditioner and my home-made deep conditioner. 

Hand-In-Hair syndrome. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

I love hair, so my hands are always in other people's hair (sorry guys).  I also really like when people play with my hair, as long as they aren't messing up my hairstyle, we're good!  No one has ever just reached out to touch my hair without my consent though.

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

Being naturally curly gives me so much variation.  Because of the way my hair is, I can do so many different styles.  One day it's straight, the next it's an afro, the next it's just huge.  Curls are so beautiful and I would never trade them for anything.  It's not all beautiful because sometime's it's just outright tough, but believe it or not, it's like a relationship.  You don't love bae every day. lol.

Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

 Teens - Don't get pressured into thinking your kinks and curls aren't beautiful. You are set apart.  God created you in His image, which is ultimate perfection!  Whatever hair texture you have, what makes it beautiful is that it's yours.  No one can ever take that away from you.

Parents- Tell you daughters how beautiful they are.  Give them the affirmation they need.  Your words mean the world to them.  I walk around with a mantra that goes "Momma said I'm beautiful, so that means, I'm beautiful and I don't have to wait for anyone else to say it." 

Where can we find you online?

You can find me at www.SimSpirituallyInspired.com.  I upload blog posts every Sunday!  It get's really personal on my blog, so please join the ride.

YouTube- SimInspired.  I have a couple of videos on there

Instagram - @Sim_Inspired

And, that's all I have!  <3 

Anjola Fagbemi is Naturally Glamorous

I have know Anjola for YEARS! I recently reconnected with Anjola via Facebook and realised that she was natural now and guess what! She has amazing hair! Sooooo.... I decided to interview her and I was glad when she agreed to do the interview.

Anjola is a wonderful person so I hope you enjoy this interview and when you're done reading it, you go check her out online (the links will be left down below), subscribe to her YouTube channel and 'Like' her Facebook page.

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello guys! I’m Anjola Fagbemi of TheBejewelledBud. A self proclaimed fashion enthusiast and modish minimalist. I am a Fashion and Lifestyle blogger who is currently in University. I also produce video content on YouTube and I am a photographer!

How long have you been natural?

I just did my big chop in January 2014, so I've been “natural” for about five months now and I love my hair! (Well sometimes I feel like copping it off too lol.)

When did you get your first relaxer and why'd you get it? 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had straight hair. I had no say in the decision to relax it because I was really young and my mum made the decision. It was second nature to get a relaxer as soon as I had growth so I just kept getting it in because it was normal to me.

What made you decide to go natural?

I had a friend in A levels who was trying her best to convince me to transition and go natural. She was ahead of the craze and was one of the first people I had seen who was actively taking charge of her hair. When she big chopped, I was utterly and absolutely convinced because she had the most magnificent afro. I took on the challenge because I wanted to see how big my afro could get!

How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?

Oh my gosh, you would have thought the sky was falling because they were all opposed to it. My mum fought it so hard, and my cousins joked that it was because she had worked so hard to grow my relaxed hair to the beautiful, long position it was at that moment in time. The hair dressers advised me against it; my aunties didn’t want me to, and my friends had no clue because I had just changed schools and they were basically clueless about my journey.

What's your hair journey been like so far (and how has it changed your perception on some things)?

At first, it was just a huge relief to chop all the dead ends off because my mum had finally agreed to let me get rid of it. But then, I had no clue of what to do with it so I ended up wearing a hat to church the next day because I couldn’t get it to look right. But, so far my hair has taught me how to be patient! There are so many days (like today) were I feel like chopping it all off, and other days were I absolutely love it. 

What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?

It’s summer time and I’ve hardly stayed at one location for a week so having a regimen has been really tough! Right now I have a weave in so it is very low maintenance but before that I had a bunch of regimens! My old regimen consisted of deep conditioning and washing my hair ever weekend ( If I was lazy I could skip a week of doing anything to it). After which, I would twist my hair or bantu it into a style it would remain in for the rest of the week!

Do you think you might be changing or incorporating new things to your regimen soon? If so, what do you have in mind?

My most recent one is the no-comb regimen combined with a minimal product regimen. Not combing the hair as often reduces breakage and reducing the amount of products used increases the amount of moisture the hair strands receive.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?

At one point in time, I could only pull my hair up in high buns because it was so short and it is still my go-to. I haven’t got the length to rock that many styles yet.

What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?

Huge hair ties and a ribbon. A ribbon is one of the only things that can squeeze all my hair in at times! 

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage and length retention?

To combat breakage I hardly comb my hair; and if I do, I do so gently- working my way from my ends to my roots.

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

I currently use Argan oil based products, and I find that they moisturize really well!

Hand-In-Hair syndrome -  an issue I have now only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

It bothered me a lot before but don’t really care anymore. Random people just stick their hands in my hair, and it was a shock at first; but, now I just stand there (while quietly thinking of how messy my style is going to end up).

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

I can defy gravity. That’s pretty cool, huh?

Any to say to the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

You guys are so beautiful! I admire your courage and willingness to find your definition of beauty even though it is different from what the society might portray it as. I think you are strong for stepping out on a limb to learn more about who you are through your hair, and you are awesome.

Where can we find you online?

My fashion and lifestyle blog: bejewelledbud.com

My YouTube channel where I share more hair related things:  TheBejewelledBud

My Tumblr, for my creative expression: TheBejewelledBud

And of course Facebook: TheBejeweledBud

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I hope you enjoyed reading this interview and you check out Anjola online soon! :)

Marissa Chukwu is Naturally Glamorous

I know I haven't done an interview in a while and I guess it's because I've been busy with school and stuff and also, I've been waiting to stumble onto a picture of someone that makes me go, "I HAVE GOT TO INTERVIEW THIS PERSON!"

So, I'm going to introduce you to my very good friend of 'God-only-knows' how many years, the crazy girl that you will never fully understand, who makes orange juice when life gives her lemons and leaves you wondering how on Earth she did that, a strong lil ol' lady, Miss. Marissa Chukwu! :)

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How long have you been natural?

I have been natural for a 1 year and 4 months now.


When did you get your first relaxer and why'd you get it?

Sadly I have been relaxing my hair all my life up until now without choice due to the fact that my mom was not so keen on me having nappy hair at the time (But now she loves it :D )


What made you decide to go natural?

I had a very bad experience with heat and weaves due to my hairdresser who believed that straight hair was the only way to go so my hair was practically on the verge of falling all off and breaking on all sides. I didn't really think of going nappy at the time cause alot of people around me weren't really into the idea but I guess I wanted to try something a little different, having straight hair most of my life was getting boring ha ha.


How did your family and friends react to the idea of you going natural?

Lol! Everyone I knew thought I had gone bonkers: no one took the idea positively at all which was simultaneously hilarious and depressing to me. (*cough* *cough* I gave you "subtle" lol hints to go natural years ago, even wrote out a list of products and blogs for you) The day I decided to do my big chop was actually very unplanned. I had woken up, looked in the mirror with disgusts of how my 3 month old transitioning hair was looking (curly at the base, straight at the ends) and decided its time. I big chopped my own hair in my bathroom! I can never forget the shock my mother had on her face when she saw most of my hair on the floor.

What's your hair journey been like so far?

Absolutely amazing! I wish I had gone natural years ago. I've had the chance to experiment with so many style and hair regimens. I didn't even realize how much hair care I could have been doing since if not I had gone natural. To be honest, for me, its not watching my hair grow that's the fun but learning more and more of the possibilities that come with having nappy hair. I;m even looking forward to trying more regimens and styles as I discover them.


What is your daily hair regimen (including your night-time routine)?

I like to keep my regimen as simple as possible because it's not what you use that matters but how its's used. IN the mornings I moisturize my hair using coconut oil/avocado oil, Cantu Shea butter conditioning hair repair cream or just raw Shea butter that I have imported from Nigeria, a little spritz of water and voila! Nothing too special. Then at night I spritz my hair with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar, moisturize with the Shea moisture raw Shea butter deep treatment masque (believe it or not that product makes some awesome twist-outs) and also an oil; most definitely coconut oil/avocado oil/olive oil. Ladies! Silk scarfs are your friend, nothing worse than sleeping after moisturizing your, going to sleep and finding all that product on your pillow. I've learned the hard way ha ha. I also wash my hair weekly to make sure my hair is clean, fresh and moisturized well; deep condition twice a month.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?

You'd be surprised the amount of styles you can achieve with an Afro. I definitely am a fan of up-dos like medium to high puffs but I don't do it excessively cause it tends to affect my edges sometimes so when I'm not rocking my up-dos, I would be rocking like a nice fro-hawk or your everyday protective styles like kinky twists.


What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?

Afro Comb! Afro Comb! Afro Comb! Ha I'm kidding, no but really my Afro comb is my number one tool right next to bobby pins, I've tons of them! I don't really go over board with using much accessories when it comes to my hair, I have used shoelaces numerous times to do my up-dos. Other times I may just have like a plain black head band, bandanna around my head for a lazy day style but that's it, nothing really crazy.

How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length retention and moisture?

Lord, I fear breakage, I hate it so badly. I definitely keep my hair moisturized as much as I can to prevent breakage and I've disciplined myself to not touch my hair alot or comb alot. Initially shrinkage and I did not get along, I hated the fact that I would have my hair all puffy and high one day and then get so flat the next. But hey! That's nappy hair, now I've accepted them, embraced them even but if need be I resort to stretching my hair using cornrows and twist-outs.


What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?

I am a great fan of the shea moisture coconut and hibiscus hairline but just the shampoo and conditioner. As I went along with my hair journey, I realized I didnt need much of the curl enhancing smoothie to do a good twistout but I definitely love the scent it leaves in my hair. I also love the Tresemme Shampoo and Conditioner for natural hair. They leave my hair so soft and smelling lovely it is ridiculous! For moisture I'm really into oils but not much; just coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil. For even more moisture, I love using the Shea Moisture Raw Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque and Cantu Shea Butter Hair Repair Cream. Apart from that water in a spritz bottle is my classic :)

Hand-In-Hair syndrome - an issue I have now only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair or do they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

I guess people have noticed I am a fanatic about my hair care so they know better than to touch my hair without my permission. Hand in hair syndrome is very hard sometimes ha ha especially when you're rocking a style that you made yourself that came out right. I guess it's just about disciplining yourself. Most times I can handle not touching my hair cause I'm distracted by school work.

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

Diversity, the many forms that curly hair can take. Today my curls could be extra defined, another day my hair could be so puffy. With straight hair I couldn't really do much, but with naturally curly hair, the possibilities are endless!

Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

Patience is key, at first your hair may look like it wont do anything but before you know it, boom! Also, you-tube and Google are your friends, no one really taught me what I do, it was through research and experimenting with what works best with me. Don't look at other people's hair and neglect yours, the ladies you see rocking mega Afros were once at TWA's making the most of it so like I said earlier, patience is key.

Are you still into art and are you working on anything we should look out for?

Heaven knows I miss art more than anything but between school work and the extras of being a pre-medicine student I barely have time to paint anymore. However I am hoping this summer I will be able to get back on so be expecting some surprises ha ha.


Where can we find you online?

I've got twitter @marissa_cc and Facebook as Marissa Chukwu. I also have a tumblr at marissa-cc.tumblr.com.

Lol, I am still contemplating getting an instagram.

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So, guys, go check out, my good friend, Mesa! :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as enjoyed it!

Sandeey is Naturally Glamorous

The first prize winner of my giveaway, the beautiful, Sandeey!!

Here's my interview with her.

Enjoy!

And then check her out on her blog!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Sandeey and I am from Nigeria. I currently study in Oxford, United Kingdom.


How, when and why did you decide to start embracing your curls?
I was tired of relaxers and my edges were thinning. So a friend of mine convinced me to grow out my natural hair. I hesitated at first but when I researched and began transitioning, I felt good about my decision.


Did you ever feel insecure about your hair?
At my TWA stage, I was not confident about going out with my hair in public. This was mostly because I had always had long hair and did not know how people would see it. Also, at the time, most people I knew were not even dreaming of having natural hair. It took words of encouragement from my boyfriend at the time (husband now) for me to rock my hair.


What is your daily regimen (including your night-time routine)?
I use African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Leave in conditioner and/or SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, followed by Coconut oil. At night, I apply same but this is only when re-twisting for a twist out the next day.

What are your go-to hairstyles, which is your fav. and how do you achieve it?
I love braid-outs/twist-outs and also, the simple bun. I don’t think this needs much explanation. They’re probably the most basic styles a natural would know.


What are your must-have hair accessories and tools?
I cannot do without my tangle teezer-like brush, bristle brush, hair bands and hair-pins!


How do you deal with hair issues such as: breakage, shrinkage, length
retention and moisture?
I make sure my hair is always moisturized. I must confess that since day one of being natural, my hair breaks when styling. It’s a wonder how I have managed to retain length. Most of what comes out is shed hair but I notice the shorter hair, which I know is broken hair. From time to time, I trim my hair when I feel the ends are split. I also try to ensure my hair is moisturized all the time. This is a task for me because my hair seems to swallow and hide every product I apply. 

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?
Coconut Oil, Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner, Nature’s Gentle Touch Deep Conditioner, Shea Butter, African Pride Shea Butter Miracle Leave in Conditioner, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, V05 heat protect styling spray, Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends, Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque

These products work for me and I will stick to them…for now. I love trying new products.


Hand-In-Hair syndrome an issue I have now only that....it's not my hand. Do you have this issue? Do people ask before touching your hair
or they just randomly reach out and touch (or grab) it? How does this make you feel? What is your reaction to this?

I no longer have hand-in-hair syndrome. I noticed that I have stopped wanting to play around with my hair at random times. People usually ask before touching my hair and I have no problem with that. I have problems with those who don’t ask and who touch it roughly oblivious to the fact that it took hours to get the style ready!!!! I usually voice out my anger.

What do you love the most about being naturally curly?

I love the fact that I can change my hairstyle daily and also, no need for salons!


Any advice for the natural teens, parents, kids and grandparents?

The best advice I guess is to be confident and treat your hair very gently. Natural hair is beautiful no matter what texture.


Any upcoming projects?

I see a natural hair salon in my future…

Where can we find you online?

You can find me on instagram @hairoflife

My blog address is: Hair of Life 

Also, my email address is hairoflife@gmail.com

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So, people, GO CHECK OUT SANDEEY!!

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

Awanda Perez is Naturally Glamorous

Awanda Perez of GoNaturalSpain

Ohmigosh! Ohmigosh! I got to interview Awanda! When I got a reply from her about the interview, I was so happy. *happy dance.*
Here's the interview!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi ... Well, let's see what I can tell.
My sentence: "I'm a free spirit '
My best weapon: "Great Smile"
For many years I worked at Model. I'm from Madrid, but I was born in Santo
Domingo,  Dominican Republic. ( Central Caribbean)
I currently live in the north of Spain, in the city of A Coruña. Together
with my Love and project partner, Alvaro Lago. He is everything to me and
without him, none of this would be possible.
Before now, I had lived in London, NYC, Italy and France. And travelled through a
lot of cities in Europe for his job. I love traveling, dancing, reading. Spending time with my People!
And I've always been very restless!

Have you been natural all your life? If not, how long have you been natural and what made you decide to go natural?
No. My first smoothing treatment was put on me at the age of 14 years. Then for years I knew nothing of my natural hair. But when I lived in London, I grew out my natural hair, until I returned to Madrid and then went back to straightening.  For less than a year now, I have been natural and this time I'm staying natural forever. I love my curls!


What are your go-to products and hairstyles?
For my day to day use: Sulfate-Free Shampoo, moisturizing mask, olive
oil spray and to further define my curls, a curl cream.

What's your regimen like?
Very simple. Hydrate every three days, then wash & Go. This moistens my hair. I then put a cream and then a little oil. But my hair is free like me (ahhahaha) and changes depending on the day. So usually Just let it be free. For my hair colour, I use a natural colour in shampoo with mask mode to have that tone that I always carry.

How do people react when they see your hair? (including family)
It depends. In general joy, wonder and surprise. My family at first did not quite understand what I was doing. But little by little and now, it looks better. Overall, it looks great to everyone. I work in the finance department of a very important investment company and my hair is accepted with no problems there. So all is good!

Why did you decided to promote the natural hair movement in Spain?
We decided (Varu and I) to use GoNaturalSpain to promote the natural hair movement, because we
believe that many girls here in Spain do not step out with their natural hair out of fear and especially due to the lack of information. Many have not even thought about it. Before, we only had information on the issue nationally. All were English speaking pages UK or USA. So we thought if we offered that
information and help, the girls will decide to take the plunge. And so it was!
In addition, to me, I would have liked to have one page where there is support for NGs!

Tell us a bit about Go Natural Spain.
GNS is our way of seeing the world. We believe in freedom of expression, in love, and in the natural joy and that the troubles of every day melt away. We say, regain your spark! Live! And what better way than saying BE FREE! Free your soul. Let her fly and be YOUR real self. We know there is much to do, and not always everyone will understand our work. But every time we see more girls smile when they find our website, call us, write and congratulate our work in this area, this fills us with joy and satisfaction to keep going!
Before, they were alone, now if they want  have a family! A FamilyGO! In addition we are very fortunate to have the support of great people like Katiia Tejeda (Staff) Alberto Rodriguez (Our Photographer) among many others.

What can some of us naturals in other countries do to help Go Natural Spain (especially if we're visiting Spain)?
Mmm... I like that question. (Hahahaha) So easy. GNS can be promoted, with interviews like this. Help us get products for Afro hair care. Currently there are very few specific brands for the care of our hair, here in Spain. And we need products  and to let the media know we are here, we exist! We need sponsors, any brand of products that can open a market in Spain, will be welcome. We pay for everything out of pockets, but we know it will not be possible to continue this and still be working without  any financial help.
Samantha, so thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to express my ideas on your blog. I'm very flattered and I hope to meet you in person very soon!

Anything you'll like to tell the naturally curly people out there or those considering to go natural?
I will SAY: Go Natural Girl! Because Love is in the Hair! GO FREE! The real bellaza is taken inside and if you are free to be you, that is reflected on the outside! GO!!

:)

You can find out more about Go Natural Spain and Awanda using the following links:
www.facebook.com/gonaturalspain
 www.gonaturalspain.com

Waychaun is Naturally Glamourous

Waychaun of Luvbeinnatural

When did you decide to go natural? Why? 

 I decided to go natural in 2009. I was working out quite a bit and I just couldn't get my relaxers to last. Going natural was the best option for me at that time, and has been one of the best decisions I've ever made! 

Did you big chop or transition? How did you manage your hair while going natural?  

I transitioned for 9 months. I wore my hair in kinky twists, and then a few straw sets. I also did a roller set once. I like that style, and would tried it a few more times, but I did my big chop pretty soon after that.
 

When did you BC?  What was your initial reaction to your natural hair? 

 I did my BC on Nov 17th, 2009. Clearly it was a big deal and still means a lot to me, because I remember the exact date! lol! I was relieved, and I loved my hair. It was a little shorter than I thought it was going to be, but I was ready and I loved my hair so much. My very first style was a twist out, and I was so proud!!
 

How did your family and friends react to the new you?  What was your response to them?  

I had mixed reactions. Some of my family and friends tried talking me out of going natural, and they didn't really like my new short hair cut. But I think it was more of the 'change' itself that they weren't too sure of, not my natural hair. Change can be difficult for lots of people. Once they got used to it, they prefer me now with my natural hair. Other family members and friends have loved my natural hair since the beginning. So I got a mixed reaction for sure! But at the end of the day, I knew what I wanted and it didn't matter what they though. So I continued to 'do me' and they I was happy with that.
 

What does this journey mean to you? 

My journey means a lot of things actually. It's opened up a lot of doors and opportunities that I never even though of, or never even knew I wanted. It's been life changing!! 

What is your daily regimen?  

My daily regimen.... well, that depends on the style I'm wearing. Generally my hair is twisted and pinned up. So if that's the case, after I work out I rinse my hair or co-wash, then apply leave in conditioner and pin it right back up. Maybe put on a headband, and that's about it. Then at night I add leave in conditioner and put on a satin bonnet. If I'm wearing an out style, I'll wake up and untwist my hair with a little coconut oil on my hands. Then style with hair pins or something like that. Before bed, I add leave in conditioner and retwist. Put on the satin bonnet, then goodnight! :0)
 

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you?  

Right now I use My Honey Child Scalp Cleanser and Creame of Nature Argon Oil Deep conditioner. Those are my favorite right now, and they work great for me! 

What have you learned throughout your journey?  

Patience! lol! That's the number one thing that I have learned. Patience when it comes to my hair growing, when it comes to styles that don't work out, sometimes dealing with the ignorance of others when it comes to natural hair... lots of different things... patience, patience, patience!!
 

Any advice for others on their journey? 

 Basically just to own your journey! It's your journey, make sure you do what is going to make you happy. And embrace it... with patience! lol! It's just like any other goal, it's not always easy, but if it's something you want, I will be worth it!! 

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Check out Waychaun's Youtube channel: Luvbeinnatural

Michelle is Naturally Glamorous

Michelle of Radiant Brown Beauty

When did you decide to go natural? Why? 
It was about 7 years ago. I decided to go natural because I have fine hair for one - hair similar to my mom's.  My mom's hair is now very thinned. On top of that I read a book by Cathy Howse entitled, "Thinning Edges." That shocked me into putting down that relaxer. I didn't want my hair to be thinned out or damaged beyond repair.


Did you big chop or transition? How did you manage your hair while going natural? 
The big chop was not for me. I'm not a fan of short hair - not for me. I transitioned until my hair was about chin length and then had a stylist cut off my relaxed ends.
For the period of time that i had relaxer in my hair, I'd visit the Dominicans and have them blow my roots straight in order to keep my two textures of hair blended. Not keeping those two textures blended is welcoming breakage. 


When did you BC?  What was your initial reaction to your natural hair? 
As mentioned, I never did the BC. I was however in awe of my natural hair. My mom always said I had wavy hair but I wasn't fully aware of how my hair actually looked or felt until I had about 4 inches of natural hair.
 

Straightened hair (with the blow dryer the Dominicans used)

How did your family and friends react to the new you?  What was your response to them? 
My family and friends thought I transitioned to fully natural very well. My hair always looked nice (thanks to the Dominicans lol) and there was very little breakage. I think I inspired some of my friends to take the plunge. A few of my co-workers are now reaching out to me to find out how I care for my natural hair.


What does this journey mean to you? 
I don't consider it a journey anymore. It's now a lifestyle. I can't ever see returning to relaxed hair. I have much more versatility with the hair as it is growing out of my scalp.



What is your daily regimen? 
My regimen may be considered very extensive to some but to me, it's caring for myself in a way nobody else could. Daily, I protective style. I moisturize or oil my hair daily. Weekly, I pre-poo, wash, deep condition (for moisture), apply a leave in and seal my hair before styling. Monthly I do a protein and a henna treatment (not at the same time). Here's more info. on my pre-poo regimen: http://radiant-brown-beauty.com/revised-pre-poo-finger-detangling-regimen/

What products do you currently use, and how are they working for you? 
 I use a number of products but I've finally found the products I plan to keep once I'm done using up what I have. Those would be:

• Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus alernating with Hair Thickening Shampoo
• Aubrey Organics Honeysuck Rose (as a Leave In)
• Aubrey Organics Glycogen Protein Balance Conditioner (for pre-pooing)
• Vatika Oil (for pre-pooing)
• Aubrey Organics Green Tea Rinse 
• Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (for detangling while washing)
• Kimmaytube Leave In Conditioner Recipe (alternating with AO)
• Jojoba Oil (for sealing the length of my hair and daily oiling)
• Jamaican Black Castor Oil (for sealing my ends)
• Jane Carter Nourish and Shine alternating with:
• Shea Butter Mix Recipe (adapted from Youtuber Naptural85 - I leave out the Vitamin E)
• Henna for African Hair (from mehandi.com) 

What have you learned throughout your journey?
I've learned that my hair is unique in its own way and what works for others doesn't necessarily work for me. 


Any advice for others on their journey?
Take the time to learn your hair. Know your hair type and texture and experiment with products to find what works for you.