Monday Style Icon: Sherrin

"Natural hair is very rock and roll. Rock it how you want and roll with wherever you go!" ~Sherrin






Where are you from?
R: I'm from Houston,Texas- born and raised. But I just moved to Los Angeles, California. I'm currently a college student, actress, model, stylist, make-up artist and blogger! I'm sort of a jack of all trades!

I love your pictures! Do you model as work or just for fun? And who is your photographer?!
R: I've been modeling since I was about 14 or so and it's always been more of a hobby for me. I normally do print modeling. I would do runway if I was 5'11. However most of all my modeling now and days is usually just for fun on my blog http://rinnyriot.blogspot.com. My photographer just so happens to be my creative boyfriend, Kalvin (www.vimeo.com/lordkalvin) who also is going natural with me!





I model mostly because I'm attracted to the world of fashion. I love and appreciate it as an art form. I designed my first dress in the 4th grade in hopes that one day one of the Spice Girls would rock it. -I was a huge Spice Girl fan. I also model because I know I can bring some change to the way women of color are looked at in the modeling industry! ... In essence many women are inspired by what they see in the magazines, what better way to inspire young girls to love natural than if they saw many images of black women rocking their au natural hair steez! We can change the world naturalistas!

When did you go natural and why?
R: I tried to go natural my sophomore year in high school however some family strongly were against it until I was 18 and out of the house. It wasn't until 3 years later that I started to go natural my sophomore year in college in 2007. I went to a beauty school to get a cheap wash and flat iron and met a stylist who told me she was natural and had a gorgeous head of hair sans perm! After then I just transitioned mostly by doing washes and flat-irons and I also rocked some clip-in extensions I made. I finally cut off the relaxed bits of hair that were hanging on for dear life in March. I went natural with the intention of just pressing my hair but I have not worn it straight since. I have really come to love my hair texture!

What (if anything) has changed in your life since you went natural?
R: One of the things that has changed is how much I care about what I put into my hair and body. Since going natural I've found myself in Whole Foods alot more in search of organic foods, hair and body products. I also have been more environmentally conscious! I took it a step above just recycling but I even try my hardest to use eco-friendly household products like Method and products that use recycled packaging.

I also chose to go Straight-edge or sXe, which is a lifestyle where one makes a commitment not to use alcohol, tobacco, or recreational drugs.

Also one of the premiere things that have changed was my social circle. My closest 3 best friends all have gone natural however there were also others who said "when are you going to perm it?" "How long you gonna keep your hair lookin like that" I adjusted my mentality to focus on people who were progressive and positive towards my change.



The attention I get because of my hair is out of this world. At first, I used to get only attention for my clothes-because I love wearing lots of bright colors-but now it seems like I can't go a day without people commenting on how much they like my hair.

Your fro is GORGEOUS! Can you give a little tutorial on how you do it?
R: Well I wash every week on Sunday with the Original Fragrance Shop- www.theoriginalfragranceshop.com Botanical Tea Shampoo and Deep Condition with their Hair Pudding Conditioner. Air dry and style with their hair butter. Usually I rock the Curly-fro method to get as much length stretched without applying heat. Every now and then, I'll do a blow-out. My "lets party" style is my fro-hawk!



Why are you pro-natural?
R: I'm pro-natural because my hair is an extension of me: Versatile and always trendy. I don't have to go the extra mile to stand out with my hair because its truly its own expression of individualism. I feel like I'm no longer in the dark about my hair. I don't use just anything with a pretty bottle. I rarely even hit up a beauty supply store anymore unless I need a quick pair of bamboo earrings (they break all too frequently.) I don't even have to think about my hair when I'm going out last minute. Natural hair is very rock and roll. Rock it how you want and roll with wherever you go!



To see more of Rinny check out her awesome blog http://rinnyriot.blogspot.com.

Awesome e-mail/I follow BGLH because

Date: Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Subject: my daughter's natural hair

As a white mom of an Ethiopian daughter, I'm often asked when I will get her hair straightened. People ask as if it's a foregone conclusion that we would/should prefer that. I love her curly hair, and while it takes time to style it, she looks like her beautiful self and not like everybody else. She sometimes says that she would like long straight hair, and she got her wish when we got it trimmed last month. She has so much hair that the stylist had to straighten it to cut it. Thankfully, this wonderful stylist used heat to straighten it and told me to never use a chemical straightener because her hair was so beautiful.

Thank you for your website... I just started looking at it, but I love the ideas, and I'm glad that there are others who want to stay natural.

Chris
Chris' daughter

Rachel's First Product Review: Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners

In celebration of hitting 1,000 followers I announced this past weekend that Rachel (of Little Golden Lamb) would be doing regular product reviews. Expect to see Rachel on BGLH every Friday.

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Beloved readers, this is part one of a series of "Top 15" posts to be appearing in the future. In this post, I will be kicking off the count down of my Top 15 Drugstore conditioners, to date. BAAs, all around! ^_^

To be clear, I'm not referencing "deep conditioners" in this post, but rather "rinse-out" conditioners. These are my Top 15, based on what I've tried to date. I have yet to try every product in all of drugstore-dom, so please do not be upset, beloved readers, if you don't see your favorite brand listed. I may have not tried a product from it yet or may not have tried a product from that line that benefited my hair in a particularly fantastic way at this point in time.

By "drugstore", I might add, I mean they can be found only outside of salons and BSS, most likely in massive retail chains like Wal-Mart, Meijers, CVS, Target, Walgreens and so forth.

I must also note that there are a mixture of "natural" and silicone-laden products on this list as I shy away from few ingredients. This is partially why I post ingredient lists on all of my reviews. Be sure to check them for ingredients your lovely mane may not care for. ^_^

"Top 15 Products" really have to "wow" me on a number of fronts, but of greatest importance are:

Ingredient Quality (The first five ingredients must contain two ingredients my hair prefers)
Price (In relation to the quantity in the bottle)
Physical characteristics (scent, color, texture)
Actual performance (Does it do what I want it to do, at a level that makes me feel I haven't wasted my money)

So, without further ado, beloved readers, these are conditioners one through three, of my Top 15 Drugstore Conditioners (number 1 being the best):

15. Dove Frizz Control Therapy Conditioner with Repairing Serum
I LOVE this “repair serum” line from Dove! Fabulous. The Shine therapy conditioner was delicious (see review) and this is as well. Thick, creamy, with a pleasant floral scent it moisturizes deeply and really coats each strand without that tacky “Silicone, much?” feeling. My hair was noticeably softer after using it.

This is wonderful for luxurious co washes and easy-breezy detangling sessions for all textures and chemical persuasions, though fine haired ladies, this may be too much for your strands as a frequent co-wash. Don’t look to make a leave-in out of this though. It’s too thick and rich -flakes will ensue once it dries.

I absolutely adores that it rinses clean, the scent, while nice and not too overt doesn’t linger (the usual sweet, Dove-floral-scent). I can foresee that you, my beloved readers, will need to clarify once a month or so with this or use shampoo weekly (one with coco betaine, SLS or ALS is not necessary).

Even if this does not trip your light fantastic, this won’t be a waste -it will be as great shaving aid if all else fails. ^_^ Baa!

Ingredients
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Quatemium-18, Fragrance (Parfume), C11-13 Isoparaffin, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polxamer 217, Quatemium-18 Bentonite, Meroxapol 311, Disodium EDTA, Amodimethicone, TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate, DMDM Hydantoin, C12-14 Sec-Pareth-5, C12-14 Sec-Pareth-7, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.


14. Dove Intense Damage Therapy Conditioner for Accumulated Damage
I have a slight issue with the slim, rounded, up-thrust design…it’s not sensuous or feminine. It’s just…awkwardly provocative. That said it is inverted (great for getting every drop without shaking it to death) with a just-too-cool cobalt blue bottle. Neat.

This conditioner, beloved readers…IS AMAZING! Having said that, loves, I must remind you I do not shy away from silicones. Further more, I have very thick hair that can take quite a few. Fine haired ladies, this may not be your friend as a co-wash. As a weekly deep conditioning base, it may do you proud.

The product itself is white, creamy, amazingly thick and has the usual sweet/perfumy Dove smell. It doesn’t linger much. Which could be good and bad depending on how you feel about that. A little goes a long way which I love about Dove. Unlike some Organix and JASON products (my two favorite drugstore brands) a little of this melts my tangles.

About tangles…this is ONE OF TWO DRUGSTORE BRANDS THAT MELT MY CURLS LIKE AVEDA CONDITIONERS. Only Aveda’s “Be Curly” conditioner did that for my hair. It STARTLED me that this could do that also. Simply amazing. It’s a great buy for the amount and quality: $4-6 dollars.

I LOVE THIS CONDITIONER. However, in time, this little, golden lamb will wander out of boredom) (and the desire to write more reviews for you lovely ladies)!

Relaxed and texlaxed ladies, this will provide a good protective coating for detangling chemically-taxed strands.
Natural (and "lightly texlaxed") lovelies, for the "cone enthusiasts" out there, this'll aid in detangling for you as well!

AMAZING job Dove. I’m so proud of you! Now if you’d just make commercials showing more Black women using your hair products. You are missing out on a large market. Sigh. When you do catch on...please, darlings, don't make the bottles of the line brown.

Ingredients:
Water – Aqua , Cetearyl Alcohol , Dimethiconol , Cetrimonium Chloride , Quaternium-18 , Fragrance – Parfum , C11-13 Isoparaffin , Propylene Glycol , Hydroxyethylcellulose , Poloxamer 217 , Quaternium-18 Bentonite , Meroxapol 311 , Disodium EDTA , Amodimethicone , TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate , DMDM Hydantoin , C12-14 Sec-Pareth-5 , C12-14 Sec-Pareth-7 , Citric Acid , Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone

13. L'Oreal Smooth Intense Conditioner for Thick Hair
L’Oreal Paris Vive Pro Advanced Nutrileum Complex Smooth Intense Conditioner for Dry, Rebellious Hair That’s Thick: Well, beloved readers…it wins the longest name award. THIS CONDITIONER IS AMAZING. This is one of the best drugstore conditioners I have tried yet. More important it has ceramides in it. Ceramides are natural lipids that help hair and skin retain water. They can be lost over time by daily wear and tear and are stripped by the relaxing process.

I love it. It’s amazing for detangling as well. It has a "good" fragrance, in that it’s not definable or attention getting, but very pleasing when noticed.

This has great consistency, creamy, custard thick and opaque white. It spreads easily and slips around every strand. A little goes quite a long way.
Plus…THE BOTTLE IS ORANGE! YAY! <3

The Inverted design and squeezable plastic (requires some shaking to get that last 1/3 though) is efficient. The only thing that could improve its packaging is a push tab opening. It has cute font, too!

It’s a wondrous styling agent on dry hair also! NO more fly aways RELAXED ladies. This left my strands, “coated” in a “protected” sort of way, without feeling terribly weighed down. Be sure to wash at least weekly to prevent build-up, which is a very real possibility with this. They felt plump, supple and smooth. It didn’t impart great silkiness or intense shine, but my hair detanlged like a breeze with this massaged into wet hair.

TEXLAXED LADIES: Can we say diluted for a leave-in spray?
NATURALS: If you do non-natural products you may fall in love with this for co-washes and detangling.

I love this and can’t say that enough. Give it a whirl if your hair is thick/medium/whatever. They also make formulas for fine hair and hair of a “medium” texture, displayed here. The one for thick hair has a blue label.

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Amodimethicone, Potato Starch Modified, Behentrimonium Chloride, Perfume (Fragrance), Cetyl Esters, Methylparaben, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Trideceth 12, Camelina Sativa/Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Cetrimonium Chloride, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Chlorhexidine Dihydrochloride, Poloxamer 407, Dodecene, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Yellow 10 (CI 47005), Citronellol, Amyl Cinnamal, Alpha IsoMethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Red 4 (CI 14700), BHT

There they are beloved readers, the first three of fifteen! I hope these reviews are useful to you in your future product purchasing adventures. ^_^

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Stay tuned next Friday for the next three items in the countdown. And if you can't wait till next week to see more of Rachel, check her out at her blog: http://littlegoldenlamb.wordpress.com/

NY Times article on natural hair...

Let me preface this by saying that I really hate it when mainstream media tries to handle the "issue" of natural hair... only because they rarely do it well and they NEVER talk about the joys/relief of going natural. But the NY Times does an okay job of delving into race/culture issues, so I figure'd I'd give their Aug. 26 article on natural hair a read.

I'm not sure if it's supposed to coincide with the impending release of Chris Rock's movie on good hair because it didn't really have a clear point/objective. It basically attempts to pack the multi-layered, multi-generational natural hair "issue" into about 1,200 words.

Here is the link to the article, written by one of the Times' beauty reporters.

A lot of it was trite to me (could be because I blog about/read about/look at natural hair every day.) But I think it is worth a read. It doesn't make it to the BGLH 'Natural Girl's Reading List' though.

I lifted out some statements that I found interesting:

"For many people no matter their race or hair texture, accepting yourself “as you are” is a high bar. The history of beauty is one of dissatisfaction and transformation: brunettes become blondes; white women get their curly hair Japanese-straightened. To go from short to shoulder-length and back again, celebrities from Britney Spears to Queen Latifah use weaves, which require a stylist to sew or to glue someone else’s hair into tracks on the scalp.

So why, asks Brian Smith, who runs TreasuredLocks.com with his wife, Tywana, is a hairstyle a “political or social statement” primarily among African-Americans?"

My response:
a.) because of the prevalence of relaxers/hair straightening among black women (compared to the prevalence of weaves/dying among other women)
b.) because of the intent of relaxers/hair straightening -- to reduce one of the most visible ethnic traits of black people (i understand that not everyone relaxes/straightens with this intent, but it is the outcome nonetheless)
c.) because straigthening your hair with chemicals/heat (and possibly gluing in weave on top of that) is a quantum leap of change compared to a dye job, or just adding weave to naturally straight hair
d.) and finally -- and most importantly -- because a 'natural look' for other women is still very accepted. even if a white/hispanic/asian chick chooses not to add weave or dye her hair, her looks are, at the most, appreciated and, at the very least, considered normal. black women's 'natural look' is still not considered normal. I think that is the root of this whole natural/relaxed ordeal. Black women, OBVIOUSLY, can do whatever they want with their hair. We don't all have to think the same way or do the same thing. But that is TOTALLY besides the root issue that an overwhelming majority of black women are not okay with the fact that their hair grows with a curl/kink/coil.

The term “natural” is itself problematic, said Professor Banks, the author of “Hair Matters: Beauty, Power, and Black Women’s Consciousness.” She recently spent 14 months in black-centric salons in five cities researching a future book. Natural hair salons don’t offer chemical straightening or weaves. But she found “a great deal of coloring in natural hairstyling, thereby challenging the ‘chemically free’ label.”

Oddly, Patricia Gaines, the founder of Nappturality.com, a pro-natural Web site, points out that dyeing one’s Afro puffs or double-strand twists blond isn’t viewed as conforming to a Euro-centric look. “It’s never been about color with black women,” she said, referring to the tint of one’s hair. “If it’s blond hair and it’s nappy, it’s still nappy.” (A term she uses proudly, though some use it as a slur.)

I actually thought those statement were kind of interesting. Your thoughts?

acting natural: interview with actress adepero oduye

"At first I didn’t think there was a place for me in acting. Now I know there is, because I say so. I’ve marked my place. I know a lot of times people say, I don’t think they’re going to let me in. It’s not about waiting for someone to let you in. You just have to show up. I just showed up."

You may have seen her in the recent McDonald’s snack wrap commercial; playing “a lady of the evening” in Half Nelson; twice over as a guest star on Law & Order; or starring as Pecola Breedlove in the stage play adaptation of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Currently, she’s preparing to shoot the feature film debut of Pariah. I (Jenteel) am so excited to have interviewed my dear friend, Adepero Oduye, an amazing actress and one of the most genuine people I know, to get her feedback on being natural.

Adepero at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Pariah
Where are you from?
AO: Brooklyn, NY by way of Nigeria!

You’ve been natural all your life. Describe your experiences growing up.
AO: In elementary school, every week my mother would style my hair in cornrows. When I was about 10-11, I began to wonder why my hair wasn’t long. I asked my mother one day why she shaved my hair off when I was one years old. She stated I wouldn’t sit still to get my hair done, so her solution was to chop it off. I was silently seething about it because I thought I could have had long hair if it had never been shaved.

In junior high school, I did a lot of experimentation with my personal style. It was at that time I made attempts to leave my hair out. I remember wearing a fro one day and a boy said that “it looked like a bomb went off in my hair”! I was clueless on how to care for my hair. Furthermore, I was naive about products used for different hair types. I remember trying to make bangs on my natural hair with Queen Helene gel! I wanted my hair like Vanessa on The Cosby Show. Rudy’s hair was out of reach to me because I didn’t have her length. I asked my older sister how I could get my hair like Vanessa’s. She said I would have to get a perm. I thought about getting a perm briefly because Vanessa’s hair could do xyz and was my length. I didn’t fully comprehend the difference between her relaxed hair and my natural hair; that her styles looked “that way” because her hair was relaxed. No one in my house had a relaxer. I also didn’t go to school with that many black people.

I became more aware of the “hair politics” in 8th grade. There were these two Haitian sisters with really long hair. The older sister was relaxed. I could see that they got more attention with their long hair. It was around that time that I started getting braid extensions. It was easier because I could leave them in for a while. But I got tired of it, tired of the whole “process” with extension hair. What bothered me the most was that the extension hair was plastic-y and straight while my roots looked fuzzy. I had my fill of Kankelon! The latter part of my senior year of high school, I wore my hair out. I heard people make comments, but at the end of the day I wasn’t going to straighten my hair to fit in. It went against everything I knew and how I was brought up.

Where do you think the strength to be natural during those early years came from?
AO: It was just easier to be myself. It was more work to try to figure out who people wanted me to be, how they wanted me to act and how they wanted me to dress. My hair was and still is one of the things that makes me unique. I must say my father had a huge influence on his girls in that he said none of his daughters could have perms. He was always very open about how he felt about perms: “...Black people trying to look white”. We weren’t allowed to have white dolls either. He said that my mom’s hair was the most beautiful when it was short fro. He instilled a lot of pride in us in being Nigerian and being black. He was a proud African man, so I was always proud of my unique name and being African.

photo credit: J. Murrell
You have been acting for several years. How has your natural hair affected your acting career?
AO: Where do I start?! I don’t know how it’s been affected, but things have “come up”. Instinctively, I knew getting into the game of acting, that my hair would be an issue at some point. I was in deep conflict with really wanting to act, but knowing that it wouldn’t be the easiest choice. I knew I had the passion, but looking at myself I thought no one’s going to want to see me on screen. There was no one out there who looked like me: very strong African features, dark skin, African name and kinky hair. It was the combination of it all. The actresses who shared those characteristics always relaxed their hair. There was that voice that shouted, “What are you thinking?! It is so impossible! Why?” But thank God my passion was stronger than that voice. I didn’t want to have to change myself to be anyone else but me.

I was naive at one point thinking my hair didn’t matter. When an acting coach mentioned to me that it would come up, I downplayed it. During a meeting with a potential manager, she stated that I’d “never be able to do commercials with hair like that”. But that was confusing to me because this was when natural hair started growing in popularity. I knew I could never work with that woman. I’ve also had people say to me, “You have to figure out what to do with your hair”. I don’t know if those people thought my hair was loced or what. Many said that my hair stereotyped me and put me in a box. But they couldn’t or wouldn’t describe what that box was. Those experiences were people trying to say that I wasn’t good enough. My mom would say to me “it’s just hair” and not to take it so personally. I could’ve done the easy thing and gotten a weave, made my hair a non-issue, but that wouldn’t have been me. I’m not opposed to different hair styles for a role though. I’ve learned to compromise by going to auditions “in character” wearing a wig. I have realized that as an actress the character is not me. But for the most part, I go to auditions with my hair as is.

What have these experiences taught you?
AO: A fellow actress who is white, a great actress by the way, said to me one day, “You’re so lucky, you’re unique”. To hear that coming from her, saying that she looks so common with her blond hair and blue eyes, floored me. I kind of instinctively knew, but that’s when it really hit me. I’m completely unique. I don’t get “lost in the sauce”. I have no choice but to stand out. People remember me. I’m unforgettable. I’m either going to do this as me or not at all. All the opportunities I’ve gotten, I have gotten being myself. At first I didn’t think there was a place for me in acting. Now I know there is, because I say so. I’ve marked my place. I know a lot of times people say I don’t think they’re going to let me in. It’s not about waiting for someone to let you in. You just have to show up. I just showed up. That’s how I look at my career and myself. All of this transformation and growth happened at the same time. My outlook on life, my self image, spirituality...I’m not sure all this growth would have been fostered if not for acting.

How do you wear your hair?
AO: For the most part, I wear my hair in twists, as a protective style. I use a homeade shea butter mix [j says, ade hooks me up with nigeria's finest shea butter, mmmm! ;-) ]. It can be fresh twists or 2-wk old twists. I have to make it work! And I have my days! Some days I don’t feel so cute and think that if I had that “wash and go” natural hair it would be easier. I have my moments, I’m human, but it’s not the way to think. Trying to get into people’s heads with how they see you is crazy. Trying to fit a standard. It’s really, really crazy! I was listening to Lauryn Hill’s Unplugged recently and was struck by her words: “What standard is this and who made this sh*t up?!”

Since you’ve always been natural, do you have any issues in caring for your hair?
AO: Yes! I’m still figuring out the best way to wash it to get it properly cleansed, decrease tangles and avoid breakage. I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this...maybe it’s build up...but I’ll find lint pieces stuck in it. I’m thinking about combing it out first with conditioner, then washing it. My other issue is with styling. I generally wear twists or twist outs, but hair is the longest it’s ever been in my life. I want to do more than just twists and flat twists. I don’t have the skills to do certain styles and I know that it requires some more styling practice on my part. I realize it requires “doing the work”. It can be overwhelming on the blogs, fotkis, all the products. I know it’s trial and error. I just wish that there were more styles in magazines for my type of natural hair. I’m not interested in styles on natural hair that doesn’t look like mine or if they add hair to the style or if it’s super short.

My hair is a little past arm pit length (apl) stretched. I definitely attribute that to moisturizing!!!! I moisturize my hair every single day, my ends especially. I also do the occasional trim. I had my first trim ever in life 4 years ago. Although my hair is coarse, it is like fine silk. I had to learn how to properly comb my hair and to tie it up with a scarf to protect it. There’s this misconception that natural hair is so strong, so you think you can be rough with it, but in actuality you have to take special care with it.

How has it been watching “the natural movement” grow?
AO: It would be funny when people would make comments like, “Oh you got that natural thing going on like India Arie. or Lauryn Hill!” And I’m laughing, thinking I’ve been natural before all of this was cool! It’s been most interesting to see natural hair on people who I would have never expected. For instance, I would have never expected you to go natural because I so associated you with your nice, healthy, relaxed hair. You were so creative with it so I thought why? [j says wow, never heard this before!] But, anything that goes along with who you were born to be, I fully support. As the movement grew, I hoped it all wasn’t a fad because this was who I was. I thought, what will happen when it’s no longer a fad? Am I not going to be "in style"? Initially, in my mind, natural was for “certain” people. Nowadays, I’ve seen “that girl, the cool kids in high school” with short naturals, locs, all “granola”-lol; it’s a complete 180°! Even though I had natural hair all my life, I’ve realized that there are so many things that I didn’t know. I’ve learned so much. If I knew back then what I knew now... man! Because of the internet and so many people going natural, there is a wealth of resources and products available to maintain natural hair. Before, you didn’t see people selling shea butter all over the place! There are so many people who can relate to the natural hair experience. I don’t feel alone anymore :)

You recently visited Nigeria for the first time in several years. We had a post on BGLH about natural hair in Nigeria being viewed in a somewhat negative light. It set off a firestorm of comments. What were your observations of natural hair there?
AO: It had been 14 years since I’d been back. I noticed that people didn’t wear their natural hair “out”. It was very rare to see natural hair out and longer than my length. If it was natural, it was in cornrows or a short fro. I wore my hair in twists while there. Meanwhile, most women wore wigs, extension braids, and “weave-on”. In advertisements, movies, commercials, etc., everyone had a weave. So I didn’t wear my hair like a “Nigerian”. Somebody asked me if I was South African. I don’t know if it’s because they thought my twists looked like locs and maybe they relate that to being South African? I’m not sure. But clearly I didn’t fit into any of their boxes. My clothes, my hair, my height [j says, ade is almost 5’10”]. It was obvious that I didn’t grow up there. Maybe if I wore what they were wearing? I must say though that I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the women I saw in Nigeria. While admiring the exquisite beauty of these women, I silently hoped that those women and girls knew how beautiful they were, despite these supposed standards. One day I was watching The Most Beautiful Girl, Nigeria pageant. There were 30 women representing each state. All these dope Nigerian women and not one had natural hair! I know that if I was in that competition, I would have rocked my natural hair proudly, lol! My opinion is if you’re in Nigeria, consciously or unconsciously, if you have kind of status, or want to look like you have some kind of status, don’t have natural hair.

What do you have to say to young naturals or women who are transitioning to natural that are in high school or college who say that they feel pressure to conform? (They cite issues of standing out, not fitting in with their nappy hair and how it’s just easier to follow the norm).
AO: I’ve come to a place in my life where I love everything that I am and that includes my hair. If I can do it in acting, with all my experiences...anyone can. Through all of it, I’m still proud to be natural. I can do what I want to do with the hair that I was born with. Everybody has hair issues. Knowing what works for your hair and what doesn’t puts you at ease. My wish for women, especially black women, is that they love their natural hair. I feel natural hair is beautiful, no matter the texture, and my hair is probably classified as a 4b. F*ck conforming! If you are thinking about going natural, just try it! Just remember, PATIENCE IS KEY! I never really thought that deeply about transitioners until recently. While shopping, I ran into a woman so frustrated with the two textures, so confused on how to complete the process. It was then that I fully realized - it’s all new to them! I understand that it can be an extreme step depending on your texture. I get it. It can be tough depending on who you’re around, but you don’t have to suffer silently. There are so many resources nowadays. Be willing to do the research and learn. Make your hair work for you!lookin like a true brooklynite!holla!
Thank you Ade for being so candid in this interview, for sharing your strength and for not making excuses for who and what you are. You are living proof that you can do anything that you want to do as long as you stay true to yourself. Love you girl!
~j~

are curls the new straight? [article on racialicious.com]

BGLH reader Myss Kay notified me of an article on Racialicious.com about the 'mainstreaming' of curly hair even though kinky/coily hair remains firmly OUTSIDE the mainstream.

ARE CURLS THE NEW STRAIGHT HAIR? [THE GERMANY FILES]
by Carolina Asuquo-Brown

Just a few weeks ago I was flipping through the pages of a fashion mag with a friend.

An editorial featuring an obviously biracial black/white model sporting a huge curly ‘fro caught our eye and that I have to say – I just loved the style.

I have been natural most of my life (not necessarily out of conviction but due to the chronic and persisting shortage of German hairstylists who can deal with wild biracial hair more on the afro side-or with any kind of biracial or black hair) save a few relaxed spells every few years after which I desperately longed for my kinks and curls to come back.

Anyway, my style of the moment is natural and the model’s medium-length curls were something I really considered desirable. The hairstyle did strike a chord with me, but my friend Jen, who has two African parents, is many a shade darker than I am and has shiny and fantastically healthy-looking relaxed tresses (which I have never managed to obtain) was a lot less enthusiastic about the model’s look.

“That’s something mixed girls get away with” she said, “They can get their hair to look like that - I couldn’t. I feel that curls are something like the latest fetish - it’s like there are black girls with great curls all around, advertisement, movies, magazines. And lately it has become a bit like what straight hair used to be-you’ve got to have it.”

It had never occurred to me, but speaking to Jen, I realised that she might be right. Over the next weeks everywhere I looked, be it the streets of my city or most of he few female black German TV-presenters - it really seemed that nowadays the fly mixed or black girl hast to have curls. Generous, semi-loose curls that is, tight enough to give you the volume but loose enough to be considered beautiful in a more mainstream way.

[Click here for the rest...]

***Okay — rant! I was thinking about this article last night and got more and more frustrated. SistaOpinion's comment just set me off. Here's my response from the comment box. ***

"SistaOpinion you are SO right. I am beginning to question the motivation or need for articles that highlight a 'crisis' regarding natural hair.

Is it going to be something we haven't heard already? Probably not.

The reality is that natural hair is NOT mainstream. it's NOT the norm... and what?!?!? Is that supposed to make me sad/insecure/dismayed?!

I think we should all be PROUD that we're apart of something that has nothing to do with what 'mainstream society' deems acceptable. And I think being accepted into 'mainstream society' (which is consumerist, hegemonic and tries to boil out any sign of individuality) is overrated.

at the same time i do understand that a mainstream presence plays a role in shaping what people consider 'normal'. but honestly, i don't think 'mainstream natural hair acceptance' is going to be a top down thing. i firmly believe it's going to be bottom up. but until that day happens, i'm not going to waste tears on what some morally equivocal system isn't doing for me.

and on a side note, is mainstream media really critical in shaping our views of what is normal? consider this: the cosby show was a phenomenon. it portrayed a high-income black couple (doctor and lawyer) leading a stable home life.

um... i don't think that really helped the case of black people in america. at least not according to the stats which say we still have disproportionate amounts of incarceration, heart disease and non-nuclear families.

now consider this... barack obama — a real flesh and blood man, not a TV character — wins the presidency.

who do you think is more critical in shaping what people think of black/bi-racial people?

TV Character huxtable or Real Man obama?"

question for J: how do you know whether a regimen is working for you?

Question for J from Nay Shay:
BGLH,
I need help!! I recently did my big chop 2 weeks ago. I have read many blogs and YouTube videos, I understand the regimen differs for each natural, and that it takes a while until you find the right one for you. But you know how it is, we're in a day in age where we want things fast...

I'm not saying I'm expecting significant growth in 2 weeks, I just want to find the regimen and bypass the mistakes. My question is, how do you know if a regimen is working for you? For example, after conditioning how do you know whether or not your hair loves it? I'm not even sure how my hair feels, it's not hard or rough, it just feels like....hair. Also how do you know if your hair is sufficiently moisturized? Should it be shiny, dull, but soft?

Sincerely,
Nay Shay (A Newbie going crazy.)

J's response:
hi nay shay,

by now i'm sure you're getting comfortable with being natural. congrats on the big chop! i know as a newbie you can be focused on growth, but i would be focused on health. length comes along with that. :)

conditioning:
look for your hair to feel moisturized, sometimes you may see more curl definition or "clumping". you may want to alternate between protein conditioners (hydrolyzed keratin/collagen/wheat/soy/silk) and more hydrating conditioners with lots of beneficial oils like coconut, avocado, castor (or jojoba-great for scalp). if your conditioner doesn't have any of these, feel free to add some yourself. as far a shine, everyone's hair is different. typically, the coilier your hair is, the less it will shine, so i wouldn't use that as a marker. stay away from synthetic fragrances and petroleum-based products. and if you use products with silicones make sure to clarify with baking soda as this can make the hair look dull over time.

good luck :)
~j~

For more information, check out this extended series J did on moisturizing. And feel free to weigh in with advice for Nay Shay!

Rock Solid Regimen: Brianna!

I'm pro natural hair because it's natural, it's ours, it's mine and no one, no standard or beauty or ugliness, no stereotype should dictate what I do with something as defining and as personal as my hair. ~Brianna





BGLH: Where are you from? Are you a native of that country?
Brianna: I'm from Trinidad and Tobago, in the West Indies. Born and raised here.

BGLH: How did your family end up there?
Brianna: I'm a product of people from all over the place; Africa, India, China, Scotland...I can't really say how I ended up here!

BGLH: Why did you decide to go natural?
Brianna: I was convinced the first time I had my hair relaxed, at 14, that I was destroying it. I was used to having my back length natural hair combed and braided at night. I guess my mother got tired of doing that all the time! I, personally, have never felt complete with relaxed hair. I found it more complicated to deal with than natural hair. I have very sensitive skin and frankly relaxer scared me a bit.

BGLH: When and how did you go natural?
Brianna: Over 3 years ago. [Brianna is now 25.] I just stopped going to the salon. I just stopped relaxing my hair. I didn't take the warnings about hair damage too seriously. I just told myself it'd work out. And it did, for me. I finally went to a loxologist (a hairdresser specialising in natural hair. That's what we call them) and cut all the relaxed bits off. I was so pleased after the washing and twisting and drying. I actually felt proud of myself and my totally healthy head of hair.

BGLH: Could you describe your regimen? What products and ingredients do you use?
Brianna: I have a weekly ritual that takes a couple hours. I wash and condition; nothing special - Pantene Relaxed and Natural or Head and Shoulders. Then I sit down and comb the whole thing, divide into thick sections which I braid and let dry. After that, I just undo the braids, run my fingers through and put on a head band. That's my entire regimen.

BGLH: What mistakes have you made in your natural journey that you've learned from?
Brianna: I let myself be talked into texturising my hair!! I did and because my hair is fine and curly-to-wavy, the texturiser just made it go limp and STRAIGHT. I don't think I have forgiven myself yet. I was so upset, I cut off a year's worth of hair gradually and started over. I'm not going to touch it again.

BGLH: How does your hair work for your life?
Brianna: I work in Corporate Communications. I'm a university student. I'm also a girl who draws and paint. I haven’t encountered any instances of outright discrimination or negativity in any sphere of my life. At the same time though, there are assumptions associated with being young and Black with natural hair.

BGLH: How is your hair an expression of your personality/inner self?
Brianna: I'm a strong willed person and I loathe dishonesty and insincerity -- I think my hair is beginning to express that. I get the "Empress" comment alot -- people think it's regal. I enjoy watching it grow and making sure it's healthy; much the same way I am about my character and my life and my art. I paint girls with mainly natural hair because I think it should be celebrated.

BGLH: Why do you paint natural women? Is there are philosophy behind that?
Brianna: I have always found women beautiful; the elements that make faces unique. I find strength and dignity beautiful. I think that because my work could be described as being largely self portraits, the women reflect what I am experiencing at this stage in life – loving my natural hair... It was always a personal thing. I’ve only been opening it up to the public for about a year and a half. I do sell now though.
Some of Brianna's art



BGLH: Why are you pro natural hair?
Brianna: I see no reason why natural hair, in all its forms, shouldn't be an accepted and admired thing. I come from a place where, not too long ago, people with dreadlocks weren't allowed to work in banks. We still have the problem where private schools are discriminating against students with dreadlocks. I think it's high time we got rid of the negative assumptions about natural hair.

I'm pro natural hair because it's natural, it's ours, it's mine and no one, no standard or beauty or ugliness, no stereotype should dictate what I do with something as defining and as personal as my hair. That being said, I believe that once it doesn't come out of adhering to what is perceived as beautiful or acceptable or out of self hate, we should be free to do whatever we want with our hair.

BGLH: Is there a fotki or web page where we can find you?
Brianna: Yes, I blog at http://briannamccarthy.blogspot.com. I look forward to seeing you!

1,000 follower festivities: Regular Product Reviews from Rachel!

You may know Rachel from the amazing (and Black Weblog Award nominated) blog Little Golden Lamb. It's one of the most comprehensive and well-written hair product review blogs on the web. Added bonus? Rachel is natural and recently did her big chop! She's been mentioned on BGLH before; J, our resident hair expert, mentioned her in a March 2009 post.

Rachel will be providing BGLH with regular product reviews from her extensive library and I am BEYOND excited to have her here! This is one of a couple things we're doing on BGLH to celebrate our impending 1,000 follower mark.

I asked Rachel to do an introductory interview with us. Read on...


"The cure for PJism [product junkyism], in my opinion, is to TAKE NOTES on what does and does not work for your hair. You will see patterns of the ingredients your hair does or does not like in short order. You can then get to the point where I am now: I can read an ingredient list and pretty much know what it will and won't do for my hair." ~Rachel




BGLH: Where are you from?
Rachel: Hawaii. I lived there when I was younger. It's the only place, of the many I've lived, that felt like "home". I am in the Midwest, presently.

BGLH: Where did you get the idea to systematically review hair products?
Rachel: When I became serious about growing long hair (as an APL [arm pit length] relaxed head) I tried product after a product, to crack the "Long Hair Code". I couldn't remember if my hair was better off from one to the next and quickly became frustrated. I then started recording what I was using and my regimen as well as changes I made to my regimen as time went on. My entries became more and more detailed as I made better notes of the specific attributes of the products and regimens my hair did or did not like. When I big chopped and experienced great frustration having no support and little information, I realized others may benefit from my trials and errors. I opened a "Review Fotki" Feb 2008. Things have essentially grown from there.

BGLH: Is there a method to your genius? Do you review products in any type of order? Or do you just review whatever you're currently using?
Rachel: I would not call it "genius", but thank you, my dear. ^_^ There are, however, key aspects that I look for in a product, depending on its type, purpose and what I'm hoping to get out of it. I don't have any particular order for reviewing products.

BGLH: You're a college student, correct? How do you afford all those products!
Rachel: I'm in my final semester, actually (Huzzah!). I think I should start a FAQ page with this as the first question! It's certainly come up more than once. I suppose some assume that I buy a new product every week, which is absolutely NOT true.

Many of my beloved readers, who are not aware that I opened a Fotki full of reviews in Feb of 2008, don't know about 90% of my reviews come from said (now closed) Fotki. I only buy a product when I completely finish what I am currently using (unless it's TERRIBLE and I must pitch it immediately, it happens).

I make careful notes throughout its use and post those notes, in the form of a review later. A product I post this month, may have been used several weeks ago! I made a point of reviewing mostly drugstore products because they ARE far more economical than many salon products (though I've accumulated a fair share of those over the last two and a half years). Let me put it this way: There's a reason I have no Kerastase reviews!

BGLH: What have you learned about yourself and your hair in the process of reviewing all these products?
Rachel: As a consumer I did not do HALF of the homework I should have to be in full control of my general health and my hair specifically in the past. I have completely changed that in regard to my entire health and well being. We as consumers, need to become more savvy about marketing techniques, the cosmetic industry, our hair as well and a bit of "Beauty Science". I have learned that I and my hair are much happier when I do the needed research and take time out to learn what is normal or not normal for my hair (and body) in terms of appearance and behavior.

I also learned I had a lot of maturing to do to get to the point where my hair was not a defining feature of who I am as a human being. As a fashionista, most certainly, but my hair is hardly the most important part of the whole that is Little Golden Lamb.

BGLH: Do you have any absolute horror stories that came from bad product experiences?
Rachel: Too many to count. The worst was when I used a certain Herbal Essence conditioner and it created a millimeter thick film on my scalp I had to get off with AVC, clarifying poo, Dawn Dish-washing Detergent (yes, you read that correctly) and baking soda.

BGLH: Were you natural when you started reviewing products?
Rachel: No. I have been bone-laxed, texlaxed and natural (twice now) through out the two (going on three) years.

Rachel relaxed


BGLH: Why did you go natural?
Rachel: It is explained in greater detail on my blog. The short story? I needed to accept all of myself and it is truly what I feel is healthiest and the most attractive look for me. My hair thrived bone-laxed, texlaxed and natural. It really came down to how I felt about myself.

I 'big chopped' a year ago (all by myself! ^_^) and faced a lot of negativity and confusion I didn't expect. After a year of hurt and helplessness I relaxed. Now, I'm far more aware of what I'm up against. I did a big chop early in 2009 year to removed bone-laxed ends and last month to remove some texlaxed remains. That makes three big chops total, now that I think about it. Egads!

BGLH: So you must have an interesting take on product junkyism (lol) an issue that affects many naturals. What are your thoughts?
Rachel: Me? No! ^_~ I knew this'd come up as well. ^_^
As I said before, I use up a product completely before purchasing a new one. If you look in my bathroom you would find two or three hair products TOTAL. In short: I am not a Product Junkie as many think. ^_^

The cure for PJism, in my opinion, is to TAKE NOTES on what does and does not work for your hair. You will see patterns of the ingredients your hair does or does not like in short order. You can then get to the point where I am now: I can read an ingredient list and pretty much know what it will and won't do for my hair. In general, I love trying new products and have yet to find my "Holy Grail" anything. The day I do...my reviewing days are over. That said, I doubt it'll be anytime soon. I'm a hard sell when it comes to product perfection. ^_~

BGLH: Are you excited to be sharing your knowledge with the BGLH community?
Rachel: You bet! I started my blog to give back to the communities that have aided me in my own personal hair journey. It absolutely makes my day to be a part of such a wonderful thing: women helping other women take care of themselves, embrace who they truly are and love who they are now, as they become the women they aspire to be. BAA! ^_^
***
What products would you like to see reviewed/do you have questions about?

Style Icon... Sunshine

We typically profile style icons on Monday but we're switching things up a bit in anticipation of our '1,000 follower festivities' this weekend and early next week. Sunshine debuted on BGLH as a guest blogger on July 2, 2009.


"My getting the big chop had the least to do with my hair and more to do with letting go of a person who was a creation of the media and pop culture and a need to follow the herd... I really believe that natural hair acceptance can be the catalyst to propel our people to new heights. Sounds far fetched, but I believe that if we can learn to love ourselves in our natural state and see the beauty within us, we can start to see the beauty in each other. I believe that once this is accomplished we will have more pride in ourselves, our culture and our communities...

Is that too much pressure to put on natural hair acceptance? I don’t think so." ~Sunshine






BGLH: Where are you from and what do you do?
Sunshine: I was born and raised in Chicago but I currently reside in an itty bitty town in South Carolina. My husband is a Marine and this is where we are stationed. I guess by “what do you do” you want to know what I do for a living, in which case I am a wife and incubator (I am pregnant with our first child!). Aside from that I am starting my own natural products business.

BGLH: So, you've told your big chop story on BGLH before. How long have you been natural for?
Sunshine: I just celebrated my 1 year nappiversary! I wore it short for a while after my Big Chop, I have just started letting it grow about 6 months ago.

BGLH: Usually naturals starting out have a tough time getting their hair looking cute. But you've been cute since the big cut. What are your secrets?
Sunshine: No secrets really. I just play around in my hair a lot. I usually don't try to style it into any certain look, I just mess around in it and figure out what looks good on me.

One thing I keep in mind always when doing my hair though, is the shape I want to achieve. I know what I like, which is volume on top and not so much on the sides. I think that shape frames my face best. So no matter what, if I stick to that shape, I know I’ve got a winner.

And I keep it moisturized.

BGLH: It seems you already had a great sense of style before going natural. In what ways have you incorporated your short natural do into your style/aesthetic?
Sunshine: Good question! Learning that I didn't need all the hair and weave in order to be beautiful also made me realize that I didn't need all the designer clothes and latest fashion must haves in order to be beautiful either. With that in mind I have become a bit of a minimalist when it comes to my style. The most exciting thing on me at any given time will usually be my earrings. Other than that I like to keep it really simple. I am finding that I feel more beautiful knowing I am not relying on extras to feel stylish. So in essence my short natural look kind of spread all over and took over my style!

BGLH: Can you pick one of your favorite styles and give us a tutorial for it?
Sunshine: My favorite style, if I have to choose, would be the one shown in the pictures with the pink dress. I don't know what to call it, but it started out with two strand twists all over my head.

After deep conditioning my hair and letting it air dry ‘til the point of being about 85% dry, I did the two strand twists all over using my Coconut Confidence (which is a blend of Shea butter and coconut oil) to moisturize each section as I was twisting and also to seal the ends. At the end of each twist I rolled my hair in between my fingers into a tight little curl to ensure the twists wouldn’t come out. Then I slept on it. I wore the twists for a whole day without touching them at all. The next day I finger combed the majority of the twists out in the back and sides of my head leaving the crown twisted. Then I fluffed until I achieved my desired shape which is big on top and tapered looking on the sides and in back. I try to make the front stand up as much as possible since I like volume. The result looks like a cute cut when it’s really just a TWA with style!




BGLH: What products do you use?
Sunshine: I am an all natural girl when it comes to products.
I use pure raw unrefined Shea Butter and virgin Coconut Oil combined, a spritzer made with water, Olive Oil and Coconut Oil and for deep conditioning I make a Banana Honey Conditioner using half of a ripened banana, a little honey and a little baking soda mixed together in a blender. On the rare occasion that I use any commercial product it's VO5 for co-washing, but I add honey and baking soda to it.

BGLH: What (if anything) has changed in your life since/because you went natural?
Sunshine: So much has changed for me as a result of going natural (we may need a whole new post for this question!). Like I said in my hair story, my getting the big chop had the least to do with my hair and more to do with letting go of a person who was a creation of the media and pop culture and a need to follow the herd. I cut my hair so I could learn to love myself no matter what and learn who I really was underneath it all.

As a result, I am definitely more confident, but in myself and my talents and skills as opposed to my looks. I have stepped my game up as a result of being natural and I've reevaluated what is important to me. In letting go of the old superficial, materialistic, vain person that I was before I have made way for the person I was destined to be. I am working towards a business with my husband and thinking more about the future and less about designer labels and fancy cars. My goals now focus more on leaving something behind for my children, helping my people, and fighting for beauty equality so one day natural hair will be the norm and our future women can tackle the even bigger issues plaguing our communities.

...I really believe that natural hair acceptance can be the catalyst to propel our people to new heights. Sounds far fetched, but I believe that if we can learn to love ourselves in our natural state and see the beauty within us, we can start to see the beauty in each other. I believe that once this is accomplished we will have more pride in ourselves, our culture and our communities. Perhaps then we will be more apt to support black businesses and move from our position on the bottom when it comes to wealth, businesses and ownership. Start to build up our communities and strengthen our unity as a people.

Is that too much pressure to put on natural hair acceptance? I don’t think so. I think it is just the start we need to get moving in the right direction.

Definitely check out Sunshine's blog which is amazing (especially for the newbies)!:
http://naturalhairnaturalproducts.blogspot.com/
You can find her products shop here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7489936

workout plan!

Question for J from Rochelle:
Wo! Talk about a wealth of information. Thank you. I work out 5 days a week. 3 of them are in bikram yoga with only 30 min to get dressed before returning to work. How does natural hair care / conditioning fit into that? I generally throw some kind of hydrating something in my hair and put it in a bun. I am really good with hair sticks. But I would loooooove to enjoy my hair without accessories!

J's response:
Hi fellow yogi! You're very welcome! Great question and it is so timely since we are in the midst of the summer heat! I know sometimes ladies are discouraged to work out during the summer because it's hot, but mostly because they are afraid to mess up the do! No fear ladies! There are ways to work out and still keep the pretty :)

Sweet Gym Styles:
1) The Puff/Ponytail: self explanatory!
2) Pin up/Updo: You can do this with twists, braids or loose hair. Use pins or clips to keep it up. An elegant variation of an up-do was already mentioned by Rochelle - a bun/chignon.
3) I <3 Accessories: I love using a brightly colored bandanna or scarf to "catch" perspiration and keep it off of my face. It also works to keep my edges down as my hair expands exponentially to match the intensity of the workout!

(If you're short on time, these styles also work great after the gym. Depending on how quickly your hair dries, you can rock an "out" style.)

Cleansing
It is essential to wash your hair after working out. This is because your perspiration/sweat contains salt. Salt + hair = dry, brittle hair. Not only that, but the buildup of sweat, oil and bacteria can cause skin eruptions. It's hard enough already to keep skin clear with the summer humidity. Some women can get away with rinsing their hair thoroughly after a workout, but for most, I suggest that you use some sort of cleanser. Use a mild shampoo after working out. If you work out everyday, I definitely recommend co-washing to keep more moisture in the hair. Concentrate on the scalp and the hairline. Don't scrub! After a long workout, your scalp will appreciate the massage! If you are a "wash and go" girl, the cleansing part is easy. If you aren't, consider rocking twists or any other type of protective style so that you don't have to start from scratch with each wash. Twists and braids have a lot of durability (soft/fine hair types aside) during light washing. Washing in twists or braids will also prevent you from losing a lot of hair each wash in the detangling process. After washing, apply a leave-in conditioner and a light moisturizer again concentrating on the ends of the hair. Rochelle, you're on the right track with hydration. This is especially important for naturals who live in dry, hot climates. Don't overload your hair with products since you're just going to do it all over again shortly. The idea is that you cleanse the scalp gently (once is usually enough) to remove the impurities, but your hair still retains some of its natural oils. At the end of the week, you can do a thorough detangling and deep conditioning.

ETA: I know a lot of ladies are concerned about too much manipulation. I'm not much of a "sweater", meaning I don't sweat in my scalp, only in my crown area; so a "cheat" technique I use is to wash only the crown area. I received a question today in my email about weaves/extensions and working out. I've never had a weave, but I know that you're not supposed to wash the hair too often. This will cause it to loosen from your own hair. Another issue with added hair is that depending on the quality of hair, it may get matted with this much manipulation. And I know you gotta keep your "wig" tight-lol! Rinses or swabbing the scalp with witch hazel may work best in these situations. Stick with the technique that works best for you and your hair!

Splish-Splash!
If you're swimming this summer, invest in a natural-based swimmer's shampoo. Look for any natural shampoo that will remove the chlorine from your hair with out stripping the precious oils. I use Jason Swimmer's & Sports Rejuvenating Shampoo. Before swimming, apply conditioner generously to the hair concentrating on the ends. The conditioner acts as a barrier to prevent the chlorinated water from penetrating the strands and damaging the cuticle. Furthermore, use a swimmer's cap to avoid chlorine's harsh effects on the hair. This is especially important for my color-treated naturals. In using a swimmer's cap, something I've found that works for me is the "swim cap suction technique" (aptly named to sound technical-lol). If you have a lot of hair, your hair can create enough suction so that water only seeps in around the hairline. Put your hair up loosely (not a ponytail), then tie a scarf/bandanna around it. Squeeze the swim cap over the head for a snug fit. Again this only works with thick and/or long hair. Happy swimming and enjoy the rest of the summer!

Ladies, feel free to share your ideas with Rochelle on how to keep the hair pretty (and healthy) while working out!

~j~

Monday Style Icon: Karrie

"i grew up in a family where i was told i was "lucky" to have the hair i do. i was told in grade school that i thought i was "all that" because i had "good hair". i don't think i'm anything. in fact, i've been trying to get comfortable in my skin since childhood. now i feel like i can be myself at 22. i don't have to have 18 inches of jet black european silky weave to feel beautiful." ~Karrie





BGLH: Where are you from and what do you do?
Karrie: born and bred in brooklyn new york. i lived in Dallas for 3 years and moved right back to NY as soon as i finished highschool. i'm a paper pusher by day and i bartend on the side for extra cash. city girls always have side hussles. it's real in these streets!

BGLH: So I read on your blog that you used to be heavy on weaves. How do you make the jump from being a huge weave fan to being natural?
Karrie: the truth is, i started perming my hair when i was 14. it was too much for me to handle. on top of all that i wanted the straight look all my friends had. 2 years ago i thought i was going through some sort of 1/6 of a life crisis and decided to chop all my hair off. my ex boyfriend HATED it (it wasn't all that cute so i don't blame him). it made me really insecure. as soon as i had enough hair to braid, i started weaving it up, and i did so for 2 years.

the curly weave


my weave sisters out there know it isn't wise to perm any hair other than what's covering your tracks, so the middle and back of my hair were left untouched by chemicals for over a year. i spoke to Gem about it and she was all like "Guhl!!! letcho mane BE GREAT!" so i promised her that by July i would do away with the weaves. in that 2 year span i had no idea how much it grew. i hadn't been paying much attention to it.

BGLH: You said that Gem, who we've featured, inspired you to go natural. Can you tell us a little more about that?
Karrie: for those who don't know, Gem and i were sisters in our past lives. she's been such a positive force in my life since i met her. sure she's beige, from h-town, claims to have unicorn in her blood, and talks greasy all the time but there's not 1 day that goes by without me speaking to her.

BGLH: What in your life has changed since you became natural?
Karrie: i've been getting a million more compliments. i feel 10 times better about myself now too... the most significant change i've seen since ive gone natural is the extra $250 i can hold onto, since my own hair is a lot less costly to maintain.

BGLH: I love the way your hair is curled in your photos; Can you give us a how-to/tutorial for that style?
Karrie: YASSS!! all that is, is a tight roller set. the lady who used to do my weaves 1) washed my hair 2) got a handful of mousse and some moisturizer and slathered it on thick. it holds better that way 3) separate yo hair into small sections and get to work! i chose skinny rollers (the ones you can bend and twist for a smaller/tighter curl) 4) plop yourself under a dryer for 40 mins or so. 5) SHAKE AND GO! and if a curl or 2 dropped, i'd grab a hold of a skinny curling iron and remedy the situation with a lil' holding spray. that style lasted me for 2 weeks! i'd pin up the sides and the back for an easy breezy faux hawk. p.s. sleeping with a hair net saved my life!

BGLH: Why the Kesh cut?
Karrie: i don't anyone who doesn't love kesh. i wanted a haircut that would allow me to experiment with some 1950's rockabilly hair do's, but put a more updated twist on it. no one was surprised when i shaved my head. when i told my mom she told me she was surprised that i hadn't done it sooner. LOL.



BGLH: Why are you pro natural hair?
Karrie: i grew up in a family where i was told i was "lucky" to have the hair i do. i was told in grade school that i thought i was "all that" because i had "good hair". i don't think i'm anything. in fact, i've been trying to get comfortable in my skin since childhood. now i feel like i can be myself at 22. i don't have to have 18 inches of jet black european silky weave to feel beautiful. i remember looking at barbie's and soap operas longingly, wanting what the media convinced me was beautiful. i'd pull my t shirt over my head and swing it around, pretending it was long/flowy hair. little black (and hispanic) girls are conditioned at very young ages to think that long/straight is better. in my opinion, relaxing a toddler's hair is ridiculous. i could go on and on about my theories on self-loathing in the black/latin community, but i don't think anyone is interested in hearing me rant. *whew*

First BGLH meetup in the West Loop, Chicago

All photos compliments of our talented photographer, Norman Baldwin Jr.