NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!
Jessica Fortin: Hi, my name is Jessica Fortin. I am a junior at Boston College, where I am studying nursing.
NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?
JF: I straightened my hair everyday until my junior year of high school, when I decided that it was time for a change. It took way too much time to tame my extremely thick, curly hair.
NC: What is your current routine?
JF: I don’t do much to my hair—mostly because it’s cheaper and easier that way! Getting the occasional trim to keep my hair healthy, washing my hair regularly, and scrunching with minimal product is really all it takes.
NC: So from start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?
JF: I wash my hair with Frederic Fekkai Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner at night. Then, I wrap a towel around my head to remove excess water. While my hair is still damp, I scrunch with Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream. Then I go to bed with damp hair and just hope for the best!
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NC: What are your must-have products and tools?
JF: I always need clips or bobby pins to hold my hair away from my face. As far as product goes, I love my Frederic Fekkai Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner and the Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream. I don’t change up my products very often…I like to stick with what I know!
NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear with your curls?
JF: I like to wear my hair back and out of my face. I usually wear it half-up by pulling it back in a clip or I use bobby pins and braid back the sides.
NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?
JF: Aside from scrunching my hair with product after I shower, I don’t really do anything for my hair at night. I just go to sleep and wake up with a curly surprise in the morning!NC: What about your hair stylists?
JF: I have been going to the same stylist for years and I won’t go to anyone else! Her name is Wendy and she’s great because she keeps it simple—she thins out my hair a bit and layers it to take off some of the weight without making my hair an awkward length, which can be terrible with curly hair!
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NC: What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?
JF: I received a lot of compliments, which encouraged me to keep wearing my hair curly! It was so different for me, and I didn’t like how my hair looked at first, but my friends and family would always tell me how beautiful my hair looked. I disagreed with them, but I eventually became comfortable wearing my hair curly.
NC: What is the best thing about being curly?
JF: The best thing is that it’s so simple to achieve a unique look! I do very little to my hair and I still feel that I achieve a look that differs from everyone else’s.
NC: How do you thing having curly hair impacts your life?
JF: It is so easy! I don’t have to worry about the risk of straightening my hair and then getting caught in the rain/snow/humidity, which usually results in some kind of afro. It’s much easier to embrace my curls and if the weather isn’t ideal, I just go with it.
NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?
JF: Embrace your curls! Many of my friends with straight hair always say that they wish they could have curly hair like mine. Having curly hair gives you the option to go straight when you want, but you can also do so much with your natural curl!
NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects!
JF: I am currently studying abroad in Parma, Italy. I plan on traveling around Europe for the semester until I return home to Michigan for the summer, and then I’ll be back at Boston College for my senior year in the fall!
