Search Results: NaturallyCurly

Have you ever expressed your frustration to a straight-haired friend, only to have them say they know how you feel? We’ve all been there. But we feel that to truly understand the life of a curly haired woman you should walk a day in her shoes. Here’s a Tall N Curly comic look at life if the tables were turned.  In a world, where curls are mainstream (blockbuster movie trailer voice”>…

Life On My Curly Planet

You may recognize this Brit model Annaliese Dayes from America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion or her cover of Blackhair Magazine. In this tutorial she’s showing us how to create this easy updo! First she talks you through how to use Curlformers and then shows you how to create a simple up-do, followed by a natural afro look. If you were wondering how the Softhood Inflatable dryer works, she’s got that covered too. It’s really kind of three tutorials in one, lucky us! 

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by Curlformers (the stick with the hook, all the bright colors”> you probably won’t be after watching this how-to. And Annaliese is a low-maintenance hair girl so she breaks it down for all of the beginners!

---

Watch the Tutorial

If you’ve ever wondered where NaturallyCurly got its start, you’ll want to watch this video.

In 1998, an idea blossomed out of a (frustrated”> curly conversation between co-workers Michelle Breyer and Gretchen Heber. From there the idea grew with the help of a neighbor, a babysitter, Michelle’s mom, and what would eventually be our big happy curly family.

You’re a part of this story too!

Fifteen years later our curly community has grown more than Michelle and Gretchen ever could have imagined.

---

Draw My Life: The NaturallyCurly Story

Narrated by NaturallyCurly co-founder Michelle Breyer and illustrated by Priscilla Sodeke.

15 Instagrammers to Follow

NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!

Alexandra Román: My name is Alexandra Román. I’m 26 years old and from Santiago de Chile. I studied to be a beautician and cosmetologist.

NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?

AR:  I started to love my curls when I finally understood how unique they were! All the girls my age wanted straight hair, so I stood out with my curls. I loved it!

NC: What’s your current routine? 

AR: I wash my hair every day—I know that most curly girls don’t, but my curly hair is rebellious and I need to sort it!

NC: From start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?

AR:  I start with a moisturizing shampoo and then apply a conditioner (I like Dove Damage Therapy“> and rinse. Finally, I apply L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil and diffuse.

NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear?

AR: I love leaving my hair down and parted to the side.

NC: What are your must-have products and tools?

AR: Moisturizing shampoos, conditioners and cream treatments, oils, and a heat tamer (Tresemmé”> and my diffuser.

NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?

AR:  At night, I just put my curls up in a ponytail.

NC: Did you big chop or transition and for how long? If you’ve always been natural, did you ever have any curly girl insecurities?

AR: I never had a “big chop,” but I did get an undercut once! I’ve never really had curly girl insecurities…I’m pretty comfortable with my curls.

NC: What is the best thing about being curly?

AR: My hair never really looks out of place! Even when it’s messy, it can look put together.

NC: How do you think having curly hair has impacted your everyday life?

AR: It can be very difficult to care for and maintain healthy curls! 

NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?

AR: Don’t straighten your hair! Embrace being natural and different from others —it’s a gift from nature.

NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

AR: I have been engaged for five years and I currently work as a secretary in a hospital. I live in Santiago and I am a singer, but it’s difficult to pursue a career in singing in my country.

You can find Alexandra on Facebook or on Instagram.

How does your naturally curly hair influence your sense of style? Do you select your outfits according to your hair?

Tarin Boone created Fro Fashion Week to highlight the natural hair community in the fashion industry.

This season, Fro Fashion Week was in New York City and we had the honor of attending! In an industry that is just now featuring textured hair on the runway, it was an honor to be part of the Fro Fashion Week – the first people to do it.

Fro Fashion Week

Since the company launched its Mist-er Right herbal cleansing tonic in 2001, DevaCurl has been known as an innovator in the curly haircare world. With the launch of No-Poo a year later – a product that transformed how people cleanse their hair – it established itself as a company willing to think out of the box.

With DevaCurl’s Shine Spray, which launches exclusively on CurlMart today, the company adds another tool to its arsenal to help wavies, curlies and coilies keep their curls looking their best. We talked with company spokeswoman Kimberly Heathman about the development of the Shine Spray.

NC: Why did Deva decide to develop the new Shine Spray?

Kimberly: DevaCurl was missing this key product in the finishing category. It obviously needed to be one that would be water-soluble, as with all of our products, as well as provide optimum, weightless shine and curl protection (both in UV and to strengthen curls”> WITHOUT the use of silicones.

NC: Was it difficult to develop, and if so why?

Kimberly: We had been working on a formulation for quite some time- as well as testing it at our four Devachan Salons on curly clients. The development of DevaCurl shine spray was inspired by a growing demand from Deva Inspired stylists and individuals with curly hair for DevaCurl to introduce a water soluble, silicone free shine spray suitable for all curl types. 

NC: What makes it unique from other shine sprays?

Kimberly: DevaCurl Shine Spray is a water-soluble, weightless shine enhancer that produces radiant, frizz free curls without the use of silicones. It moisturizes, strengthens and protects without weighing down or drying out curls. It contains four natural UVA/UVB antioxidants and UV absorbers to help protect against oxidative damage. It is humidity- resistant to control and reduce frizz. It delivers shine in a fine-mist, aerosol spray to allow for application to the entire head of hair or to just targeting specific curls

Like all DevaCurl products, Shine Spray contains the exclusive DevaCurl Botanical Blend to maintain curls natural moisture balance. This includes Balm Mint Extract, Chamomile Extract, Hops Extract, Lemongrass Extract, Rosemary Extract and Yarrow Extract

NC: What makes a product like this especially beneficial for curly hair?

Kimberly: Curly hair is typically dry and fragile–and curly cuticles (the hairs’ outer layer”> need more moisture and hydration. Functioning as a barrier, silicones temporarily seal cuticles, preventing dehydrated curls from absorbing beneficial moisture and conditioning oils. Silicones provide the false appearance of a healed cuticle. Over time, curls become brittle, less defined and further prone to frizz–creating a damaging and dehydrating cycle. DevaCurl Shine spray is not only moisturizing and conditioning, it gives radiant shine without the use of Silicones.

NC: With the addition of the shine spray, how many products are in the Deva lineup?

Kimberly: DevaCurl now has 26 products specifically designed for curly hair.

3 Ways to Use It

1. Cocktail

Combine the Shine Spray with DevaCurl No-Comb Detangling Spray natural, lightweight, frizz free curls

2. 2nd Day Hair

1. Refresh scalp with No-Poo™ Quick Cleanser
2. Revitalize and reform curls with Mist-er Right on mid-shaft and ends, allowing curls to dry completely.
3. Apply DevaCurl Shine Spray for polished, no-frizz curls

3. Polished Updo

Apply DevaCurl Shine Spray throughout curls before creating your curly upstyle, offering remarkable shine and a light, non-greasy texture

NaturallyCurly is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this month, and we’re definitely feeling the love. This birthday message from Jess McGuinty of Jessicurl just about brought a tear to our eye!

The curly world would look completely different without passionate curly business women like Jess and Michelle (pictured”>. 

Happy Curl Day to you. Happy Curl Day TOOOO YOUUUU!!! Happy CUUURRRLL day, NaturallyCurly.coooo-oooomm. Happy Currrrrl Day tooooo yoouuu.

Ohhhh, curlies, let me tell you how glad you are you didn’t have to hear me actually sing that. I don’t sing, m’kay? I dance, sure. I laugh a LOT. I can whip up a mean batch of conditioner. But singing? No.

I just wasn’t sure how else to open this big-giant-happy-birthday piece for our beloved NaturallyCurly.com.

NaturallyCurly.com is 15 y’all. Fifteen!! If it was a kid, we’d be all “Wow, they grow up so fast.”

When I found NaturallyCurly.com in 2001, I was struggling to accept my curls after a lifetime of hating them and had decided there had to be a better way. Fed up with hating my hair, and myself as an extension of it, I typed “curly hair” into Google hoping to find a magic bullet to make my hair behave and my confidence improve.

Um. Yeah. I found much more than that, didn’t I? I was so stoked to find a whole community of other curlies that had gone through the same struggles I had with their hair that I don’t think I looked up from my computer for a week. Seriously. I went out and bought every product recommended but still wasn’t loving what my hair was doing. One day I came across a recipe for hair gel made out of flax seeds and thought, “Well, hell, that’d be awesome!” I didn’t love the results but had become inspired. After more tweaking, adding a bit of this and a bit of that, one day I did my hair and LOVED what I saw. Perfect ringlets. With much exuberance, I went back to the NaturallyCurly.com message boards and excitedly shared the recipe with my newfound friends. (The thought of going into business hadn’t crossed my mind”>. After posting my recipe I was flooded with emails from curly headed members asking if they could just buy some of the magic potion from me, as they really didn’t feel like making it. The rest, as they say, is history! Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion was born.

So you see, if it weren’t for NaturallyCurly.com and the curlies on the discussion forums, there would be no Jessicurl. I can say that with complete honesty. Since then, we have remained friends, with Michelle and I joyfully meeting up at various curly gatherings over the years, sharing glasses of champagne and stories of how our businesses have grown. CurlMart carries Jessicurl and the CurlTalk members still rave about our products. I don’t participate in the forums anymore, but my roots are still there.

Truly, what would have happened if I my fingers hadn’t have stumbled upon NaturallyCurly.com that day in 2001? What would I be doing today? How would YOUR hair look today? These are questions I’m happy not to know the answer to.

And let’s not kid ourselves, NaturallyCurly.com has REALLY grown up in the last 15 years! Through the magic of the internet, I was able to find a screen shot of their website from January 1999, just a mere 4 months after their launch. Let’s have a look.

Then

Now

Let’s compare that to a screen shot of their current home page, just for fun.

What a difference 15 years makes, eh?

Happy 15^th Anniversary, NaturallyCurly.com. My life, and the lives of so many curlies, are so much better because we have you in it. Our CURLS thank you too!!!

Love,

Jessicurl

NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!

Ekta Bhardwaj: Hi! My name is Ekta. I am twenty-six and newly married. I am not currently working, but I hope to join a media firm soon. 

NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?

EB: I sported a crew cut until high school. Eleventh grade was my moment with my hair—I decided to grow out my curls. Everyone was surprised by my beautiful, tight, springy curls. 

I was taken by surprise one day when my school principal slapped me for wearing my hair curly. Indian schools are very strict about uniforms and they prohibit the use of makeup and any kind of hair accessories…I guess the slap came as naturally to her as my curly hair came to me. At that point, I was not embarrassed. I prayed that my curls grow out sooner so she would realize her mistake. And she did! 

NC: What’s your current routine? 

EB: There is no specific routine that I follow, but I do make sure that I treat my hair to a warm olive oil mask, once a week. Sadly, there is a dearth of curly hair shampoos in India, and because I keep experimenting with products in the hope of finding one that will perfectly suit my curls, oiling my curls is a necessity. 

NC: From start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?

EB: I start by detangling my dripping wet hair and follow with shampoo. After lathering it and massaging my ends, I rinse the shampoo out and apply conditioner. My most recent purchase, L’Oreal Smoothing Shampoo and Smoothing Conditioner has done a good job, thanks to the Argan Oil in it. I leave the conditioner in for a couple of minutes and then rinse it out. One last sweep of a wide tooth comb and I am done. I usually scrunch my hair up in a bun using a clutcher and let my curls air dry. After a few hours, I let my hair fall in perfect, springy curls and let any remaining moisture dry out, au natural!

NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear?

EB: I call my hair my biggest accessory. A t-shirt-jeans look turns stylish and glamorous once I let down my hair. They look so beautiful all the time! Of course, given Indian weather, it is mostly hot, so I tend to pull them up in a high pony during the hot day and leave them down in the evenings. On special occasions? Free-fall or a side-pony. I also recently tried a low side bun with lots of texture, it looks amazing. 

NC: What are your must-have products and tools?

EB: Olive oil, olive oil, olive oil! I can’t think of any product that can replace olive oil. Of course, a wide-toothed comb is also a necessity.

NC: What about your hair stylist?

EB: I do not have many options when it comes to hair stylists. I have been to the best of salons and to the average ones. Mostly, hair stylist do not know what to do with my kind of hair, so they end up just giving me a cut with layers. When it comes to styling my hair, I rely on NaturallyCurly and YouTube for tips and videos. 

NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?

EB: I usually leave my curls down or tie them up in a high bun.

NC: What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?

EB: A slap! It took some time for people to appreciate my curls. Some would make fun of me by calling names that meant a bird’s nest, a bee-hive, a thick dense-forest, etc. My mother always said that I am unique with my curly hair and not just another face in the crowd. Her words were and shall always be my savior. 

NC: What is the best thing about being curly?

EB: You are not a regular girl. My curls are a part of my personality and I am glad that I am known by my curls. They’re part of my identity.

NC: How do you think having curly hair has impacted your everyday life?

EB: My husband also has curly hair and my curly hair is what first attracted him to me. He said that he would love to play with my springy curls all his life. We are now hoping that our babies would also have curly hair like us, but there’s time for that. And of course, curls are so easy! You love them, and they’ll make you look like a million bucks. 

NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?

EB: Dear Curly Women, 

You are unique and you are blessed with the opportunity to stay so for your life. You have curly hair and that is the best part of you…embrace them and care for them. There are many with straight silky hair, but it’s you who will always be remembered for your curls. 

NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

EB: I am currently writing a book and looking for a freelance writing job. Before my marriage, I worked as a Beauty Features Writer with a fashion magazine.  

When NaturallyCurly started fifteen years ago, YouTube didn’t even exist yet! Since then we’ve grown to love many YouTubers as if they were are own best friends.

When TV takes a backburner it is most likely due to watching one of these leading curly hair ladies on YouTube. We’ve picked out 15 YouTubers we currently love. Some you may know; some will be a great new discovery. We watch a ton of channels on YouTube and love a great number of vloggers. If your favorite didn’t make this list of curly YouTubers, let us know in the comments.

YouTubers to Watch Right Now

We’re celebrating our 15th Anniversary here at NaturallyCurly and not to state the obvious, but fifteen years is a long time. For some (ahem, Willow Smith”> it’s a lifetime! So we found it particularly entertaining to look back fifteen years since the launch of NaturallyCurly.com at a few things, people, and technological developments that hadn’t yet been born in 1998.

1. Wikipedia, Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

These highly addictive websites that seem second nature to us now were all non-existent in the early months of 1998. What did you use before them? You may have frequented an encyclopedia, a library, the telephone, and AIM.

2. Sour Skittles

These tart and tangy delicious cousins of the original flavor may have caused us to deny a few friends the delight of getting a handful. They came out in 2000.

3. The iPod

While you are on the treadmill grooving out to your favorite tunes, remember this fun device was released in 2001.

What did you use before it? An old school Sony Walkman CD player.

4. Crocs

Brightly colored, super comfy shoes that both made you feel like you were walking on air and like a fashion target came out in 2002.

5. The Republic of South Sudan

South Sudan became an independent state July 9, 2011.

6. Bratz Dolls

Yasmine, Cloe, Sasha, and Jade are never afraid to style up any outfit and change up their hairstyle. We think maybe they visited NaturallyCurly.com few times for inspiration. The dolls were introduced to girls everywhere in 2001.

7. The Euro

The second largest economy in the world replaced the ECU on January 1, 1999.

8. Snuggies

Our best friend on cold lazy days came into our homes in 2008.They kept you warm while not limiting your ability to reach for the remote and popcorn. What did you use before it? A blanket.

9. The USB Flash Drive

This handy little device that saved your life when your computer crashed the night before a big paper was due was actually unavailable to you in 1998.  What did you use before it? The floppy disk. Remember those?

10. The Segway

Before it’s famous debut with celebrities, city tours, and mall cops, Segways were just an idea in the mind of inventor Dean Kamen. What did you use before it? Your legs, or maybe a scooter.

11. Sequenced Human Genome

Determining the sequence of chemical base pairs (GATC”>, which make up human DNA, and mapping the total genes of the human genome was not declared complete until 2003.

12. The Matrix

This epic movie came out in the year 1999 just, when NaturallyCurly was starting to walk.

13. Game Boy Color

This childhood obsession was made even better in late 1998 with the introduction of color. What did you use before it? A regular old Game Boy.

14. Elmo’s World

The 5 year old you probably didn’t realize this, but our cuddly, talking puppet friend, Elmo, didn’t break out on his own until 1999. Elmo proved that if you can make on Sesame Street, you can make it anywhere.

15. Willow Smith

The talent daughter of Will and Jada wasn’t whipping her hair back and forth until 2000. You were most likely jamming her father’s hit single “Getting Jiggy Wit It”, which was released in 1998.

NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!

Brittney Key: Hello! My name is Brittney and I’m fourteen years old (turning fifteen in October”>. I’m African American and Cuban and I have Type 3C curls. 

NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?

BK: I have always had curly hair but I didn’t start embracing it until recently. 

NC: What’s your current routine? 

BK: In order to keep my hair in tact, I use my SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Shampoo and Conditioner. I detangle with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep. Then I deep condition with either SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Masque or Queen Helene Cholesterol (a product I’ve been using since I was little”>. Then I style with the SheaMoisture curly hair products and seal with either an oil or eco styler gel.

NC: From start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?

BK: In the morning, I undo my braids or whatever I had going on the night before, spritz my curls with water, add some leave-in and style with whatever I feel like that day. If I’m lazy, I’ll just add some leave-in and throw my hair up into a high bun.

NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear?

BK: I love my high buns. They are so easy and depending on how you style a high bun it, it can be a pretty updo or a great hairstyle for the gym. My high bun fakes more hair when you have short or medium length hair. I also like slicking back half of my hair and rocking a one-sided look. It’s funky, fun, and different.

NC: What are your must-have products and tools?

BK: I can’t live without my Eco-Style Gel (my fave of the moment is the olive oil”>, bobby pins, Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, a comb, and leave-in conditioner. My hair would look like a bird’s nest without these products! 

NC: What about your hair stylist?

BK: I only go to the hair salon when I get my hair straightened—I go to Dominican Doobie Salons. Lately, I’ve just been rocking my curls. 

NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?

BK: Lately I’ve been braiding my hair and pinning it up, then covering it with a scarf. If I’m too tired, I put it in a ponytail. If I don’t do anything at all, I look pretty scary in the morning!

NC: What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?

BK: My family wasn’t really into it and my friends weren’t so supportive either. Everyone said that they liked my hair straight better. But now that I know what I’m doing, everyone loves my hair! 

NC: What is the best thing about being curly?

BK: I love being different and being the girl with the big, curly hair! I have something about me that others don’t expect. People always ask, “Is that your natural hair?” I love seeing their reactions when I say that it’s all-natural!

NC: How do you think having curly hair has impacted your everyday life?

BK: Everything is easy and fuss-free. When my hair is straight, it requires a lot of maintenance that is tiresome and annoying.

NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?

BK: Be yourself…don’t be like everyone else with pin-straight hair! Love your curls because they make you, YOU.

NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

BK: I am focusing on my YouTube videos. I plan to make more natural hair videos. 

You can find Brittney on Twitter, on Instagram, or on YouTube. 

Sometimes at work we get a little distracted by our favorite curly bloggers. After a few hours minutes of indulgent reading, we knew we had to share with you our current favorites. Keeping in mind your work-life balance and in honor of NaturallyCurly’s 15^th Anniversary, we have complied a short list of 15 bloggers we absolutely love! They all have a little bit of waves, curls, and coils. We love tons of bloggers and wanted to share with you some of the well known and lesser know bloggers we love at the moment. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.

15 Curly Bloggers To Watch

September is NaturallyCurly’s 15th Anniversary! We’re celebrating 15 years of Curl Power so our resident curly comic Tall N Curly followed one curly’s journey from 1998 until today.

15 Years of NaturallyCurly

Taren Guy and Lexi With The Curls joined NaturallyCurly moderator Evelyn on YouTube last night for a live broadcast of safe straightening tips for natural hair. They talked about their experience using the Motions Straight Finish products on their own beautiful curls, and answered questions from the live comment feed on YouTube!

Here are a few of the key takeaway tips from the broadcast, and if you want to see how Taren and Lexi straighten their natural hair safely, watch the video!

What We Learned

1. How often do you straighten, and how long does your hair stay straight when you straighten it?

Post-big chop Taren hardly ever straightens her hair. This year she has straightened it twice and it lasts about one week in the humid heat of the summer. Lexi generally straightens 5 or 6 times per year, and she’s very good at making it last. Lexi’s hair stays straight for up to two weeks! Towards the end of those two weeks she puts her hair in pin curls or bantu knot outs to make it last even longer. She works out regularly, so a week and a half in she puts her hair up it in a ponytail. 

2. What technique do you use to flat iron your hair?

When Taren straightens her hair she blow dries it first, and then divides it into very small sections. She then uses the “chase method” where she combs her hair with a fine toothed comb and chases it with the flat iron. Lexi used a really cool comb for this that had the live feed commenting a mile a minute! This technique will mean that you only have to pass the flat iron over the hair once.

3. How do you prep your hair for straightening?

Both Taren and Lexi blow out their hair with a blow dryer before taking a flat iron to it. Taren also recommends using the products the night before to wash, detangle and apply the leave-in conditioner. Then divide your hair into 5-6 sections by either braiding or twisting each section. Go to sleep with your hair in these sections and when you wake up your hair will be damp or dry, and stretched. This will allow you to skip the blow drying step.

4. What is the reversion process, how do you get your curls back afterwards?

Taren had no heat damage, all of her curls returned. In the past she has always had heat damage where a section of her curls didn’t revert and she would have to trim them, so she was prepared for that to happen this time as well, but all of the curls came right back! Lexi has experienced problems with stylists burning her hair and her curls wouldn’t come back. With the Motions products she didn’t experience any damage, you can see her before and after shots on her blog. The girls didn’t need to deep condition or use any special treatments after straightening their hair, they simply washed as usual and their curls came back on the first try.

5. What temperature was your flat iron?

Lexi had her straightener on 375 degrees, and she only passed through her hair once. You can see her do this in the Live Demo she gave us YouTube video.

Watch the Video

If you’d like to be notified for our next live broadcast on YouTube, be sure you’re following NaturallyCurly on Facebook and Twitter.

NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!

Katie Walker: I am Katie Walker, a 20-year-old mother of a 2-month-old boy and a student planning on earning a nursing degree.

NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?

KW: When I was younger, my mom always fixed my hair and embraced my curls for me. Then at around age 10 or 11, I got to the point where I only wanted my hair slicked back in a ponytail. In high school, my mother took me to a new hair stylist and I began to embrace my curls because she helped me.

NC: What’s your current routine? 

KW: In the mornings I wake up to wash my hair. I shampoo every other day but I always condition. After washing my hair, I use a wide tooth comb to comb out any knots. Then, I apply a mousse and Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Perfecting Serum and part my hair to the right. I use a diffuser to dry my hair for about ten minutes, leaving it a little damp. When I diffuse, I tilt my head upside down to get some volume at the top of my head. I add a bit more serum to frizzy spots after I’m finished diffusing. 

NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear?

KW: One of my favorite hairstyles to wear is a ponytail to the side of my head. My fiancé really loves it too!

NC: What are your must-have products and tools?

KW: My must-have product is Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Serum and my must-have tool is my wide tooth comb.

NC: What about your hair stylist?

KW: I live in a very small town so I go to local stylists. Chelsey Reynolds had her own shop and was a big inspiration to me. She taught me how to manage and love my curls. I now go to Angie who always does a good job with my curls.

NC: Did you big chop or transition, and for how long? If you’ve always been natural, did you ever have any curly girl insecurities?

KW: I have always been natural and I have always been insecure about the frizziness of my hair. 

NC: What is the best thing about being curly?

KW: It is unique. People know me for my curly hair and it gets a lot of attention. I am me because of my hair! I also get recognition for embracing my curls.

NC: How do you think having curly hair has impacted your everyday life?

KW: Curly hair has always had a huge impact on my everyday life. People think it is easy to manage curly hair but honestly it isn’t. I mean, who else can tell if it is about to rain because of what their hair is doing?!

NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?

KW: Just say to be you! I know of so many girls who refuse to embrace their curly locks just because straight hair is the popular thing. There are few of us natural curly girls, so dare to be unique and use what God gave you!

NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

KW: Well I just had a baby (Grady”>, so I am focusing a lot of time on him and I am getting ready to go back to school in a few weeks. I’m also trying to lose the baby weight…wish me luck!

Hair Growth Oils

NaturallyCurly user kwillsmom uses this lovely blend of oils to seal moisture, promote growth, oil and cool the scalp. I love it! The tea tree and especially the peppermint oils leave her scalp with a cool tingle. 

What You’ll Need:

• EVOO
• White grape seed
• sweet almond
• peppermint
• tea tree oils

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients
2. After you rinse out your conditioner, finger part your hair
3. Spritz oil over your entire head in sections
4. Massage your scalp

This is how kwillsmom uses the oil after every wash, her hair has shown healthy growth since using her concoction!

 

Have you tried this recipe before? Let us know if it worked for you.

---

For more curly mixology recipes, or to share your own favorite at-home treatments, go to our Recipes section.

NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!

Chelsea March: My name is Chelsea March. I was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. I moved to New York City when I was 18 years old to pursue an education in fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology. 

NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?

CM: There was always a routine involving my hair; I had to go to the hair salon to get my hair permed and then braided up starting when I was about five or six years old. The day at the salon was just what it sounds like: I would literally spend the entire day in the salon chair and it was an extremely uncomfortable process.  When I started college in a New York City, I began to see many women embracing their natural hair. It was the first time I had ever seen natural hair in my life because where I came from everyone, and I mean everyone, permed their hair. Towards the end of my sophomore year, a friend of mine who had been natural for a few years inspired me to go natural. She looked so effortlessly beautiful. She did not shudder at the sight of rain or wind in fear that it would ruin her hair. I decided to let my roots just grow out. After a few months of letting my natural roots grow out I went to a friend who was a hairstylist and asked her to cut my hair as short as possible. She was continually asking me, “Are you sure you want to cut off your hair?” I affirmed yes. When she spun my chair around she did not cut it as short as I wanted it so the next morning, I got scissors out and took the job into my own hands, and on the morning of December 12, 2011, I became natural. That was the morning I feel like I truly became myself.

NC: What’s your current routine? 

CM: I only use 100% all natural products on my hair. I believe that it’s the best way to keep your hair as healthy as possible. I wash my hair once a week with Terressentials Hair Wash. I moisturize with SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Masque and seal it with Naptural85’s Hair and Body Oil.

NC: So from start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?

CM: I try to keep it pretty simple. I spritz my hair with a little bit of water, apply about a quarter-sized amount of SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Masque to my hair starting with my ends and spreading that around my hair. Then I seal it with my natural oil mixture. 

NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear?

CM: I really love embracing my natural afro…you will usually see my with my hair out in its natural, wild ‘fro or up in a ponytail with a vintage inspired victory roll for my bangs.

NC: What are your must-have products and tools?

CM: My fingertips are my favorite tools to use. I do not use any heat on my hair at all. Since I only use 100% products I like to make many of my hair products if I cannot find what I need in stores.

NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?

CM: At night I lightly mist my hair with water and moisturize with shea butter. I have a silk pillowcase that I sleep on to prevent breakage.

NC: What reaction did you get when you decided to go natural?

CM: Some members of my family were very unsure of my recent hair transformation; I was said be Afrocentric because I was the only one in our family to go natural. After a while, they realized that it was not just a phase, it was something I was committed to, and they began to embrace my decision. My friends loved the change particularly because they had never seen a real Afro before and loved getting to touch it.

NC: Did you big chop or transition, and for how long?

CM: I transitioned for about five months and then decided to just big chop the rest of it off.

NC: What is the best thing about being curly?

CM: The best thing about being curly is the freedom to not have to worry about your hair. I also feel like I am myself more so now than ever before.

NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?

CM: Just go for it and embrace your curls! Times are changing and beautiful, big, curly hair is desired by all and is quickly being accepted by society more and more.

NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.

CM: I am about to entire my senior year of college, so I am preparing myself for what this year has to bring in terms of my education. I also recently modeled for a company that I truly admire and support, STATE Bags. They are an amazing company that is about giving back first. I love their slogan, “Give Back Pack.” It fits perfectly…for every STATE backpack purchased, STATE hand-delivers a backpack to an American student in need.  I am also working part-time for Warby Parker and with New York Fashion Week right around the corner, there will be a lot of PR and social media projects to come! 

 You can find Chelsea on Instagram and Twitter.