NaturalViews with Alexandra

Meet Alexandra

Okay first I have to ask about your tattoos!  I love love love them!  I only have 2 small ones so I can live vicariously through you.  Is there a story behind them?  Clearly you have a small crush on butterflies?

Ok so, I am hooked on tattoos. I love body art and I have a lot of it.  To be honest I have lost count of how many I have. Most of them are easily hidden by clothes and shoes but my arm and chest piece are clear for the world to see in most cases.

NaturalViews with Courtney

Meet Courtney

When did your natural journey begin?

While I’ve had plenty of relaxers, waves, Hawaiian Silkies and other chemical nonsense I’ve actually been natural most of my life I just wasn’t informed on how to keep it healthy. The last time I was relaxed was fall of 2007 and that little relaxing streak ended a year later in the winter of 2008.

What/Who inspired you to go the natural route?

A little background.. What led me to my last relaxer was frustration with the state of my hair. While I didn’t realize it at the time, my hair was badly damaged by all of heat I was using. I grew tired of my lifeless, brittle hair so I got a relaxer (go figure!). I regretted the decision right away, but I felt I had no other choice. In 2008 I met the Curly Chic, learned of an entire community of natural ladies on You Tube and attended a Get It Straight workshop or two became addicted to sites like Curly Nikki and it’s been love ever since. I BC’d in May of 09 I’ve never looked back.

How do you rock your natural?  (curly, straight, locked )

Where’s Fro option!?!

I love bantu knots because I can get a million and one styles from them. Also, I’m not afraid of the fro and a bantu knot out makes for a nice big one after a week or so.

What is your current routine?

Well let me state that two changes in my routine has made a huge difference in the health of my hair. 1) I now use Ayurvedic powders and oils. I henna every two weeks and do an amla treatment once a week. Also, my hair loves Vatika oil. 2) I use Kimmayatube’s recipe for a great leave in. This leave in makes my hair very moisturized, shiny and healthy.

I wash my hair once a week. After I wash I do an amla treatment. Once I’m done with the amla treatment I apply the Kimmaytube recipe to my wet hair, do my  bantu knots, tie my hair up and take it down the next day. Every two weeks I add the henna treatment to mix.

For upkeep I may or may not redo my bantu knots before bed during the week. Depends on how lazy I’m feeling. I also sleep with my oh so sexy bonnet.

What is the one thing you love about your hair?

Sorry, but I can’t pick just one thing. It’s free to do what it wants to do, I don’t have to pay anyone to make it look it’s best, it’s an extension of me and it’s beautiful! What’s not to love!?

Curly Chic

NaturalViews with Angie

Meet Angie

When did your natural journey begin?
7 years ago.  My hair was never long so it did not take a lot of cutting and waiting when my process began

What/Who inspired you to go the natural route?
Who: No one person in particular inspired me to go natural but Karen Gary, a hair stylist in Columbus, Ohio encouraged me to loc my hair.
What: I realized that I spent too much time in the hair dresser to not have healthy hair

How do you rock your natural?  (curly, straight, locked )
I rock the locs!

What is your current routine?
I have them washed and retouched once a month.  I use Carol’s Daughter’s Hair Milk to keep it moist and I was recently introduced to Shea Butter.

What is the one thing you love about your hair?
The progress!  My hair is longer and more healthy than it is ever been and I believe that I owe it to the loc process.

Curly Chic

NaturalViews with Celeste

Meet Celeste

When did your natural journey begin?

 My journey began April 2010!! I decided not to “Big Chop” and let my relaxer completely grow itself out; therefore my journey hopefully will be complete April 2011.

What/Who inspired you to go the natural route?

It was a process.  I’ve had a relaxer since the age of 14 and along with colors, weaves and everything else under the sun.  I decided that my true hair was hiding underneath all the layers and it was time to let it go, with convincing from my stylist I decided to let the relaxer go!!. I also have numerous friends whom have been natural for years and I absolutely love their hair styles and that they are created naturally.

How are you wearing you hair during the transition?

I actually wear it in a bun which doesn’t require much maintenance nor heat.   I haven’t dabbled in too many different styles yet such as twist, Bantu knots...etc my main goal is to strengthen my hair and I feel the less I do will help.    

What is the most challenging thing about the transition and how do you handle it?

In the beginning it was the styling.  Nothing looked right, then came the shedding.   I would look in the sink and the brush and see lots of hair.  I was convinced my hair was falling out but later it was explained that I didn’t want that hair anyway and that was the relaxer removing itself which needed to happen for my hair to regain its healthiness.

What is the one thing you love about your hair? I love the fullness and it doesn’t look as thin as it did when I had the relaxer.  It just looks healthier already in such a short period of time!