Hello Ladies!!
I am pleased to introduce to you one of my favorite YouTube ladies!
Her name is Elle and she has a awesome head full of hair whom she calls "Izzy."
Read her natural hair story below and BE SURE to check her her product review videos on YT.
I almost always check out her channel before making a new product purchase.
Enjoy!
Tell me about YOU
I’m Elle, a Maryland native who relocated to SoCal right after I did my mini-chop and started wearing my hair in a mohawk. I decided to go natural because I was just tired of relaxing my hair – I was always burning my scalp and my hair never really wanted to be straight. It would ALWAYS frizz out in humidity and look terrible! Also, I was researching natural hair and I saw all these pictures of women with beautiful, huge, curly hair. I thought to myself, “I want hair like that!!!” Straight hair for me was always so boring, so I didn’t miss it at all.
Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)
My regi is really simple – all I do is cowash daily, DC a couple of times a week, and stay away from heat and silicones if possible (only because they often make my hair frizzy). My favorite deep conditioner is evoo and honey, and I have this new DC made with rhassoul clay that I LOVE. I really love putting mud and clay in my hair. Once a month or so, I may do a henna treatment, or a Cherry Lola when my low porosity hair needs an extra kick of moisture.
Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type
My hair texture is medium/coarse, which means that protein is not my best friend! I rarely do protein treatments, and am all about the moisture! I use a lot of aloe vera though, so I count that as my protein. My hair also loves honey and WATER! It’s low porosity, so the more water, the better. Often, butters just sit on top of my wet hair.
Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural
Well, everyone on my hair board was obviously very supportive, but I got some flack because my hair was really short – a lot of my male friends didn’t understand why I wanted to cut all my hair off, and to be frank, they were jerks about it. I had to set more than a couple of people straight! At work, it was absolutely no problem though, so that was really great. I work in a corporate office, and came to work with my mohawk and no one blinked an eye! Well…they might have blinked, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?
I stopped getting relaxers 7 months before I BC’ed, but I don’t really say I transitioned because I kept cutting my hair off, and was shaved natural on the sides and back of my head (relaxed hair up top) before I did my full BC. When I BC’ed, I had about an inch of hair because I cut the top to be even with the sides and back. I played with my hair a little bit before I decided to start growing it out!
What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?
I love that my hair can look different everyday depending on what I put in it…it’s like having different styles without all of the extra work! Also, I love that my hair boingy – I often have to wear my satin bonnet when I’m at home because I can’t keep my hands out of my hair! Relaxed hair was really generic for me, and I hate looking like everyone else, so I love that no one is going to have the exact same hair as me. It’s beautiful and unique. J
Where can we find you on the web?
My blog and YouTube channel where I do a TON of product reviews; I am a product junkie all the way, even though I have found products that work for me! I just love trying new things and playing with my hair. Anything EXTRA you want us to know?
My one year natural anniversary is at the end of December! I can’t wait to see my progress!! J
Solange Knowles attends the RLife LIVE launch at R Lounge at the Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel on October 29, 2010 in New York, City. ~Essence.com
