Happy Saturday Ladies!
I hope everyones week was productive and stress free.
I know I haven't done a feature in a while and that is because I have been scouting other naturals
that can share their diverse stories with you all.
Today I will be introducing you to one of my Twitter friends, Ashlee.
She is beautiful and has awesome natural hair to match.
Read her story below, I am sure that you will enjoy it.
1.Tell me about YOU:
My name is Ashlee McIntosh and I'm a 20 year old junior at Hampton University. MY sports of choice are dance and soccer. I live in Northern, Va (yea I know...no one reps it) and I love math. I want to go to Georgetown for grad school and open up my own Emerging Markets company, or work for the United Nations, something along those lines. One of my goals is to donate to locks of love....probably in a year or so. I have something similar to an obsession with Pharrell Williams, but I mean who can really blame me? MY phone is like my sixth finger or something, I am rarely without it (shame on me, I guess). I'm usually more interesting than whatever words I am coming up with now I promise. I named my hair Nahla =) and I love LOVE and anything that has to do with it.
2.Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...):
My regimen is dependent upone what I want to do with my hair. Usually I wash my hair two to three times a week, and I use Aussie Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner, or Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner. If my hair is being really difficult then I use Cantu. I swear by that line. After washing I condition with Cantu Shea Butter Leav in Conditioner, comb, and usually put it in a bun for the night. If I want big hair, in the morning I will dry my hair with the diffuser for about ten minutes, and if i want to stretch the curls a little longer I will go over the first three or soo inches with my blow dryer. It loosens my curls but my hair is still big, so I like it. I also have grown to love my natural curls as well. If i don't want to diffuse and all that, then at night i will flat twist my hair in the front, and take it out when I wake up so my hair can frame my face, and that is my typical fro if you will.
For heat, the best products are CHI Silk Infusion or if your pockets are running on E, Cantu Hair Silk. Anytime I straighten my hair (usually only three or so time during the winter) I use these products. HEAVEN SENT!
4. Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type:
Hmmm okay well I'm gonna say my hair type is majority 3c but sometimes there's a little 4a in there. The best things for me are Cantu Leave In Conditoner, Cantu Gow Strong Strengthing Treatment, and Cantu Hair Pomade. I love all of their products and they work really well in my hair. Sometimes if I need a little extra condition, I use Just for me Hair Milk. I used to swear by Pantene Pro-V products but they have grown to leave my hair stringy and gross, but Cantu is AMAZING. My best tools are bobby pins, my diffuser, denman brush, and my huge waterpick comb. As far as deep conditioning, I have tried treatments with honey and olive oil and they are messy but they definitely work.
5. Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural:
Well I have always been natural, but I wore my hair in ponytails and buns until I was 17. I HATED my hair.
6. Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?:
Like I said I have always been natural, but I think in a way I did have to go through a transition with my hair as well. I never liked my hair, I always wanted a perm and my mther wouldn't let me get one. Of course I am thankful for that now, but not back then. My tangles were always a struggle, and I longed for frizz free hair. I swore by gel for a good decade. I call those the lost years.
I had to grow to love my hair...I honestly can't say I loved it until my freshman year in college. Crazy I know, people used to tell me I had 'good' hair but I never saw what was soo great about it. Freshman year of college, I think seeing a lot of other girls embracing there hair allowed me to start embracing mine. I finally realized my hair will always have a little frizz, a few tangles...maybe even some locs after a few days...but I love it now, and I will for all eternity.
7. What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?:
I think as I learned to love my hair, I grew to truely love myself as well. The road to loving and appreciating my hair took me like 17 years, but I love where I am now. My hair isn't tame, and I would say it's fairly uninhibited. I love that though, I love the color of my curls in the sun, and the way they frame my face. I love when the boy I love plays in them, and I love that white people tell me i have 'cool' hair. I love that if I don't want to wrap my hair, I don't have to, if I don't want to get it done, I don't have to. I see some people who refuse to live without having their proper sew-in or perm, my hair gives me freedom and variety, I am not confined to anyone's stylist chair, chemicals, or a pack of 18" anything. I think as I have grown, my hair is almost an extension of my personality now. I love that they are mine, and no one knows my Nahla like I do. No one has hair exactly like mine, and I love that because no one is exactly like me. Besides the fact I got waves from my mom, and curls from my dad....I think it all goes into me feeling that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by HIM and He made my curls the way they are, how can I not love them?
8. Where can we find you on the web?:
You can find me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/
and on tumblr at http://maclovinnnn.tumblr.com
9. Anything EXTRA you want us to know?:
Whether you are natural or not, do whatever you do because it makes YOU feel good. Whatever kinks, coils, corkskrews, shirley temples etc. you have just embrace them. For many people, hair is your 'crown and glory' so be proud of yours regardless of the texture. I read that if you are good to your hair it will be good to you and it's soo true. And like this blog says Good hair is HEALTHY hair....remember that yall =)
I must say that this feature might be one of my favorites!
What do you ladies think?
Leave feedback in the comment box.
:)
xoxo,
Alex
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