Natural Queen of the Week: Jamila

I am a 21-year old senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, I'm Southern enough to be offended by unsweetened tea but not Southern enough to want to stay here my whole life. I love the arts, my family, snuggling, thrifting, eating delicious items, and blogging....almost in that order. ;)

  I co-wash two to three times a week, and try to deep condition once a week when my schedule allows. I co-wash with Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration and style with Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, and Shea Butter. I Deep Condition with Pantene Pro-V Deep Conditioning Mask or a hot oil treatment (with whatever's around: conditioners, oils) that I mix myself. I'll two-strand twist once or twist a week and wear twist-outs/styled wash-n-go's for the rest of the week.

I've never been much for hair typing, but I guess I'm have a mix of  3b/4a textures. My hair loves any kind of moisture! Essential and slippery conditioners work best on my hair type. Deep conditioning has been a godsend for me....my hair gets really dry really fast. Styling twice a week is a staple in my routine because it's low maintenance and my hair stays moisturized and tangle free.

My family and friends were so supportive when I went natural. The most common reaction I got was "You look good, but I could neverdo that!" People are funny. I'm sure there are people who didn't like it, but they didn't tell me. I learned quickly: Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

Both? I flat-ironed every 2 to three weeks for about 9 months (mistake...my hair was mad dry and broken- I knew nothing about transitioning styles), then I BCed.

 I am who I am, and my hair reflects that. Before I went natural, I was a walking contradiction. I told myself (and others) that I loved who I was, that I was proud to be who I am, all that "strong black woman" talk. And then I looked in the mirror and I didn't see that. I look in the mirror and I see myself. I feel like myself. And it feels good! Also, In December of last year I started a blog,www.collegecurlies.blogspot.com to reach out to other young women with natural hair, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I love knowing that my journey can help inspire others, and I hope that people know: regardless of hair type/length/shape/texture, it's you, and it's beautiful.

Natural Queen of the Week: Zannëta

About Me: Hey ladies! My name is Zannëta and I'm an RN, Freelance Writer, and the blog editor of A Girls' Guide to Naturelle-Chic. I've been natural for four years now, and have never looked back since my big chop.

Regimen: Honestly, I don't have a strict regimen. I wash/condition my hair once a week (I haven't found a shampoo and conditioner to adore yet). I moisturize with Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner, shea butter, and StaSofFro Scalp and Hair Spray. What I do after I wash my hair varies greatly on the style I plan to wear that week, so it could be anything from twists on wet hair to a blowout and bantu knots. Either way, at nights I always cover my hair with a satin bonnet. 

Texture & Technique: I have 3c, 4a, and 4b hair. The middle of my hair is 3c and 4a, and this hair benefits from just a little leave-in conditioner, and basically obeys any texture I train it to do. The edges of my hair are 4b hair, and I struggle a little more with these areas, not because they are difficult to manage, but because its difficult to get it to mimic the look of the rest of my hair. It helps if i stretch that area by blow drying it before I style. Twistouts, bantu knots, or shingling are my three prefferred methods of achieving different textures.

Going-Natural Reactions: When I was going natural, I was determined to have a big ole fluffy brown fro. My mom tried to discourage me, telling me that upkeep would be difficult, and friends warned me that my hair might not be "good" enough to wear it that way. Being the stubborn girl I am, I went and did it anyway. I HATED my BC because I went to the wrong person to do it. I spent $80 to have the perm removed and my hair dyed brown, and when I left, my hair was still black and there were sprigs of perm sticking up all over my head. Disaster. In retrospect, I would've went to a barber and got a Chrisette Michelle-like edge. People said the cut suited my face, but I think it grew on them much more after I got a few inches and corrected the problems.

Natural Hair Queen: I wear my hair as if it truly is a crown. I'm proud of it, and I have to say that it does define me a little bit! I never quite feel like myself with a weave or a blowout as I do with my curls, coils, and kinks.

Newly Natural Queen of the Week: Courtney

Hello Beautiful Readers-

Meet Courtney and her curls!

She is the NNQ of the week...

Read her story below to find out more!

Enjoy!

Tell me about YOU

I'm a wife, mom, and a full time student and I currently live in San Antonio, TX. Like many naturals or those transitioning when I received my first relaxer I was really young. I was 5 or 6 and my mom always told me that my hair was too hard to manage. She would explain how tangled my tresses would become and how time consuming it was to do my hair everyday. Everyone in my family had long relaxed hair so I grew up believing I had to do the same. 

Tell me your hair care regimen 

Since my BC my regimen has been pretty much the same. I shampoo my hair every other week and co wash in between that if my hair feels dry. I seal the moisture in my hair often and then blow my hair out (using cold air).  

Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type.

My hair type is both 3b/3c curls. My curls in the back are extremely tight, almost like shirley temple curls. The ones in my crown area are loose. I learned the hard way when it comes to styling I have to do things a little different. My twist outs and braid outs, etc only work when my hair is dry. My hair also reacts well to natural oils. 

Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural 

The reaction was overall positive. My husband and family were really supportive. Only a few actually expressed to me that hated it! 

Did you BC or transition

It's funny because I started off transitioning. I told myself I was going to transition for a year because I didn't really want to have short hair. After getting frustrated to blending my new growth with a weave install I literally ran out the door and had my stylist cut it all off! 

What makes you a natural hair queen 

I'm a natural hair queen because my hair speaks for me when I walk into a room full of people. It's says so much about me, it says funky, free, and unique. I think anyone who embraces their natural hair should be deemed a queen : )