Captured Curls: Nykeba

Please, introduce yourself!

Greetings Beautiful People! My name is Nykeba and I am 23 years old. I

recently graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Global Enterprise Technologies. Sincere returning home to Maryland, I have been actively involved in community outreach promoting professional development within high schools.  I have also helped to start, as well as fund, a scholarship for high school students to attend college. I love traveling, shooting with a Canon Rebel, 
DJing, making headbands, event planning and volunteering.

What is your current hair care regimen?

Although I do not usually stick to a schedule, I typically co-wash and

detangle my hair every 7-10 days, occasionally using shampoo when

necessary. Using a hot cap, I deep condition twice a month. Like many

of us, my go-to style depends on the amount of time I have available.

Lately, I’ve been rockin chiney bumps (bantu knots), twist-outs or using

curlformers to stretch my curls.

Captured Curls: Aziza

I have had my eye on this natural beauty for a while now. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting her at an event and she is such a lovely woman with AMAZING hair. Everyone, meet Aziza! Her looks are captivating and her hair is simply beautiful. If you want to learn more about the owner of these great curls, click the jump. 

xoxo,

Alex

How to Wrap Your Crown...

Want to learn how to wrap yours? Click the jump...

xoxo,

Alex

A Protected Crown is a Sacred One...

I love my hair. I adore every coil, curl and kink that swims from my roots. The attention I get, that almost all naturals get, can be nice, fun and GREAT conversations starters but sometimes, I just don't want to be bothered. Not to sound rude but I think it's OK for me not to want to talk "hair" with strangers when I am out and about trying to have coffee or while enjoying a nice meal at my favorite restaurant. No? Don't get me wrong, nine times out of ten I eat, sleep, a dream natural hair but every so often I want a break. A break from the stares of admiration (or disgust). A break from the "Ohhhh, how'd you get your hair like that?" and the occasional hand in hair (that isn't mine), with out permission episodes (has that ever happened to you?!). So with that being said, today, I decided to wrap my crown. I call my hair my crown because for so long I didn't wear it with pride or at least know how to. When I wasn't wearing my hair long, it was cut short, weaved, dye, fried and some more nonsense but now since I know how to wear my crown, I protect it. 

Captured Curls: Aquia

I came across this beauty and her amazing head of hair, randomly on InstaGram! Immediately I wanted to feature her so she could share her story and some hairspiration with us all. Want to learn more about Aquia and her beautiful mane? Keep reading... 

xoxo,

Alex

Weekly Guest Blogger on CN.com

Yo, yo, YO! Guess who's work you can find on Curly Nikki's site, weekly?! ....MINE, YAY! Ms. Nikki made my day when she offered me a guest blog spot on her site. Can you say honored? *dramatic faint*  I almost fell out of my bed when I read that email. CN has had a huge influence on my curly girl journey thus far. I admire Nikki a lot so being given the opportunity to have my writing posted on CN.com means the world to me. You can find my first guest post, featuring my lovely Maiya boo (@MaiChickBad), HERE! 

xoxo,

Alex

Captured Curls: Kris

Please, introduce yourself!

Hello!  My name is Kristin Brooks, a 23 year-old musician and blogger from Pennsylvania.  I have a lifestyle blog known as “The Kris Bliss” where I blog about adventures in my life, my natural hair, and of course showcasing my sense of fashion!

What is your current hair care regimen?

I currently shampoo and condition my hair every 10-18 days.  I know that’s a broad range, but it truly depends on what style I’m wearing and how much product I’m using to maintain that hairstyle.  The more product build-up, the more often I’m going to wash & condition my hair, and vice versa.  In between washes, I keep my strands moisturized with a leave-in conditioner, and use oil on my scalp on a weekly basis as well.

Hairspiration: It's not curly, it's nappy.

(photo: source)

My first and most important words of advice to those transitioning or wanting to go natural is this--> don't expect a certain texture. Your hair may not be like the next woman's hair so be prepared to love your God given strands unconditionally. So many women jump head first into going natural without being informed. I think that many curly girls have had the "oh, my curls aren't her curls moments." Personally, I have been there. Keep in mind that this is my THIRD time going natural. The first time, I was home taking out some micro braids when the impulse of "cut your bra strap length hair OFF" hit me, so, I did.  Two days later I got a perm because my father had a fit and I hated my texture. I remember feeling like a liberated 14 year old girl until my parents saw the damage I had done. The "why did you do that to you hair" comments got to me in less than 72 hours--imagine that. I remember how my confidence plummeted after cutting long hair to a considerably shorter kinky bush. My hair drama started then and so did my self esteem issues. I was my hair, so I thought. I tried going natural again in high school and that lasted for a while but I retained hardly any length. Mainly because I was uninformed about healthy hair care and I my hands were always in my hair, ALWAYS. Newly naturals and transitioning curly girls, research is important! If  I knew then what I know now my hair would not only be waist length but I would have never retracted back to the creamy crack, two times over.

 I often hear from transitioners, "my hair is growing in nappy not curly, I'm going to get a perm"  or "what can I do to loosen my curls?" Those types of comments are red flags that you are not ready to go natural, in my opinion. That "my hair is going to be nappy" mindset will make your journey to natural much harder. A lot of younger women come into this journey after seeing a friend with a certain hair type or a celebrity with a particular curl pattern and think, my hair will be "good" like her's versus thinking "my hair will be great like mine, regardless of the texture. When embarking on this journey you really have to be aware of yourself. You also have to be in tune with what you can mentally handle. Let's be serious, some women's lives revolve around their hair and length. So when deciding whether or not to go natural you will have to consider a lot. For example, to BC (big chop) or transition? If you choose to transition, how long will you grow out your relaxer? What products will you use to manage your new TWA or to maintain your transitioning tresses? It's a lot to consider but with hard work, patience and a lot of YouTube/blog browsing you will get the hang of it. 

Just keep in mind that your natural is beautiful whether it be type 2 or type 4! You can't live life comparing what God gave you to what He gave your neighbor. What's meant for you is and will be yours. Embrace it and cherish it because you never know who maybe looking at you and wanting what you have.

Good Hair is healthy hair! 

-Alex

A Man's P.O.V: Marco

Marco, 28

How important is a woman’s hair to you? Especially if you are dating her, does she have to wear her hair a certain way to keep grab your interest? Important but not strongly the main factor of our relationship, I have dated both natural & weave - me personally I’m more attracted to a woman that can wear her hair at any length & texture and be proud of it; whether it is a ponytail, dreads, short, long or even bald. Long as she is not ashamed to wear that particular style.

Do you think that there is a ‘Natural Hair Movement’ or trend going on these days? Why do you think so many women are choosing to go natural now, do you think it’s a fad?

 There is definitely a movement, I see the seminar flyers of awareness and I think that is strongly needed as advertisements & commercials tend to sway a certain way when it comes to glamour, I find it very beneficial to reach out to those that are not necessarily “media typical.”

Captured Curls: Alice of Alice in Nappyland

Happy New Year beautiful people! I am pleased to introduce this year's FIRST Captured Curls feature. Meet Alice, a fellow natural hair blogger with a great head of hair, enjoy her curly girl story below.

Please, introduce yourself!

Hi! I’m Alice and I run the natural hair care/beauty blog Alice in Nappyland. I’m also a student getting a degree in computer science and studio art.

What is your current hair care regimen?

I co-wash with Aussie Moist or lightly shampoo my hair with Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo, which is probably one of the gentlest shampoos I’ve ever used, once a week.  Every other week I use a “real” shampoo to get ALL the build up, I’m currently testing one by Herbal Essence but I’m not ready to say if I like it or not. On the weeks I use “real” shampoo I deep condition with Shea Moisture’s Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Hair Masque. After all of that, I set my hair with flat twist or twists Shea Butter, Qhemet Biologics Burdock Root Cream and IC Fantasia’s clear gel. After about 2-3 days, the flat twists/twists come out and I rock a loose style for the rest of the week.