My Curly Girl Revelation

It has been about 6 years since I encumbered the big chop! What “chop” am I referring to you ask? The moment when I realized that I wanted to be free of my relaxer (hair straightener) and wanted to celebrate my natural hair.

Well, there was also the fact that I was about to give up my title as Miss Wisconsin USA and I felt a need for a change. It was almost as if I had a midlife crisis of sorts… What could I do to signify this next chapter in my life? Chopping my hair to my collarbone, the shortest I have ever worn my hair, begin the transition to natural hair seemed like a good starting point.

This was a few months after the big "chop" so it had grown out quite a bit!

The last six years have been interesting with the exploration of my curls. I seem to have 3B type of curls. Naturallycurly.com explains 3B as: “well-defined, springy, copious curls that range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. 3b curls' circumference are Sharpie size. Type 3b hair can be straightened, but it's definitely a chore. Type 3b hair generally isn't particularly shiny and its texture can be quite coarse. Gels and creams work best to reduce frizz and add definition.”

Now that all of my relaxed hair has grown out, I still struggle with finding curly hair products that maintain my curls like the stars showcased below. But, I do not regret my decision to go natural since it is so simple. I workout quite a bit (5-6 days a week) and maintaining straight hair is virtually impossible. I personally never straighten my hair; rather, I visit a professional to tackle that task. I do not agree with the above description about the shine of my hair… In my opinion, my hair is shiny and
healthier than it was when I relaxed it.

Some stars with 3B curls include:

Keri Russell

Bernadette Peters

Alicia Keys

Do you have curly hair? What type?

If you transitioned to natural hair, why did you decide to take the plunge?

What hair products do you love?


Michelyn

Deep Conditioning

You know it never seems to amaze me how much energy and time women spend on beauty products, especially those for their hair and face. This morning I overheard two female gym employees discussing hair products at the front desk. One woman had a pad of paper and pen, while the other was sharing her quintessential hair products. As I checked in, I chuckled and realized that hair is a BIG deal! 

So now I ask you... What conditioners do you swear by? My cousin Jessica recently shared with me that she uses olive oil (yea, the kind you use for cooking) for occasional deep conditioning treatments. My girlfriend, Travelle, swears by Parnevu's Leave-In Conditioner for daily conditioning.

Divulge your conditioners and I will post what everyone shares!

For beauties sake!

<3

Michelyn

Sound the Alarm! Curly Hair Products Seminar

Over the last two years I have been on the quest to find the “perfect” product(s) for my natural, curly hair. I must admit that the “going natural” journey has been quite tumultuous with many bumps along the way. Beginning with the BIG CHOP during the Summer of 2009 in which my father asked if something was wrong. You know the majority of black men like long hair and the sight of me with hair to my shoulders terrified my father. Then my journey took a nose-dive when I allowed a “curly hair professional” to trim my hair. Let’s just say that I have never been back to her and she is NO professional.

Although my hair is still “recovering” from my David Scissorhands catastrophe, I can say that I have FINALLY found the perfect combination of products for my hair. Over the past month, I have been stopped by numerous individuals asking me “what product do you use in your hair?,” to which I first ask them to grab a paper and pen and I explain the following:

1.     Every persons curls are different and the right product on me may not work well on you. Additionally, I remind these women that I have many curl patterns in my hair and I just try to work with what I got.

2.     Next, I review the list of products that I have used in the past including:

·      Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner

·      Kinky-Curly Curling Custard 

·      Hair Rules

3.     Lastly, I share my curly hair recipe which is an even combination of:

·      Ouidad’s Styling products 

·      I have tried both the Heat & Humidity Gel and Curl Quencher, and can not tell a difference

·      be curly by Aveda

To all my Curly-Qs and natural hair divas, thank you for giving me inspiration to allow my natural hair to flourish. I must truly thank my cousin Jessica for being the first Butler Girl to go natural. You were my inspiration! My mother at the age of (she would kill me if I divulged that information) has stopped getting relaxers.  And recently I rejoiced when I got a series of text messages from my other cousin, Erica, who has finally decided to end her dependence on that chemical process (i.e., a relaxer). She gave me the inspiration to share my wealth of knowledge about curly hair products to the world. Lastly, to all the ladies on the fence, terrified of letting go of that relaxer… DO IT!!!!

Example of my curls at their best:

P.S. Isn't my bestie and B.A.P. (Black American Princess) rocking the sequin top over her baby bump? Proof that you can still rock-it preggers. xoxo

<3 Michelyn