Day 16 of 365

Day 16 of 365

Day 16: Someone you trust.

For some people this would be considered a hard question due to lack of trust, for me it is hard because I trust all the people that are closest to me.

I’m not sure what the rules are in this situation.

So I’ll just list them, lol.

I trust:

My girlfriend

My sister

& My best friends.

A Day In The Curls of J. Sheree

 

J. Sheree’s Interview

Question: How long have you been natural?

Answer: 2 years on Feb 21^st

Question: At what age did you start getting relaxers?

Answer: Probably, 10 I would say.

Question: Why did you make the decision to stop getting relaxers?

Answer: I dyed my hair and it left my hair feeling extremely brittle and falling out, so I cut it all off to                  about an inch all over.

Question: How did people react to your decision to go natural?

Answer: A lot of people didn’t agree because I had “so much hair” that I just wasted.

Question: Do you feel that having gone natural has effect you in any way?

Answer: Yes, because thinking about what I put in my hair makes me think about what I put in my body more now. So, I tend to look at labels more, I’m not perfect at it but I’m getting there.

Question: Do you feel that it has affected your art or your music?

Answer: Yes, I don’t know why, but I feel more soulful and I can’t really explain the connection. Embracing my hair naturally makes me want to embrace my natural voice, I naturally have a soulful voice but I tend to try to seeing more poppy even though that is not really me.

Question: Where can we find J. Sheree?

Answer: You can find me probably at work, lol. No, seriously, I will be at Stone Soup in Ybor on Wednesdays and I am also local rapper Jonah’s mixtapes and have plans to feature on a few other local artists’ mixtapes. I am also working on the courage to become a regular at Sacred Grounds Slam and Open Mic at The Roosevelt 2.0.

Question: What can we expect from J. Sheree in 2013?

 Answer:I am working on doing more performances; I would love to do a mixtape if I am able to gain the right connects. Plus, I’m learning the guitar, so I and Lucille will be making a debut.

Question: What are your personal hair goals?

Answer: I want to be more consistent in keeping up with doing and maintaining the healthiness of my hair.

Question: What are your hair “guilty pleasures”?

Answer:  I would say that mine is straightening my hair.

Question: What is your favorite product to use in your hair?

Answer: My favorite product would probably be Shea Butter because it holds in my curls.

Question: Question: What is your signature hairstyle?

Answer: A curly side fro.

Question: What is your advice to other curlies who are working on their stage fright?

Answer: Don’t think too much about it, just do and continue to do.

Secret Life of the Bobby Pin

Secret Life of the Bobby Pin

As, we all know, bobby pins are a natural’s best friend. They are basically the cornerstone for every hairstyle that we create.

Not so very long ago, a friend of mine tagged me in a picture on Facebook that displayed the proper way to use a bobby pin. (displayed on the left.)

I immediately went into denial and/or conspiracy theory mode. I even thought someone made the picture to see how many people would fall for it and change the way they use their bobby pins. I know; crazy!

Anyway, I finally left my state of denial after buying a pack of curved bobby pins and finding that the curve was facing the side that I usually placed outward (displayed on the right) confirmed that my theories were all incorrect.

It turns out that the grooved side is supposed to be facing your scalp. The grooves were made to grasp the hair and secure it into place. While the flat side of it actually helps to move the hair into the grooves of the bobby pin.

Also, did you know why there are called bobby pins? In the 20’s women use to wear their hair in a style referred to as “bobbed” which basically looks like French waves but hanging, and the bobby pins were used to hold this style in place.

Here are a few other tips for your future bobby pin use:

·         Bobby pins are fairly inexpensive but still; do not skim on cost when picking your bobby pins.

·         Try your best to pick bobby pins that compliment your hair color, unless of course you are using them as an accessory.

·         Crossing the bobby pins can create a stronger hold.

·         They say that using your teeth to open the bobby pin compromises the integrity of the bobby pin, opening the bobby pin causes it to become loose. They are meant to just sliiiide into your hair. (I don’t know if I can get with this rule lol)

Well, this has been the secret life of the bobby pin exposed, I hope I wasn’t the only one still doing this wrong.

A Curl's Best Friend

A Curl’s Best Friend

I think that we, naturals, all have a go to style when the new style fails or we just don’t know what to do with our hair. Personally, in my car I keep an emergency kit for days when I’m just not feeling pretty enough, its super girly but whatever, and don’t have my usual vices. The items in my emergency kit include: bobby pins, perfume, a brush, some moisturizer, mascara, lip gloss, red lipstick and a pair of earrings.

Those are the bare minimums that I feel I need to pull my look together when i'm not feeling my prettiest.

Below is a list of "in case of emergency" items for most naturals. Some are interchangeable, like I would prefer to keep bobby pins in my car/purse over a scarf, but it all depends on how you look to wear your natural.

Moisturizer: sometimes the only thing to revive yours curls/fro is a little moisturizer, whatever your little indulgence is, it is always best to keep a little bit on you. I keep a little jar of coconut oil in my car, since I tend to do my hair in the parking lot at work (I am not an early bird). Also a little moisturizer can replace gel, I personally don’t like gel, so I like to use moisturizer to help tame my hair and pull it into place.

Bobby pins: almost all naturals can agree that bobby pins are like the second most important tool next to moisturizer. Bobby pins are the secrets behind most of the amazing hairdos, or the trick to a quick up do when you bantu knots don’t work out or your twist out just looks twisted.

Scarf: another item that I like to keep in my car is a scarf, for days when I don’t feel like fidgeting with bobby pins or just feel super discouraged. A lot of naturals I know are whizzes with head wraps, unfortunately I am not one of those naturals. I like to use my scarf to swoop my hair into a ponytail, since it only looks like a pony in the scrunchie, and then make a nice bow at the top.

Hair Bow: this item is also dependent on your comfort zone, I also don’t feel like my hair plays well with bows, but I love and envy them on other naturals. A bow can definitely be used to spring your hair to life.

Brush/Gel: if you like to use gel, then a brush obviously goes hand in hand. In the event that your hair doesn’t suit your needs, you can grab your brush, gel and bobby pins and create a totally new creation.

My favorite go to style is the faux hawk, what is yours? Or what do you keep in your emergency hair/beauty kit?