Tell me about yourself!
I am a midlife entrepreneur, human resources professional, wife, daughter, bonus mother and friend/sister to many. I am also a Senior Executive Marketing Director with Soul Purpose Lifestyle Company. I love learning and sharing what I learn with others, particularly if it helps us all prosper.
Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper? What was your journey like?
I was a transitioned, but I transitioned far longer than I should have. I had my last relaxer in March, 2012. I tried a keratin treatment in July, 2012 because I wanted to still wear my hair straight without relaxing. It was my first and only keratin. I began to embrace transitional hairstyles after that because they were easier to maintain and I liked the versatility. I finally had the last of my relaxer cut off in May, 2014. I haven’t looked back since. I LOVE my natural hair. My recommendation for anyone would be to just chop off the relaxer instead of trying to hold on to it too long. I experienced some breakage as a result of transitioning so long. Just do the big chop and be done with it!
Had you always embraced your texture?
I have to be honest in saying that I didn’t know my own texture to be able to embrace it because I had relaxed my hair ever since I was 14 years old. It wasn’t until I went natural and began to really feel my texture that I learned to embrace it.
How did family and friends react to your decision to go natural? What was your response to them?
My parents weren’t the biggest fans, but I realize that they grew up believing that long, straight hair was beautiful. So, this was very different for them. My husband had to get used to it, but he loves it natural far more than straight now. And most of my friends love it. I had to do what felt best for me, so I will be wearing it natural from now on.
Describe your hair (fine or coarse, thin or thick, highly porous, low, etc.)
I am not the best at hair typing but, if I had to describe mine, I’d say that it’s 4c around the front edges and in the back (the kitchen). It’s more 4a or b in the crown. And it’s not very porous so I have to moisturize it regularly.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to your hair?
This pre-dates my transition but I wore a red cellophane when I was in college to celebrate having pledged my sorority. I’d say that my big chop in May 2014 was the next craziest thing only because my hair was shorter than it had been in a very long time so I wasn’t sure how to style or maintain it.
What’s your biggest hair related regret?
Not having gone natural sooner. I didn’t realize that I would love it so much.
What’s your current hair routine? How often do you wash, condition, and style? Favorite products! Deets!
I don’t have the time or energy to do the daylong routines so mine is fairly simple. I like to wash my hair weekly. I shampoo with a sulfate free shampoo. Then I use a deep conditioner and sit under a Huetiful steamer for about 20 minutes. Once done, I rinse the conditioner and then use a leave in conditioner. Most of the time, I wear my hair in a twist out so I use a styling cream for hold and then use a hair butter to seal in the moisture and to add shine.
I have tried many products but the line that I love the most on my hair is the Pure Essentials Line by Soul Purpose. The shampoo and conditioner contain Moroccan and coconut oils so it makes my hair soft. I like the hair butter because it contains all of the oils that my hair likes like jojoba and olive oil and shea butter but it’s in the form of a balm so it’s makes for easier application. I use KurleeBelle Kurl Defining Crème to set the twists.
What’s your favorite hairstyle? Where do you get hairstyle inspiration?
I love twist outs because they are so versatile. I am experimenting with wash and go’s a little more for less manipulation. Styling inspiration comes from seeing beautiful sisters with natural hair on the street and through social media like Pinterest. When I find the styles that I love, I pin them on my page, www.pinterest.com/jrwsp1
Who is your curl crush?
CharyJay and NaturallyGG. I think that my hair pattern is similar to theirs, so I like to see what they do to see if I can obtain similar results.
How do you maintain your hair at night?
Most nights, I simply spritz my hair with water, put a little hair butter on it and then sleep in a satin cap. When it gets too frizzy, I spritz with water and re twist with the curling cream followed by the hair butter. If I’m wearing a puff, then I don’t worry about retwisting. I merely keep my hair hydrated well.
How do you maintain healthy length?
Moisturizing and trims. I’m starting to get more length, so I will be trimming a little more regularly.
What’s the best thing about being natural?
The versatility. I can wear my hair curly one day, straight the next and go back to curly the day after that. I also love that our hair is a reflection of our culture, so I feel more true to my heritage when I wear my hair unadulterated by relaxer.
Where can folks find you on the web?
My website is www.thedigestdiva.com. You can also find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrwsoulpurpose, Twitter at www.twitter.com/jrwsoulpurpose and Instagram at www.instragram.com/jrwsp1
