Spotlight - Mia

Here is the first spotlight! Check out the beautiful Mia. As long as I have known her, I just found out a few months ago that she was natural! I have always envied her hair because it is beautiful as you can see.

I plan on asking everyone the same questions, but if that gets boring, I'll switch it up a bit. Enjoy!

1. How long have you been natural? I got my last perm in May 2007.
2. Why did you decide to go natural? I had been envying my friends who had the “guts” to go natural for quite some time. It seemed like everyone went natural my last year of college but I just was not brave enough to rock a short fro and I definitely knew that about myself. When I was pregnant I read that perms in the first trimester were a no-no. That is really what pushed me into the realm of the natural. After three months of a long overdue perm, I decided to just go for it (I was quite round and uncomfortable already! So why not!)
3. Were your friends and family supportive of your decision to go natural? The main person in my life most definitely was NOT! My boyfriend was scared to death that I was going to be “bald” or “nappy” or a slew of other terrible things that he associated with being natural (FYI he is now IN LOVE with my hair). My natural friends were very encouraging and I think my permed friends were just waiting to see what could be a disaster.
4. Do you think society’s perception of you has changed now that you are natural? I mainly wear my hair straightened. I received a ton of complements on my hair and how healthy it looks and I make sure to take the time to tell people that it is all natural. When I do wear my hair out, I do seriously get the sense that people think that I am somewhat of a different person. I feel like white people associate it with being very afro-centric and I get the feeling they are shocked that they never knew that about me before—like I have revealed my blackness by not straightening my hair.
5. Do you have any tips for those transitioning? KEEP THE FAITH!!!! Know that it IS hard in the beginning but it is so worth it.
6. How would you describe your hair vibe? I am not really sure what this means….lol. BUT—I like wearing my hair straight because it is easy. I have not taken the time to explore my texture and products (which is why I live vicariously through this blog and rely on it for my hair education). But I have just started wearing my hair out and I would describe it as “young and eager to discover itself”. The possibilities are so vast and I just love having options!
7. Which 3 hair products could you not live without? Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercreme, Miss Jessie’s Curly Meringue and Tresseme Conditioner (I know I know—but it gets the job done!)
8. What is your favorite hair style? Flat ironed straight.
9. Are you completely satisfied with the state of your natural hair? If not, when will you be completely satisfied? I am 94% satisfied. I just want it to be longer I can’t wait to wear it out and have it be draping.
10. Do you ever think you will go back to relaxers or texturizers? NEVER
11. Last but not least, describe your daily routine and your wash routine? Generally I do a co-wash (thanks Elisa!), blow dry it straight and use my Chi to straighten it. I put a somewhat tight curl on the ends with the Chi and wrap it for about a week and a half at night, never having to put heat on it again until I wash. If I do wear it out, I co-wash and comb it out while the conditioner is in. Afterward, I just put some Curly Meringue throughout and pull it back into a ponytail.