We’ve been following Kinks is the new Pink for several months now and we can’t get enough of her fashion tips, beauty secrets and of course those gorgeous Kinks! We caught up with blog founder Ashlei Mosely to learn a little more about her and her natural hair, street style blog…
1. What inspired you to start Kinks are the new Pink?
I had always struggled with my hair when I was getting it relaxed. I was never happy with it and constantly felt self-conscious about the way it looked. One particular day when I was significantly frustrated with my hair, I was on the bus on my way to work when I saw this girl sitting across the way with a really cute natural hairdo and something struck me. I had never thought about going natural before that point – I didn’t even know if it was an option – I had always been a relaxed-hair girl.
So that day at work I spent the entire day researching “switching from relaxed to natural hair” and by 5pm I was ready to make the switch.
I wanted to keep my family in the know with a central location for them to keep up-to-date and so Kinks are the new Pink was born! It honestly just started as a way to chronicle my transitioning period from relaxed to natural hair, but it has grown into something that is really special to me and I’m proud of what’s it’s become and I’m looking forward to where it will take me.
2. Where are your favorite places to shop for clothes?
I love online shopping! There’s just so many options and opportunities to find really unique pieces all at a click of a button :) I’d have to say the places I frequent the most are definitely Zara, ASOS, and Etsy for cool vintage pieces. I also love a good deal so I tend to frequent discount/resale/thrift stores. I love going to Nordstrom Rack to raid their shoe section and Crossroads Trading Co. is always great for digging for name brand pieces.
3. What three hair products could you not live without?
Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie – I’ve tried similar products, but I always come back to Shea Moisture, my hair just responds to it really well.
Raw Shea Butter – My hair loves shea butter, it helps it feel extra moisturized and super lush.
My DIY Moisturizing Spray – This is a relatively new addition to my product list, but it has definitely made a noticeable difference to my hair, plus it smells delicious. :)
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4. For many naturals it’s a journey to fully understand their hair. It’s a process of trial and error. What was your “Curls Understood™” moment (the moment you felt like, “I’ve got this!”)
Honestly, as I said I always struggled with my hair when I was getting it relaxed. It was the #1 thing I was self-conscious about, and while I still have bad hair days and frustrations with my natural hair, I’ll never forget how I felt the day I got all the processed junk chopped off. It was terrifying, but completely liberating, I felt so free and for the first time when I looked at my hair I felt like me.
So for me, my Curls Understood™ moment was when I got my big chop because after all the struggle and insecurities of having relaxed hair, I knew I could do this and that this was the best decision I could’ve made.
Is the sidewalk your catwalk? Do people regularly tell you that you strut? If so, submit your photos for a Concrete Curls feature at [email protected]. Want more inspiration? Check out Concrete Curls on Tumblr.
