One of our new hair crushes on Instagram is @NaturallyTemi. Temi’s natural crown and glory is constantly inspiring us… one day it’s pinned up. The next she has it in a big afro. We even love her wraps and hair accessories. And can we talk about the make up?!! You can steal some of her style secrets on her YouTube channel but first check out why she chose to go natural in the first place…
1. Why did you go natural?
I went natural when I was going through a very tough time in my life. My mom had cancer and we would need to take care of her daily and constantly drive her an hour away to chemotherapy. Life was stressful. I was stressed and taking care of my hair was the last thing on my mind. So one day I just cut it… that was 3 years ago.
2. Can you summarize your current hair regimen?
I co-wash my hair once a week and deep condition every 2 weeks. I’ll do a protein treatment about once every 2 months to give my hair extra strength.
3. What are your staple hair products?
My staple hair products are the Jsheaoil Smoothie Treatment, Eco Styler Gel, a Tresemme Conditioner and the Curls Unleashed Styling Creme.
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4. What are your favorite hairstyles?
When I am short on time I love to do a high puff. It jazzes up any outfit that I’m wearing and makes it look funky. I also love braid outs because of the length and curls they give my hair. Lately my go-to has been cornrowing my hair into two and leaving it like that for awhile. When I’m ready, I’ll take them out and my hair becomes huge!
5. What was the last compliment you received about your hair?!
Hmmmm… The last compliment I think I received is that my hair is “#goals”. LOL! A lot of people don’t believe that it’s my real hair until they touch it and see it’s all me. Once someone told me that at first she thought I had crochet braids in my hair until she saw my YouTube videos and learned that my hair is real.
6. 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!” or any essential advice you wish you had known at the beginning of your hair journey)?
When I big chopped, I hated braid outs and twist outs because they would make my hair stick up. For a year even after my hair grew, I still hated them. The one day it just clicked and I grew to love those styles. I think when my hair was longer and my hair was able to lay downward it made a difference.
My advice would be to not give up on your hair. Everyone’s hair is different so form your own unique relationship with your hair. Understand that products will work and products will not work. What works for one may not work for you and you have to be okay with that. If you constantly compare your hair to others, you will never feel happy with your natural hair journey. So patience and experimenting is key.
See more of Temi…
YouTube: NaturallyTemi
Instagram: @NaturallyTemi
