Naturally Fierce Feature: Kwame

Hello, I am Kwame and I was raised in N.Y.C ( Bronx & Brooklyn), but currently live in New Jersey. I am a Entrepreneur and I will be launching my online boutique soon! So you have to look out for that. I’m a Mother and a wife. I’ve been natural since December 2010 and I am loving it!

How long have you been natural?

I have been natural for 2 years and 4 months.

What motivated you to go natural? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper & why?

I big chopped in December 2010. It was some thing that I always thought about doing.
I did discover YouTube and that helped me with some inspiration, the ladies on there are all BEAUTIFUL inside and out. Blogs were very informative when it came to what products were out there for naturals and doing my own research most importantly. I decided to stop relaxing my hair, let my natural hair texture grow out and I big chopped myself. I will never forget that day, it was after 10 pm everyone was sleeping and I just cut it ALL OFF. It felt great! Yes, I stared in the mirror for a while ( lol ) because I couldn’t believe that I did it. It was a moment for me because I never did any thing like that before. It was the best decision that I ever made, my hair is healthier and it looks great!

What has been the most memorable part of your journey?  Has it been easy or difficult or both?!

I would have to say both. I was learning about my hair. What oils to use and what hair products that would be good for my hair.
There would be moments when my hair didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. But I stayed positive and continued to learn and grow with it every day. Through out my journey, especially in the beginning it was a little difficult. But it got better as I was learning and having fun with it.

What were some of your favorite transitioning hairstyles?
I would wear my hair in so many different hair styles flat twist, twist outs, Bantu knots, wash & go’s and the list goes on.
I would definitely experiment with different styles when it came to my hair. I just wanted to have fun with it and not wear the same hair styles all the time.

Any memorable reactions from family or others since going natural?

The reactions were a little bit of both. Some of my family and friends were very supportive and they understood what I was going to accomplish with cutting my hair. Other’s on the other hand, thought I was going through a crises and cutting my hair was supposed to liberate me ( I guess?). It didn’t matter to me what any one thought about my hair, it was bigger than just cutting off my hair.

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)?

My favorite products now, that I use all the time:
* Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo.
* Tresemme Naturals Coconut Oil & Jojoba extract.
* Kinky-Curly Knot today natural leave in/ detangler.
* I use coconut oil to seal in the moisture in my hair.
* I have a Shea Butter hair and oil mix cream that I make myself. I use this all the time!
* I don’t have a favorite deep conditioner. I have not come across one that is amazing yet.
So any suggestions? Please.

What are some of your favorite natural hair websites, YouTuber’s, or blogs?

My favorite YouTube naturals would be Naptural85, Hey Fran Hey, Kimmaytube, Fusion of Cultures and there are many more that I enjoy watching on YouTube. The blogs that I enjoy are xoxo-brosia, Curly Nikki and there are plenty more that I enjoy reading as well.

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?

You might go through some stages where you might not feel confident. Whether its your big chop, TWA or your hair is not allowing you to style it the way you might want to. I believe we all have one of those moments through out our natural hair journey. Always stay positive and remember to just have a little fun! Don’t take it too serious, it’s just hair.

Where can people find you for more information?

You can find me:
Instagram: @kwamestyles
Twitter: @kwame_styles
Necessarystyles@blogspot.com
Peace & Love!

I use Knot Today leave-in daily; however, I am shopping for new products. Any leave-in and deep conditioner suggestions? Leave comments below.