Naturally Fierce Feature: Marenna

May 5, 2014

My name is Marenna and I am from DC. I love to travel, talk about healthy living, make art and chill with my close friends.

How long have you been natural?

I have been natural for about 4 years now.

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

Believe it or not, living in health conscious Austin, TX at the time motivated me to live a more wholly, organic lifestyle – which included my hair. There weren’t any prominent black hair salons there, which meant I had to start doing perms myself or for-go them all together. I decided to just go natural because I was sick of having damaged hair. I was also becoming aware of how the chemicals could affect my health. My hair was breaking off at the ends so I decided to cut it into a ‘Rihanna bob’ and let the perm grow out. I never big chopped.

How would you describe your hair?

Wild Thang! My hair has a looser pattern in some places and is more defined in others, but it’s always big. It can get dry very quickly if I don’t moisturize it enough (low porosity).

What do you love most about your hair?

I love that my curls have their own personality! They never seem to look the same and change on a daily basis.

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

I think every ‘journey’ has its ups and downs. The easiest part for me was starting. Once I made the decision to go natural – my mind was made. The most difficult part was re-learning my hair and figuring out what worked well and what didn’t. It can be exhausting and expensive. I love that I can look at a product now and know if it will work for me or not just based on the consistency and ingredients.

What are some of your favorite hairstyles?

I’m a very low-key natural. I like wash-n-go’s and messy updos accented with an accessory like a headband, bow or headchain.

What have your experiences been as a ‘natural.’ Any memorable reactions from family or others?

I STILL get a few side eyes and comments, lol, but my friends and family have always been supportive of anything I do for the most part. I have been through so many different phases that going natural didn’t even make them blink an eye.

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)?

My hair regimen changes all the time. I love trying new products. Currently, I deep condition with either Carol’s Daughter’s Black Vanilla Hair Smoothie or Shea Moisture’s Deep Treatment Masque. I co-wash every 2-3 days with Herbal Essence’s Hello Hydration Conditioner or Aussie’s 3 Minute Deep Conditioner (Moist). I follow up with Carol’s Daughter’s leave-in conditioner, seal with Aloe Vera, moisturize with Curls Unleashed Curl Defining Crème and define with Kinky Curly’s Curling Custard. Sometimes I step out of the shower, put coconut oil in my hair and just let it be.

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

I really like HeyFranHey. She incorporates health into her natural hair blogging, which I like and think is really important.

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?

A lot of women ask me about how to gain enough confidence to go natural. The truth is, when the time is right – you’ll know it. Some people will be more than ready and others are never ready but jump in head first anyway because they know it’s time. Don’t force yourself to do anything you aren’t ready to do. This includes a big chop and/or going natural. I never big chopped because I knew it was something I didn’t want to do. But I was more than ready to jump in headfirst into my natural hair journey. Being ready doesn’t mean it will be easy. You will have days where that creamy concoction will look like the Holy Grail of Hair. It gets easier once you start learning what your hair likes and doesn’t like. When you can’t fathom spending one more dime, one more minute, or any more effort on permed hair – you are ready.

Where can people find you for more information?

Blog :: thelazynatural.tumblr.com

IG :: Marennanicole