Well, my name is Eugenia—but a lot of you may know me under the internet handle Eugenia Says. I’m an Army brat sooo I’m from everywhere! But I currently split my time between Augusta, GA and Atlanta, GA.
How long have you been natural? July 10 was officially two years being natural. Holy moly, it seems like two years came so quickly!
What motivated you to transition? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper & why? I actually get asked this question a lot! I am the youngest of five sisters and it just so happens that my family has a predisposition to acquiring ovarian cysts and the lye and harsh chemicals in your run of the mill relaxers are packed FULL of them. So one by one, my five sisters did the Big Chop! I was hesitant, but my health was not up for discussion. I went to my local barber and he cut it all off. He was hesitant but after 30 minutes of coaxing he cut my shoulder length hair off! There was no transitioning period! I threw myself in the deep end of caring and loving my natural hair!
How would you describe your hair? My hair is very sassy. Her name is Jade and she can be very prissy and proper with her perfectly defined twist outs BUT like black hair tends to be, she has that beautiful sense of duality. She can be unkempt, unruly and downright disobedient! But I love her that way. And yes I named my hair!
What do you love most about your hair? The thing I love most about my hair is the dualism that it possesses. We can rock it colored, cut, straight, curly, in an afro, the list goes on! I have no idea why I didn’t cut my hair off years ago.
So why did you start your YouTube page Eugenia Says? I started Eugenia Says almost a year ago today to give in-depth tutorials with steps broken down a little more so it’s easy for anyone to pick up! I LOVE YouTubers like Mae of NikkiMae2003 and Whitney of Naptural85, I just wanted to create a natural hair YouTube page that showed the most popular length of natural hair which is mine! That short to medium-length hair type! It has all been a whirlwind garnering 12,000+ views in less than a year!
What has been the most memorable part of your journey? Has it been easy or difficult or both?!
The most memorable part of my hair journey was when I was named a Natural Girls Rock Ambassador. To think! My hair and the confidence that it enhanced within me spoke to such a reputable and fantastic organization that promotes women who embrace and love their natural hair! Another notable moment was when Curly Nikki told me she loved my hair. I was a little star struck (I’ll be honest!) but it meant a lot to me that such a respectable force within the natural community paid such a seemingly simple compliment. Meant the world to me! The natural hair journey for me has been fairly easy, I believe that’s due mostly to the fact that I‘m a Leo and I enjoy and love change! Every day was a new challenge that I was willing to take!
What is Natural Girls Rock? How did you become a part of the organization? Natural Girls Rock is an Atlanta-based natural hair organization that exists to encourage, inspire, and educate women who are natural and considering going natural! I became an official ambassador by auditioning at the open casting call in Atlanta. There were several rounds of deliberation from the NGR Board members and for Season 4, five ambassadors including myself were chosen. There is a fast approaching casting call for Season 5 Saturday August 10th in Atlanta, GA! (Find more information here: https://www. NaturalGirlsRock.com )
What are some of your favorite transitioning hairstyles? My favorite hairdo has to and will always be a 2ndday old twistout. There’s just something about 2nd day hair that I just love! It’s still defined but bigger and a littler wilder! Another fun go-to is finger coils—I like coils because they can last for up to two weeks.
What have your experiences been as a ‘natural’? Any memorable reactions from family or other?My family wasn’t really surprised when I cut all my hair off, but my friends FREAKED OUT! They thought I was having like a quarter-life crisis. My boyfriend at the time was very supportive of my choice especially since he knew it was fueled by my family’s medical predisposition. The only crazy reaction I received was from the barber that did by BC—he kept telling me he wouldn’t do it!
What is your hair regimen (including favorite products)? My current hair regimen is very simple: protective styling during the week and a fun low manipulation style for the weekends. I’m always sure to moisturize daily and wash day is Sunday after church! My favorite hair products are ANYTHING from Karens Body Beautiful line of products, ECO styler for styles that demand hold, and Natural Girls Rock Premium Avocado Oil for daily moisturizing.
Where can people find you for more information? I’m all over the web under the handle of Eugenia Says on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and my Eugenia Says blog! Thanks so much for the feature!
YouTube: https://www.YouTube.com/user/EugeniaSays
Instagram: https:// www.Instagram.com/EugeniaSays
Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/EugeniaSaysMoo
Natural Hair Blog: https://www.EugeniaSays.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/EugeniaSays
