Captured Curls: Model, Nikia Phoenix

I am sure you have seen this stunning face all over the place! From her amazing TWA to her beautiful freckle kissed face, Nikia's beauty is not easily forgotten. The minute I saw her on Tumblr about a year ago I knew I wanted her featured on the blog. We follow each other on Twitter and I was finally able to catch up with her. I hope you all enjoy her hair story, click the jump to read more!

Please introduce yourself:
Hello lovelies. I'm Nikia Phoenix, the freckled-face-natural-hair-model-blogger. Look at all these hyphens. Good gracious! 


What is your current curly girl regimen:
I'm a no-fuss kind of girl, so my hair regimen is pretty easy.  I wash with shampoo once a week, and co-wash when I need it.  My hair dries out easily, so I moisturize daily.  I do get single strand knots and my hair fizzes, so I try to use products that help with that.  I might comb my hair once a week, but I keep it short so that it's easier to manage. I heart short hair!


What is your hair type and what works best for your texture:
 I'm definitely a super tight curl with a mix of z formations. So I'm a 4 with a little a and b.  My hair is really thick too, so I really like to saturate it with product. Like many of us, I'm still working on my perfect hair cocktail. Some months one thing works better than the other, you know.  I'll try anything that smells good.

What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural:
 Definitely a mixed reaction.  Some people that only knew me with relaxed hair didn't know how to take it.  I think they're just afraid of change. But others who saw that natural hair is just an extension of my natural beauty got it immediately.  


Did you big chop or transition, if so when and for how long:
 I did a blend of big chop and transition, since my hair was already short.  I cut the sides and trimmed the top.  Once my hair started growing, I cut the remainder of my relaxer off. The entire process took about four to five months.

What makes you love your coils, kinks and curls:
I love my hair because it dances to its own melody.  It's unpredictable.  I also like that one day it will look really short because of shrinkage and another day it will be bigger. Like me,  My hair does its own thing.


Where can we find you on the web:
My face pops up in so many spaces.  I have a blog called Model Liberation.  I contribute to KISFORKINKY.  You can also catch my random rants on Twitter @nikiaphoenix. 


Anything extra you want us to know:
I have joined with hair care company Free Your Mane to show the TWA some love. Feel free to enter the Short and Sweet Photo Contest for a chance to win $100 in free hair products for your natural coif. Click HERE for details. Good Luck!