Captured Curls: Brittney

Please, introduce yourself!

My name is Brittney. I am a 24-year-old Prince George's County, MD native. I just recently moved to Texas to take an English teaching job at an amazingly rigorous school. I quickly learned that Maryland's "humidity" has absolutely NOTHING on the insanely high dew points in Texas!

What is your current hair care regimen? 
I tend to switch up my regimen a lot, and since my hair kind of went into a super-crazy shock when I moved here, I had to nurse it back to a normal level of moisture. My hair no longer hates me.

Because it is so hot here (and I sweat in my scalp) and my hair won't hold any defined styles for longer than a few seconds after walking out of the door, I opt for lots of different styles that don't require my hair to be "out." I've gone back to experimenting with two-strand twists, which is nice because I can wear my hair down without it shrinking up to my brain in the weather, and they are super low maintenance and cute. I have also been wearing a lot of wash-n-go ponytails in an EZ-comb, some buns, and more recently, fishtail braids (which I heart!). Current regimen involves clarifying monthly with Eli's Body Shop Black Soap Shampoo, shampooing as needed with Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Shampoo, conditioning and detangling with Kinky-Curly Knot Today, and then moisturizing with Shea Moisture Moisture Mist and Curl & Style Milk, and then Curl-Enhancing Smoothie for sort-of-sealing. I have recently begun using Jane Carter Nourish & Shine to seal and so far, so good! I've been trying lots of different things for deep conditioning but nothing has REALLY stuck with me yet. I baggy a few nights per week to get some extra moisture in while I'm still experimenting to figure that out.

What is your hair type and what works best for your texture?

My hair is a mix of waves, curls, and coils. My strands are mostly fine, with some medium thrown in, with pretty low to medium density overall. For some reason, people think my hair is thick when they see it, but I think that's just the curls playing tricks on them! (It's all a facade...) My hair is also pretty fragile, so I often have to make sure I am keeping it strong by balancing my protein and moisture. Moisture alone is a hot mess for my hair. Using products with both moisturizing and strengthening ingredients together - mainly water and silk protein - work wonders for my hair. I also have to take care to be gentle with detangling - my LEAST favorite part of being natural.

What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?

My mother really didn't want me to go natural because she thought it would cause unnecessary "drama" in my life, and my stylist at the time told me that I didn't have the "kind" of hair to go natural. She told me that I didn't have curls and wouldn't have anything to do with it once I cut off the relaxer. I decided to grow it out anyway. I didn't tell my mother that I had chopped for about a week or two before she saw me. She told me that my "straw set" was really cute. She was beyond surprised to realize that I hadn't set my hair on straws at all, and those were my natural curls. Since going natural, I have received so many compliments on my hair and how the way I wear it really fits my personality. I can count on my hand how many negative comments I have received, and honestly, I didn't even care.

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

I transitioned for almost 12 months. I had plans to chop at 17 months so that I could celebrate my birthday and nappiversary on the same day every year, but I couldn't even make it to a year. I chopped 4 days before I would have been 12-months post-relaxer. I was beyond excited, and it was the best decision I've made.

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

I love that they're so different every day. Sometimes it's annoying and you need stability, but most times, I love how I can experiment SO much and come up with something unique and beautiful in so many different ways. I love watching how it transforms in the mirror from being weighed down with water to being springy and soft when dry. I love the confidence my hair has given me. I'm not a terribly confident person, but when I have my curls looking just so - whether they are wild and free, or slicked back with the waves popping - it's like I take on a whole new persona. What's not to love?

Where can we find you on the web?

My Blog: http://oneand20.blogspot.com

My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/davisb88

Instagram: Qurlybee

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

I just hope that one day I can be as inspirational as those who have inspired me and helped me along the way!