Captured Curls: Crissle

Everyone meet the beautiful, spicy and HILARIOUS Crissle! She is this weeks Captured Curls and I must say, I'm very happy to have her featured. I came across Crissle after listening to her and Kid Fury's "The Read" podcast. I did some research on her writings and such and discovered that she was natural, which only made my love for her double so of course I had to reach out and have her on the blog. 

Enjoy Ms. Crissle's curly curly story below!

xoxo,

Alex

Please introduce yourself?

I’m Crissle, I’m 30, and I’m a writer from Oklahoma. I moved to Manhattan about ten months ago to find out what life is like not surrounded by white people.

What is your current hair regimen?

I don’t do much with my hair at all. I’m a really low-fuss person and I don’t have the patience for an extended hair regimen. I sleep in a satin bonnet and use water to fluff my hair out in the morning.

When you travel how do you care for your hair?

I make sure to pack my bonnet, travel bottle of coconut oil, bobby pins, and a wide-tooth comb. I can make anything happen with those four tools.

How would you describe your hair type?

It’s 3B/3C on the hair chart. My hair is neither thick nor thin and of normal porosity. It doesn’t give me a lot of trouble until it gets long, which is why I’m always cutting it off.

What type of products work best for your curls?

On a daily basis, I run coconut oil through my hair when I get out of the shower and then detangle with a wide tooth comb. It usually doesn't need anything else after that. If I’m really trying to go for a defined look, I’ll use Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie instead. About once a month, I deep condition with Miss Jessie’s Rapid Recovery Treatment, which is full of synthetic ingredients but works wonders on my hair.

When did you first decided to go natural or have you been a curly girl all your life?

I went natural in late 2000 after my grandfather passed away. I’d wanted to do it for years but stopped myself because my mom didn’t approve. When my grandfather died I decided life was too short to put off a simple thing like wearing my natural hair.

Did you big chop or transition? (If you transitioned, for how long?)

I transitioned for about six months, then one day just wet all my hair and cut off the parts that were straight. I’m a big fan of cutting my own hair and I do it often. I was a little freaked after that first cut, though.

Did you ever struggle with curly girl insecurities? If so, what helped you adjust to your naturally curly hair over the years?

No, I don’t think so. I have always felt really good about my hair, especially when I finally found products that worked for it. At first I felt weirdly brave for going natural, but I’ll chalk that up to being 18 and very “fight the power”.

How did your friends and family react to you going natural?

My mom ended up loving it so I didn't really get any push-back from her, and eventually almost every woman in my family went natural, too. My friends never gave me any grief, either. It was a pretty easy experience.

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

The thing I love the most is that they fit in perfectly with my “I don’t have time for this” mentality. I always hated going to the salon to get relaxers and sit under the dryer for what felt like hours. I don’t have to spend more than 5 minutes on my hair, which means the world to me.

Where can we find you on the web?

I’m pretty much everywhere:
Facebook: facebook.com/iAmCrissle
Twitter: @crissles
Tumblr: crissle.tumblr.com
Youtube: youtube.crissle.com
Instagram: @crissle

I also blog about my move to NYC on www.crissle.com, and do a weekly comedy podcast with my friend Kid Fury called The Read. It’s free and available on iTunes.

Is there anything else you want to share?

Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with your hair. I’ve dyed mine blue and purple, cut it all off multiple times, made custom wigs for myself, etc. It’s okay to experiment and do something outside your comfort zone.