Introduce yourself!
F: Hello beauties! My name is Florence Marie Williams. I am a 21 year old half Bajan and half Filipina attending Valdosta State University.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
F: I’ve been natural most of my life, but there was a period in my adolescence when I thought straight hair was the bee’s knees. Honestly my hair was practically straight till I turned 12 or 13. I was known as my mother’s carbon copy with the long straight black hair. When it started to transition from straight to curly it really confused me and I had a hard time taking care of it. My mom didn’t know how to manage my hair either. I can still remember screaming matches every morning trying to figure out what to do with it. It was so much for my mom to handle that she threatened to cut it all off because she was so frustrated. Instead, at the age of 12 years old my mom took me to the salon and I got a perm. I loved having straight hair and the compliments, but it saddened me that after a week it was back to being curly. I felt like I was sold a dream that would never come true. So after battling it for three years I decided to let it go and embrace what I have instead of trying to conform. I am now 6 years strong.
How would you describe your texture?
F: I am not big on the curl pattern, but more on hair texture. My hair is not baby fine but it’s not coarse either. I feel it’s right in the middle. I also have low porosity hair.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
F: I am mainly a wash and go type of girl, but after three or four days I do high buns. They are perfect for me! I think they are super cute and easy and quick to do. I like to make them really big! I wear buns a lot especially since I’m a college student and really busy. I wash usually every Sunday using the products I mention below.
What does wash day look like for you?
F: I try to have my wash days on Sundays, but as of now I find myself washing my hair every four days instead of the full week. I cleanse every other week and I co-wash in between. So I co-wash one week, cleanse the other week, and so on. Before I wash I finger detangle with coconut oil. I use the LouAna coconut oil. It comes in a huge tub and it’s cheap. I’m a college student and it’s affordable. I part my hair in six sections, saturate my hair in the oil, and gently get the tangles out. I then bantu knot all six sections. I usually leave it in overnight if I can, but if not I try to keep it in for an hour. After that it’s wash time. I wash my hair with baking soda and clarify with apple cider vinegar. The baking soda is a gentle abrasive that gets all the product and dirt out of my hair and the ACV balances the PH in my hair and makes it a breeze to detangle.
I condition with TRESemmé Radiant Volume Conditioner. I use a paddle brush to make sure the tangles are out of my hair. I am not a fan of the wide tooth comb. After the shower my hair is still in those six sections. I start with the bottom section and spray my mixture of half water and half grapeseed oil and follow it with my leave in which is Shea Moisture African Black Soap Balancing Conditioner. Lastly I apply Cantu Naturals Coconut Curling Cream and seal with coconut oil, do that to all sections, shake and go. Throughout the day I try not to touch my hair, and at night I pineapple. The next morning I spray my hair with my grapeseed and water mixture and repeat that till wash day again.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
F: Wash and go’s and a big bun.
How do you combat shrinkage?
F: I embrace it. My hair is interesting to say the least. My bottom section is a looser curl and I believe it grows the fastest. The middle section is curlier and thicker with lots of shrinkage. Then my top section is like a Curly Sue type of curl. It’s craziness. It’s a very distinct difference. I used to use perm rods, pin curls, twist outs and bantu knot outs on my hair, but it made the separation of the patterns even more obvious and it was also time consuming, so I stopped and just stick to wash and go’s.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
F: My ends! They are very fragile. I try to baby them everyday by sealing to retain my length and trim when needed to keep them healthy.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
F: I cannot stay away from coconut or grapeseed oil. Those are my ultimate products and I use them daily to refresh and seal my ends.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
F: Salon trips, and sulfate shampoos are both the devil to me.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
F: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sun.red.sky.blue and my YouTube channel is: http://www.youtube.com/user/Theblendedbeauty. No videos yet, but stop by and say Hi =)
