Introduce yourself!
J: Hola everybody! I’m Jess, I’m cuban and I live in Belgium, so I apologize for my english!!!
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
J: Well, I used to put cornrows in my hair all the time during my early school years cause my mum, the poor thing, didn’t have an idea of how to style my hair cause she is what we call in Cuba “mulatos” (a mix between white and mettisse) and she has very easy, long, curly hair. So she got in trouble with my hair hahah, but she always made her best effort to take care of my hair. Getting to the point, one day during my college years after taking my cornrows out and getting ready to wash my hair, a friend of mine saw me and said, “Wow your hair looks great like that, you should wear it always like this” so I did. I just stopped using soft relaxers and things like that, but I didn’t have an idea of how to take care of my hair cause you can’t find products for this kind of hair in Cuba, and almost all black girls relax their hair cause having kinky hair is not seen as a beautiful thing. Also you can’t get any good products. When I started wearing my afro style I got a lot of ugly comments in the street like, “Hey did you get an electrical shock?” and things like that. During that time kinky hair or afro styles were not usual at all and I was a bit ashamed of going into the street. Until one day a casting director saw me in the street and asked me if I was interested in modeling because my hairstyle was so cool… I have been natural more or less for 5 years ever since.
How would you describe your texture?
J: I would say 4b. I have a lot of hair with fine strands.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
J: Twist outs, twists and more twist outs… I’m a fan! They help a bit against shrinkage and also help my hair to have some nice patterns. I always apply Pantene Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Hydra Equilibre after washing. It’s a leave in cream I use for twisting my hair. It makes it very soft and moist, but here it rains a lot and MR FRIZZ ruins everything, so I also wear a bun or an updo on rainy days for which I use Dark and Lovely Quick Styling Gel. It’s awesome!!… but I really prefer a big afro most of the time. It’s my favorite style.
What does wash day look like for you?
J: Dios Santo! Wash day… It’s a long process. I wash my hair once a week and I have to shampoo it cause my scalp tends to be kind of greasy, so I shampoo with Lovea Bio Nourishing Shampoo with Shea Butter, and afterward I apply Lovea Bio Shea Butter Nourishing Mask and I cover my hair with a plastic cap for 30 minutes. For the last condition I use Shea Butter Conditioner also from Lovea Bio, and I gently start detangling with my fingers. After rinsing I apply the Pantene Nature Fusion Moisture Balance Hydra Equilibre and seal with macadamia oil, then on to styling!!!!!!
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
J: I would say a bun on the top of my head, or a puff when I can’t find a hair tie.
How do you combat shrinkage?
J: I don’t, it doesn’t bother me… but I do think twist outs help a bit.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
J: My hair gets thirsty very fast, especially my edges.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
J: Moisture and Moisture!
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
J: A wash and go doesn’t work for me. My hair gets super dry and very hard to handle or style… and HEAT, keep yourself away from heat! I used to blow out my hair all the time after washing it and at the beginning I had this awesome big lioness afro style, but it damaged my hair so much I had to cut it short cause it was dry, ugly and completely split on the ends.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
J: @questiethebestie on Instagram!
