Curl Talk: Big Chops, Products & Feeling Feminine
Surprise, I buzzed my hair!
My curly hair journey has included a few big chops over the years and it’s always something I enjoy immensely. It feels like a little leap of faith and it always brings a fresh perspective on my self image. This time around, I felt a bit more pressure around this decision because it was the first time cutting my hair this short since starting my blog. My mid-length curly hair had started to feel a bit like a defining factor in my online persona, which feels SO WEIRD to write but it’s true! That feeling of unease is now inspiring me to write this post and delve a little deeper there and also share some actually practical tips for you too!
Feeling Feminine
I am very low maintenance with my hair and beauty routine, which is not super helpful when it comes to curly hair because it requires a lot of TLC. Since going natural, I’ve always enjoyed shorter styles. Once my hair gets to a certain length it starts to just drive me crazy and this was the longest my natural curls had ever been, so a big chop was imminent.
Funny enough, buzzing my hair actually makes me feel really feminine and powerful, like I can’t hide behind anything. Going curly has really made me embrace having a lot of attention on me when I go out in public, something I genuinely hate! And while rocking a buzzcut makes me stand out in a similar way, I’ve gradually become much more comfortable with it over time and even learned to celebrate it. I’ve always admired women who embrace their femininity through a more androgynous style and playfulness, people like Adwoa Aboah and Zoe Kravitz and this cut is really inspired by them.
Know Your Curls
Believe me when I say, I’ve tried so many drugstore products, watched so many product reviews and wasted so much money on things that just didn’t work for me. That is until I realized that I need to learn about my own curls instead of assuming what works for someone else will work for me too. Since my last buzz cut around 2016, I feel like I’ve learned so much about how to properly care for my 3C/ 4A natural curls. So if you’re trying to better understand your curls, here are a couple things to look into:
What’s your curl pattern?
What is your hair porosity?
Once you’ve learned a bit more about your own curls and how they work, then you can start finding the right resources for you. There are tons of lovely curly haired content creators out there doing the leg work. If you can find someone with a similar texture to yours then you have a better chance of finding great product recommendations. Pinterest is also a great resource for haircut and styling inspiration, check out my curly hair moodboard.
My Holy Grail Products
I’ve also been able to work with some awesome curly hair brands in that time and that’s really contributed to further understanding my hair. I’ve found some amazing products that I absolutely swear by. I’m also really sensitive to overly-scented products, which I feel a lot of drugstore naturally curly brands are bad about, so I’ve kept that in mind while forming this list. If you think you have similar curls to mine or you just want to learn about some new brands, then peep these:
Boucleme Intensive Moisture Treatment - An award winning deep conditioning treatment.
R+Co Wall Street Strong Hold Gel - a top notch gel from a great brand that isn’t naturally curly specific.
R+Co Turntable Curl Defining Creme - Smells awesome and does a great job.
Grow Gorgeous Curl Defining Leave In Butter - My current favorite styling cream.
Grow Gorgeous Curl Defining Cleansing Conditioner - A great co-wash with a lovely subtle scent.
Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream - A recommendation that I absolutely loved!
Ouai Rose Hair & Body Oil - I love this rose-scented multipurpose product.
Tangle Teezer Hair Brush - The. Best. Brush. Ever. Also highly recommended by non-curly haired people too.
Read (And Watch) On
I’ve talked a lot about my curly hair routine on the blog, YouTube and Instagram. I really consider myself a novice when it comes to curly hair, so I love being able to share my own journey and little breakthroughs with you all. And feeling represented is SO important when it comes to these things so let’s keep the conversation going and keep sharing our own stories!
And if you want more curly hair content:
Read my R+Co product review & watch my IGTV.
Watch my Wash & Go Routine on YouTube.
Watch my Top 5 Boucleme Products Review on YouTube.
Watch my Grow Gorgeous Curl Talk IGTV.
Watch my Boucleme Hair Refresh IGTV.
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