INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCA

PJ-1: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN NATURAL?
FRANCESCA: I've been "natural" since the winter of 2010.  The reason I put natural in quotation marks is that I still have a slight problem of relaxing my edges, which I'm trying to stop.

PJ-1: WHY DECIDE TO GO NATURAL?
FRANCESCA: Initially I chose to become natural because I really wanted a new look, I wanted dreadlocks.

PJ-1: DID YOU DO A BIG CHOP OR TRANSITION?
FRANCESCA: I'm still in the transition mode.  I don't know when I'll bring myself to do the "big chop" because I'm not comfortable yet with short hair.

 PJ-1: WHAT DO YOU DO ON 'BAD HAIR' DAYS?
FRANCESCA: On a bad hair day I might tie a turban like scarf on my head or put a hat on.

PJ-1: DO YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE HAIR STYLE?
FRANCESCA: Yes I do, since I been going natural I normally keep my hair in Bob Marley twists or kinky twists.  I like this hairstyle because of its natural look and gives me the feeling of how I would look when I do decide to lock my hair.

PJ-1: WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO'S STRUGGLING IN THEIR TRANSITION?
FRANCESCA: This advice is something I'm still trying to accept and use but, there will be a time where you'll feel unattractive and you want to grab the "creamy crack" and slather it on.  But, if you know you have a goal and this is what you want to do let confidence be your hairstyle on those days.

PJ-1: WHAT PRODUCT(S) ARE YOU REALLY FEELING RIGHT NOW?
FRANCESCA: I'm not too familiar with most of the products out there but right now I like this shea butter leave in conditioner.  Whenever I twist my natural hair I put a little bit of it in my hair the night before and it smells good and feels nice the next morning.  Right now I can't remember the name.

PJ-1: DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR HAIR SINCE ITS NATURAL VS WHEN IT WAS RELAXED? IF SO, WHAT?
FRANCESCA: Ha, the difference is very obvious.  My hair is stronger now, while it was relaxed I colored it a lot and that contributed to it breaking.  Now, I still like to color it but the effects aren't as harsh as when I was completely relaxed.

PJ-1: DID YOU RECEIVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK FROM FAMILY/FRIENDS WHEN YOU DECIDED TO GO NATURAL? IF SO, HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? FRANCESCA: My best friend was completely against it.  We used to go to the salon together, get our nails done together, and shop together.  But, with this new hair transition a new style sort of came with it, we still get along just the same even though we don't see eye to eye on what's fashionably "in" now.

PJ-1: I LOVE MY NATURAL HAIR BECAUSE
FRANCESCA: its a representation of me slowly getting rid of artificial things in my life.

RELAXED

I twist my hair very often too avoid "bad hair" days. No hair is bad hair though.  Oh and I look really mean in this pic, sorry.

Natural

DEAR SUMMER....

IT IS OFFICIAL, YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED. WOOWHOOOO.....AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, ANYTHING GOES IN 2011 FASHION WISE. THERE WAS A TIME WHERE YOU  WERE THE ONLY SEASON THAT OWNED THE COLOR WHITE. WE ONLY WORE WHITE BETWEEN THE HOLIDAYS OF MEMORIAL DAY TO LABOR DAY. IF WE WERE CAUGHT WEARING WHITE ANYTIME OUTSIDE OF THOSE MONTHS, WE WERE LIABLE TO HAVE THE FASHION POLICE CALLED ON US.....BUT NOW, I'M SAD TO REPORT (SAD FOR YOU BUT HAPPY FOR FASHION) THAT WHITE HAS GAVE UP ITS COMMITMENT TO JUST YOU. WHITE IS NOW FLIRTING AND DATING OTHER SEASONS. PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET, JUST THINK OF IT AS SHARING....BUT BECAUSE YOU  HAD IT FIRST, I'VE FOUND YOU SOME EXCLUSIVE HOTT ACCESSORIES THAT WE WOULD ONLY WANT TO SPORT WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING....OH AND SUMMER, THE WINTER DEFINITELY WORE WHITE OUT THIS WINTER WITH ALL THE SNOW SO PLEASE DON'T LEAVE SO FAST, ITS TIME TO SHOW WINTER WHAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH................

CURLING WAND METHOD

WANT TO ACHIEVE THIS LOOK?

Here are the tools needed:
- Shampoo
-Conditioner
- Leave in conditioner (optional but highly recommended when applying heat)
- Towel (t-shirt optional)
- Blow dryer
- Rat tail comb
- Flat iron (optional~to get a little straighter than the blow dryer)
- Light sheen or oil mist
-Curling wand

Shampoo and condition hair........apply leave in (optional) and towel blot hair......Hand blow dry hair in four sections (more if your hair is thicker).........with a rat tail comb, section off medium size pieces of hair and run flat iron over hair once (this step is optional).......Clip all hair up out of your way except for the section you're working on. Spray each section, comb with rat tail comb to evenly distribute spray and to even your hair out, wrap hair around top of the curly wand and continue to wrap down the wand until your hair ends......And TADA, mission complete!

~Send photos in if you try it~