Wearing your Natural Hair in the Workplace: Why is there a Debate?

Happy Monday lovelies; I hope your workweek is off to a great start!

Today’s blog topic is something that’s been on my mind for a while so I decided to share my stance on it.

Over the past few years there’s been debates and articles about whether natural hair is professional enough to wear at work and the answer is “YES!”, but some people disagree.

Just last year a black, female journalist and television reporter got fired for fighting back against her company because her boss considered her hair “unprofessional” for the news station’s viewers. This year, she is still fighting that battle against the company’s discrimation towards her.

Now that is just one situation, but I know that it’s not the only one out there. Natural hair is professional hair. Nobody should have to hide the hair that grows from their head to appear professional to someone else.

I have thick, type 4 hair and I’ve been natural for a little over 5 years. Luckily, I’ve been in the retail business for majority of that time so the company policies are heavily focused on freedom of expression and style.

I wear my fro majority of the time, but when my fro isn’t out I usually have my hair in braids, twists, or under a headwrap. I’m happy that some companies see natural hair as professional and is welcomed in the workplace, we just have to continue to work towards it becoming a norm everywhere.

My advice: wear your natural hair to work and don’t be ashamed to do so. Style it how you like and be proud of your unique look. If someone doesn’t understand it or considers it unnattractive or unprofessional, speak up about it, defend yourself and your hair. You have the right to wear your beautiful natural hair just like women of other races wear theirs as well. Stay strong sis!

And for Day 18 of Motivational March: Be proud of your differences, it’s what makes you unique. ❣

I hope this post inspired you today. Leave a comment below if it did and share with me your natural hair in the workplace experience.

Removing Marley Twists

Happy Monday! Start your week off with a smile and stay positive. You can make it!

Today I wanted to share my Marley Twist takedown process. What you need: scissors, your braids/twists, and an hour or less!

It’s a super easy process, check it out below:

1) Cut your twists about halfway down making sure to not cut too high in order to avoid cutting your real hair

2) Take out twists by pulling two strands apart which in turn untwists them. They unravel naturally!

3) You then are back to your natural hair!

Stay tuned, I will soon be posting a braid/twist install process with more pictures and maybe even a video. 🙂

Have a great week!

Shrinkage 101

Hey everyone! Welcome to Shrinkage 101 class. Today’s lesson will teach you about what shrinkage is and how to manage it.

1) What is shrinkage?

When your wet hair starts to decrease in length as you hair dries. Your curls/kinks get tighter and usually more defined.

Dry hair

Wet hair

2) Is shrinkage good or bad?

Shrinkage shows how elastic and bouncy your hair is and shows how tough your hair is against breakage. So it’s a good thing!

3) How do i control shrinkage?

There are 2 main ways to control shrinkage: straigthening and stretching. The straightening method is when you use a blowdryer or flat iron to straighten your curls, which adds length to you hair. This usually requires heat to be applied to the hair, which I try to avoid.

That’s why I prefer the stretching method; which is elongating your hair by using a specific hairstyle or hair tool. Hair tools you can use are curlformers, rollersets, and flexirods which are all items that curls your kinky hair.

Hairstyles you can do include the pineapple method, which is similar to a ponytail and the twistout/braidout method in which you twist or braid you hair, when wet, to help elongate your curls. My twistout is shown below.

4) Enjoy your hair!

Do what works best for you and your hair. What works for one 4c chica may not work for you. Also, drink a lot of water to keep your body and hair nourished!

Hope this mini hair lesson was fun and informative. Have a great rest of your week lovelies!

Hair Spotlight: Marley Twists

Happy Friday!

Today I wanted to showcase my most recent hairstyle, Marley Twists!

I’ve been getting my hair braided/twisted by other people for the past few years and I realized that I save money by doing my own hair and it’s also a cool skill to have. After numerous youtube videos and attempts, I’ve begun to master doing protective styles on my own hair.

This is actually my first time twisting my hair, the other times before this I did box braids. The purpose of the twists is to be a protective style for my natural hair, meaning it gives my real hair a break. My hands aren’t constantly in my hair and my hair grows while it’s in the twists.

It took me almost 7 hours to do this marley twist style so if you are planning on learning how to do your own hair, make sure you set aside one of your days off to do it and have a few movies or tv shows to binge while doing it.

I would eventually love to do a video showcasing me doing my own hair. Stay tuned for that!

What protective styles do you like? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great weekend!

First time doing my own box braids!

Happy Friday!

Hope that you had a great week and are ready for your weekend! For the past few months I’ve been thinking about braiding my own hair, but never took any steps towards actually doing it.

Earlier this week I decided to turn my words into actions. I brought 6 packs of Kanekalon jumbo braid hair, a hand mirror, and I was ready to go.

It took 6.5 hours, but was so worth it and I know that I will get faster and better with practice. How does it look?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and enjoy your weekend lovelies!

My 2017 Hairstyles

2017 was definitely the year of change in numerous aspects of my life. One aspect in particular was my hair!

I tried sooo many unique and fun hairstyles this year. Below is a timeline of all of my 2017 hairstyles.

February – Bantu Knots

This look made me feel powerful, bold, and more in tune with my african american culture.

March – 2 braids

I tried out a simple look that required little upkeep.

May – Shoulder length bob with bangs

My first wig ever!! I wanted a look I never had before and so I went for it and loved it. Everybody thought I straightened my real hair which meant the wig looked super realistic.

June – Side frohawk

Using bobby pins on my natural hair I pinned part of my hair down and let the other side go free!

July – 4 cornrows

I loved this look because it gave me a 90s Alicia Keys vibe.

September – Lemonade braids
Beyonce inspired braids slicked to one side. This look too a while to do but was definitely stunning.

October – Braided buns

This was the month I moved to LA so I wantrd something modern, trendy, and fun so I went with this Minnie Mouse-esque looked.

November – Flat twist out

For my birthday, I wore my natural hair and rocked my twist outs, which surprisingly turned out a lot better than I thought.

January 2018
….who knows what look will be next

I hope you all have a Happy New Year celebration. 2018 will be great!

Hair Spotlight: Lemonade Braids

Happy Hump Day lovelies!!!

Today, I am showcasing a new protective style perfect for when your natural hair needs a break!

Side braids, also know as lemonade braids (thanks to Queen Bey), are a simple, but fierce style. Lemonade braids add a touch of sophistication and edge to any look.

Depending on whichever side is your “good side” or how you are use to wearing your hair, let that determine which side is slicked back and which side the braids will fall on. I am right handed and consider my right side my “good side,” so that’s the way I wanted my braids to fall.

Upkeep for the braids are simple; wrap them up in a scarf or bonnet at night and unwrap in the morning. Piece of cake!..Which I kind of want a piece of now after mentioning it 🙂

I unfortunately felt stuck with my natural hair so to get out of my hair funk, I tried this look and loved it!

It is okay to not be in love with your hair every moment, just make sure you take care of it and it will flourish. Sometimes all you need is a new look to make you appreciate the hair God blessed you with.

Having natural hair requires a lot of trial and error. Some products may work for your mom and best friend, but does absolutely nothing for your hair and that’s okay because you will find something that definitely works for you.

My “hair funks” or feeling stuck and powerless because I am not sure what to do with my hair usually goes away pretty quickly. I’ve been natural for going on 4 years and it is still a learning process.

But do I regret going natural or want to go back to the creamy crack, never!! Being natural is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. So love your short fro, long curly hair, kinky bush, or long lemonade braids. Embrace it baby ❤

P.S. This is my favorite picture out of the group…super dramatic super edgy

Talk to you all again soon!!!

Love,

Tati

New Look, Most Complimented Item, and a Word of Advice

Is there one item in your closet that seems to get an outstanding amount of compliments? I know there has to be at least one piece that does every time you wear it!

For me, that’s this blouse that I purchased in South Korea over 3 years ago. Its lightweight, sleeveless, sheer and the collar is accented with gold triangles to give it an
elegant touch.

I paired this blouse, with pink joggers, and black lace TOMS. Overall, I would consider this more of a dress down look for me, simple and chic, with a dash of sportiness. Also, in case you haven’t noticed from the pictures, I have another new hairstyle!

This style is called feed-in braids, because the hairstylist “feeds-in” or blends my natural hair with the fake hair to create this gorgeous look. What do you think about it and would you try this look out?

Now, this post isn’t to brag about my shirt or hairstyle, it simply came to fruition based on a thought I had yesterday when I wore this shirt to work and everyone seemed to ask where I got it from, how much it cost, etc. It is one of my favorite pieces because it is one of the few items I have in my closet that I purchased overseas.

The important information I would love for you to grasp from this post is don’t let your clothes be the only definition of what makes you you. Don’t hide behind fancy clothes or an outlandish style in order to hide your true self.

Having an unique sense of style isn’t a problem, I love my eclectic style. But I also know that when I dress down in a t shirt and leggings, I am still beautiful, strong, and I should still feel like myself.

Don’t let your clothing mask your true self; let your clothing speak volumes and add to the beauty and great personality that is already there. Hope that this encouraged you on this lovely Hump Day. Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Protective Style Tips- Wigs!

Hello lovelies. Hope all is well 🙂

Can you believe that June is one day away! Wasn’t it New Year’s Day like a few days ago??

As I mentioned before, I consider 2017 the year of change because I have a few big goals I am achieving this year.

So with me focusing on change this year I decided to switch up my hairstyle and try out a wig. Not only is it a cute look to try, but also gives my real hair a much needed break.

The first tip when it comes to wig shopping is deciding which hairstyle you think will fit your face. I went with a shoulder length bob with a bang. It’s simple and easy to upkeep and when I had relaxed hair, bobs were my go-to style so I knew it would look okay!

The second tip is wig maintenance. Making sure the hair is clean, straightened or curled (depending on your hairstyle), and washed when necessary.

The third tip is braid up your hair underneath the wig so that your hair lies flat. The fourth tip and most important tip in my opinion is making sure your natural hair under the wig is properly taken care of.

Don’t neglect your natural hair because you have a wig on!!!

Make sure your hair is moisturized, braided up, and, in short, properly protected. Still wash your hair as often as you did before wearing the wig.

The fifth tip is to enjoy every moment with your new look and love the fact that you can take it off and go back to your usual hairstyle whenever you want to.

Hope this post peaked your wig interest! Enjoy the rest of your week!

New Look Alert: Bantu Knots

Happy first Day of March everyone! Hope 2017 is treating you well so far. As I have previously dubbed 2017, the year of change, I decided to try out new looks for the new year.

Recently, I decided to rock Bantu Knots. Check out my look below and a brief history lesson about them!

History: “Bantu” is a blanket term used to describe the 300 to 600 ethnic groups within southern Africa. There’s no standard language, but interestingly enough, “Bantu,” which means “people,” remains consistent across the different groups.

“Bantu knots also are known as Zulu knots because the Zulu people, a Bantu ethnic group, are the originators of the look we love and wear today,” says NaturallyCurly Branded Content Editor Gerilyn Hayes. – ebony.com

Why I love the look: Bantu knots make me feel empowered and in touch with my African American history. Learning about the tradition, culture, and meaning behind the style was eye opening!

The look:

Thanks for reading! ❤