Rubi Lee // Multi-Texture Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
R: My name is Rubi Lee and I am from Haiti. I was born there and lived there for the first 5 years of my life, then my family and I moved to Dominican Republic. I lived in the DR for 6 years, then moved to the US.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
R: I have been natural my whole life! It’s funny because I never paid attention to natural or relaxed hair. I never considered getting a relaxer because I always had my hair in a bun and didn’t care to put it down. Due to its texture, I couldn’t do much with it, and I didn’t really know anyone with my hair type. So my style was always buns or twists. I didn’t know I was doing protective styles my whole life until I started watching YouTube videos lol.

I never did anything to it in high school. I only went to the hair salon twice for my birthday to get it straight. I wore buns for 4 years in high school and 1–2 years after that I started to experiment with the flat iron and that is when I realized my hair was tailbone length. I did not realize how much attention a woman of color had for just having long hair. But I later learned that it is something that is cherished and loved. I never had a haircut in my whole life! The first time I did it was in 2011 because I had a lot of damaged ends. And that is when I started a Hip Length hair journey to continue to grow and care for my hair.

How would you describe your texture?
R: I would describe it as a combination of 3b/c/4a. I don’t think I have one type of hair texture. In the middle it’s coarser, at the bottom and front it has looser curls. When my hair is wet it is very curly, but if I do not put any product to maintain or make the curls last longer, 4–5 hours later it’s a big puff lol then it gets tangled and that causes breakage.

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
R: My hair regimen is pretty simple. I try to keep doing what I used to do before I started my YouTube channel to show and help transitioners and natural woman. In a month I would do buns everyday lol. It’s easier for me to just put my hair up and go. When I do wear buns I use my shea butter with coconut oil mixture to keep my hair moisturized and castor oil on my scalp.

Another style I have started to implement is putting rollers in at night and taking it down the next morning. It turns out great! I apply coconut oil with castor oil on my scalp and argan oil on my hair before I put the rollers in, to control frizz and keep my hair moisturized. Another hairstyle I like, but do not do often is a wash and go with gel. It takes me time to put the right amount in the right sections, but I do it sometimes once a month. So basically, I switch it up. I might do buns this month, heat train with a roller set the next month, or wash and go with gel.

What does wash day look like for you?
R: A wash day for me starts with shampooing my hair with Silicon Mix Shampoo, then Silicon Mix Deep Protein Conditioning Treatment with Pearl Extract. It works great for my hair! It makes it soft like butter. I am able to just pass the comb through the hair when I leave it on for 30–45 minutes. I do the treatment at least 2 times a month. If I am not doing the treatment, I use Tresemme Moisture Rich Shampoo and I also use Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner as a co-wash.

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
R: I love buns!! They are just an easy way to protect your hair and get out the door.

How do you combat shrinkage?
R: I get about 35% shrinkage. To combat it I just stretch my hair. After I wash it, I section my hair into 4 sections and put 3–4 small rubber band on the hair to stretch it.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
R: My ends. I have to take care of them more because they are the oldest part of my hair.

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
R: 1 — Keep it tangle free and 2 — Keep it moisturized.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
R: 1 — Do not leave my hair dry or without moisture and 2 — Do not apply too much heat in one month.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
R: YouTube Channel rubilee: http://www.youtube.com/user/lolaeraseunavez22?feature=mhee
Blogspot: “Natural Hair & Self Love”: http://rubilee.blogspot.com/
BGLH page: http://blackgirllonghairforum.com/profiles/profile/show?id=rubilee
Hairlista: http://www.hairlista.com/profile/RubiezCurlz