Danielle // 4B Natural Hair Style Icon

Introduce yourself!
D: Hello!!!!! My name is Danielle and I currently live in Houston, TX born and raised!!!!

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
D: Well I decided to go natural because I felt like I had done all to my hair that was to be done!! I was relaxed, but I did the Bobs, the asymmetrical bob, the short hair, the Rihanna haircut, weaves, you name it!! I have a daughter who has a beautiful head full of hair and it’s funny because I wanted to be like her. Let her know as she gets older that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her hair and what better way to display that to her than to show her that mommy has curls and kinks too!! So I researched for like 5 months about natural hair. YouTube and Google were my best friends!! I’ve been fully natural for about two years, but my last relaxer was September of 2010. I did the big chop the day before Mother’s Day in 2011 as a gift to myself.

How would you describe your texture?
D: I like a lot of my friends that are natural don’t really get too caught up in typing. But if I had to take a guess my hair is 4b at the top and front and 4c at the bottom with my sides being a mixture of the two. My strands are fine in my opinion and this mane is THICK!!

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
D: Well for the past month or two I have been doing the Curly Girl method so it has been 2 months of wash and go’s!! I decided to go this route because I wanted to try something different as I was becoming broke with buying styling products that didn’t give me the look I wanted. So when I started the curly girl method the conditioner showed me what I had been looking for!! Girl it was like the heavens opened up and Jesus himself handed me that conditioner.

What does wash day look like for you?
D: Since for the past month I have been doing the Curly Girl Method or a modified version rather, I don’t use shampoo and I co-wash my hair every day (I know it sounds crazy!!). I swear by the Holy Grail of Conditioners, which is Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Conditioner. It’s cheap and gives my hair what it needs, so I am able to buy 3–4 bottles at a time to tide me over without breaking the bank. I finger detangle in the shower and do a minor cold rinse leaving a bit of the conditioner in my hair. I use a t‑shirt to put my hair in a turban and soak up some of the water. I then rotate between adding rice bran oil and vitamin E oil to seal in the conditioner. Then I add my leave-in and for that I use Lustrasilk Moisture Max Keratin Amino Acid Leave-In Crème Conditioner. Depending on how I feel I may add a bit of Eco Styler Gel. That particular leave-in came in my May Curl Kit and I loved it!! Then I may put my hair back up in the t‑shirt so I can get dressed. My hair air dries for the rest of the day. I like this method because it’s simple, giving me the look and results I like. There are occasional fairy knots, but overall it’s working for me. It helped my curls replenish, so when I thought I was 4c all over my head, those curls were just in need of some TLC!!

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
D: There are days when I one it, and bun it if I get lazy or wake up late!!

How do you combat shrinkage?
D: I combat shrinkage with the rice bran oil and the vitamin e oil. It was a tip I read on Urban Bush Babes!!

Tell us about your hair color?
D: The red color is a color I picked up from Sally’s on a day that I had watched Sex and the City. The scene that inspired me to color my hair was when Carrie dyed her hair as sort of a fresh start from a difficult time she had just managed to overcome. Me and my boyfriend (cue tiny violin) had recently had a separation and I needed to do something to make me feel better. I saw a picture of a girl with beautiful cranberry curls on Pinterest and that too was inspiration. I chose a red and I bleached and dyed my hair myself. If I can remember it was a L’Oreal color. But don’t let me lie chile!! I did feel that it loosened my curls a bit, but nothing I would complain about. FYI only color your hair professional or otherwise if you’re gonna be committed to giving it that extra love it will need to continue to be healthy.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
D: I have always been bald on my temples since as early as I can remember. So right now I am focusing on my temples and edges to give them a fair shake at growing back in. What is a natural girl with no edges right?!

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
D: Two do’s for my texture are moisture and moisture lol.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
D: Two don’ts for MY texture, key word MY, is the pineapple method and excessive protein.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
D: Yea girl!! Hit me on the hip!!
Twitter.com/Elleluminate
Tumblr.com/Appleloniasway
Instagram: Ellea_Ellea
Pinterest: Danielle Tillman