Introduce yourself!
N: My name is Natasha Gaspard and I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. I am a first generation Haitian American!
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
N: I did my big chop in 2000, so Iāve been natural for 13 years nowā¦ Going natural for me came about through the process of self-reflection. At the time Lauryn Hill was a huge success and I really respected her talent and admired her beauty. She exuded an aura of confidence and commanded such power and a respect that was purely undeniable. I also noticed she was natural and wore locks, which were absolutely beautiful! I wondered to myself if I could go natural as the idea never occurred to me. At the time I didnāt have any issues with my relaxed hair. I wasnāt forced to go natural because of breakage, damage, or scalp issues. It was primarily a question of āIs natural hair an option for me?ā I decided to look at the women around me in my family, around campus, on the train going to work. I didnāt see one woman wearing her hair natural!! I did not know one person that was natural. When I asked my friends and family if they would ever stop relaxing and wear their natural hair, they looked at me as if I had two heads! They couldnāt fathom it! A common response wasā¦āIn this day and age with every type of relaxer available out there why would anyone want to be natural?ā I was stunned at the responses I was getting.
Those answers hurt me a great deal. I couldnāt understand why I was getting so much resistance to the suggestion that we wear our hair the way it grows out of our heads. Why was it such a big deal I wondered? Was our hair so bad, so unmanageable, so unattractive that it had to be hidden never to be shown again?! I didnāt want to accept that idea. As much as I didnāt like the pushback I was getting I had to stop and realize that I too had been conditioned to believe the same thing! Wearing my hair relaxed was so natural to me (pun intended!) until I began to question its validity. I began my journey by researching natural hairstyles because if I was going to do this I had to make sure I was going to be able to style my hair. The last memory I had of my hair being natural was when my mom punished me by not allowing me to get a touch up for the summer, and I had tons of new growth to deal with. I couldnāt do anything to get my hair slicked back into a ponytail and it was a nightmare! In my mind natural hair was a struggle that I didnāt know how to deal with. I was determined to change my mindset and give myself the opportunity to learn how to care for my natural hair!
How would you describe your texture?
N: I donāt really subscribe to the hair typing system. My hair is dense and very coily more or less all over and is a bit more wirey in the front. The right side of my head has a tighter coil pattern than the left so I have to accommodate for that when styling so it looks even. My strands are fine and shrink a whole lot when wet!
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
N: My styling regimen usually consists of a two-strand twist style. I love two strand twists! I can curl them, pin them up, wear them down, style with a hatā¦the possibilities are endless! If Iām not wearing a two strand twist style then I will opt for a twist out style, but usually worn in half up/half down style or a funky updo! Right now Iām using Shea Moisture products. Iāve been cocktailing the Curl Enhancing Smoothie with the SoufflĆ©. I also love to moisturize my hair with Karenās Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia leave inā¦I love it! Her Super Duper Hydrating Hair Cream is the BUSINESS!!
What does wash day look like for you?
N: Wash day is usually an ALL day process! In a perfect world I would wash every two weeks, but realistically Iāve been washing 1x a month!! I try to listen to what my hair needs so if itās tangled I will start off by detangling with a mix of conditioner and oil. Other times I start off with a hot oil treatment (usually with olive or coconut oil) I then shampoo with whatever I have (I really like Miss Jessieās Super Slip Sudsy Shampooā¦itās an amazing detangling shampoo!) I usually skip the conditioner and go straight into deep conditioning! I really, really like the BEE-U-Ti-FUL Moisturizing Deep Conditioner from Bee Mine Products!! Talk about major slip! I also like the EDEN BodyWorks Deep Conditionerā¦the jar is huge and it really makes my hair feel like butter! Itās really thick and creamy so I find that I need to add a little water to my hair when itās in so I can work the comb through, but I was very impressed with it!
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you donāt have a lot of time to style.
N: My favorite go-to hairstyle after two strand twists is a twist out with the front pinned up! I love this style because it looks so intricate but it takes no more than 5ā10 minutesā¦all you need are your trusty hairpins and your imagination! Iāve learned though that natural hair has a mind of its own, so it will let you know what it wants to do that dayā¦Iāve had many good hair days when I just go with the flowā¦lol
How do you combat shrinkage?
N: I think shrinkage is a part of what makes natural hair so cool! Itās what our hair (particularly my hair) does! My twist out hairstyle one day can look totally different the next day based on shrinkage aloneā¦thatās hot! Never a dull moment!
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
N: Since my hair is coily, it tangles very, very easily. I notice that I experience lots of tangles when I need a trim. As much as I love my two strand twistsā¦too much of anything can turn into a bad thing! Having my hair twisted for weeks at a time doesnāt allow for me to remove as much shed hair on a regular basis as I should, so not only am I experiencing tangling from the ends, Iām also experiencing tangling at the roots which drives me crazy! I now realize that I have to actually start combing (or finger detangling) my hair more often to remove shed hair.
What are 2 doās for your texture?
N: My texture (as most coily textures) needs moisture! I use a homemade leave in (recommended by natural hair care expert Diane Bailey) of water, aloe vera juice, conditioner, glycerin and oil in a spray bottle! Also, regular trims will keep those tangles at bay along with regular detangling.
What are 2 donāts for your texture?
N: I donāt think there are necessarily 2 donāts for my texture in a particular. In general all of our hair needs the proper balance of moisture and protein to remain healthy along with tender careā¦no detangling with a fine-tooth comb! I would also say that wash and goās for tightly coiled hair isnāt the best moveā¦at least it doesnāt work for my hair.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
N: You can view the natural hair videos I produce on my website, Mane Moves TV at www.manemovestv.com or catch me hosting the new online web series Make Me A Naturalista at www.youtube.com/MakeMeANaturalista OR you can learn about the natural hair advocacy group Iām a part of called The SuperNaturals at www.facebook.com/SuperNaturalsBK!
Haitianne! Kampe! Love the hair!
[ā¦] Natasha // Natural Hair Style Icon | Black Girl with Long Hair The last memory I had of my hair being natural was when my mom punished me by not allowing me to get a touch up for the summer, and I had tons of new growth to deal with. I couldnāt do anything to get my hair slicked back [ā¦]
very cuteāand she rocks a ton of different styles too!
Gorgeous lady!
Lovely hair! I really like how genuine this icon was in her interview š
Girrrlll!! That is some gorgeous hair and Iām LOVING all of the different styles. *feeling so inspired* š
She is so beautiful. I love ur hairstyles. Full and gorgeous hair
I have one of Natashaās photos on my Pinterest boards, from a natural hair style tutorial over at Refinery 29! Happy to see her featured here too, and to see more of her lovely hair ā it looks so soft and fluffy!
yes, I remember the R29 tutorial that was a great postā¦
I really love what you said about going natural and your experience with it! Great and relatable story. I also love all your different hairstyles, beautiful hair.
Nice hair!
Sheās super gorgeous and this interview was amazing. Her answers were very descriptive and precise, and there was so much enthusiasm! The hairstyle in the last photo looks awesome too (Nothing I think Iāll ever attempt though because it looks so complex!)
xx
ā ā¦my mom punished me by not allowing me to get a touch up for the summer, and I had tons of new growth to deal with.ā I never heard of Black women punishing their daughters by withholding relaxers. Kind of hits home some Black peopleās view on any sign of natural hair showing. Anyways, this was inspiring. I mostly do two-strand twists, but theyāre getting old for me, which is why I love this post. My favorite pics are that fluffy afro and that ice cream-like bun. For the bun, I always see it done on straitened hair, so… Read more »
Gorgeous!!!!
Sak pase!!!
LOVE IT 4C IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!
I love her hair! I wish I could try some of those styles :C)
http://www.kinksandall.com
Gorgeous!
What a beauty!!! I wish my twists looked that full and thickā¦ Iād wear them a lot more often!
Love you hair styles!!!
[ā¦] Natasha // Natural Hair Style Icon [ā¦]
I just found my hair twin and my namesake and sheās absolutely gawjuss.
THIS is a natural hair style icon. Girl you better work ittttt.
I love her hair and every hairstyle was on point . She is very pretty.
[ā¦] Style Icon Natasha [ā¦]
Sak pase, my fellow Haitian American?! Love your hair and definitely found my hair twin!
Your hair is so beautiful! Mine seems very similar but shorter. I never comment on the icons, but I couldnāt help myself! And I love all your responses to the questions. BEST ICON INTERVIEW EVER!
Wow! Al that hair!
Simply gorgeous!
whatshetaughther.blogspot.com
I love this ā I typically donāt post on style icon profiles, but this hit home in many ways! The way Natasha describes her texture as well as the look are quite similar to mine. Every coil and quadrant on my head is itās own entity š which has made my transition a very personal experience. You go girlieā¦
Amazing hair!
Wow she is gorgeous, and all of the hairstyles are so pretty. Iām definitely gonna borrow some of those hairstyles and try on myself.
Even though I love the diversity of natural hair, itās nice to see people with coilier/kinkier texture every once in a while. Infact it makes me appreciate my texture even more. Especially when you see someone rock their hair as elegantly as she does.
Youāre easily one of my favorite style icons! As a fellow Caribbean-American, āHaitian mom and Guyanese dad- I completely understand. My grandmother was livid when I BC and went natural, as the damage was virtually unnoticeable to her since my hair was long(ish). My mom thought I was silly and my family in general thought of me as a hippy! It wasnāt until they saw my enthusiasm, enjoyment, vlog (youtube.com/user/soleilkiss) and growth with my naturally coily texture that they subscribed to the idea. In fact, a year after my BC, my mom actually did hers. Sheās still not completely on… Read more »
love your hair and the way you get very different hairstyles. I can learn from you. Inspiration: yeahhh!
My hair twin!!!!
You and your hair are fabulous! Please describe how you did your cinnamon roll bunā¦I will be hijacking that!
i gotta say that your twistout in picture 5 is the most nvious twist out i have very seen :O! also, im glad you dont type your hair, i feel like i can appreciate it for what it is instead of caring about the number-letter duo
Also my hair twin. Her hair looks super detangled in all her styles, mine never looks like that because Iām tender headed and hate thorough detangling.
those twist are to die forā¦so thick and lusciousā¦and just plain gorgeous!
DAT THICKNESS THOUGH! soooo gorgeous!!
The best. Simply stunning.
wow, its nice to read her feature, knowing how popular the first picture is on the web. beautiful hair!
themanecaptain.blogspot.ca
Wow! This is a 4c masterclass, truly beyond! š
absolutely beautiful woman and hair!
Haiti stand up! My Haitian Hair Idol. Beautiful Hair and Face.
Great article and beautiful lady with gorgeous hair.
What a pleasant surprise! I Love manesmovetv!! I recently started following you on youtube,instagram, and facebook because I saw your hair in a shampoo video on youtube and realize it was the closest texture I had ever seen to my own! Gorgeous I love all of your hair styles so fluffy just like mine! : )
Whatās her Instagram?
its manemoves
Beautiful!! I kept seeing her on tumblr pages and wondered who she was! I love that pic of her with the pink scarf!
This was a great read. I love the variety of different hairstyles as well.
P.S. I remember you from your natural hairstyles feature on Refinery 29āloved that too!
Iām so excited about this! your hair looks and sounds so much like mine!! Fine and coily so it gets tangled really easily. Iāll be keeping up with you to see what I can do better š
Such beautiful skin and youthful features. So pretty.
Beautiful face loveeeeed the side puff sat with my mouth like :0 looking at all the styles you had so beautiful
Very pretty!! I follow her on IG.
Hair twin!!! Itās beautiful and Iām glad to see someone else enjoys two strand twists like I do. A+++
Natasha is so cool! I always see her at different hair events in the city! Yay Natasha!
Finally i can relate. Im Haitian as well and i dont know how to care well, how to do my hair. I dont know the best product to buy and i dont want to go back to relaxer. Help
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Hi Bettyā¦just now seeing this message! Do you still need assistance with your hair? Where do you live? Send me an email: manemovestv at gmail dot com!
I love seeing a veteran natural hair girl like myself. Your hair is beautiful, Natasha I enjoy watching you onMakeMeANaturalista on youtube. Iām going to now check out your website Manemoves.
I liked how you explained your experiences. Your hair looks good and so does your interview.
My hair idol <3 you are beyond beautiful!
Lovely hair and I love seeing naturals who have been natural for 10+ years or all there lives.
[ā¦] Style Icon Natasha [ā¦]
[ā¦] Style Icon Natasha [ā¦]
Beautiful hair
Gorgeous girl and hair!
[ā¦] you recognize this beautiful face wearing this beautiful do? It belongs to style icon, Natasha, who was featured on BGLH last [ā¦]