Sasha // Natural Hair Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
S: Hello! I’m Sasha, I live in LA and I do freelance PR/social media and photography.

How long have you been natural?
S: I’ve been natural pretty much my whole life. There were a few times in junior high/high school that I had a relaxer, but other than that my hair has been doing its own thing since ’87.

How and why did you transition into natural hair?
S: Since there wasn’t technically a transition, I’d say when I really started loving and accepting my curls was when I was around 19. I’d always had long curly hair that I put a ton of product in to keep it from being “frizzy” (being a typical self-conscious mixed girl who has no idea what to do with her curly hair), but I chopped it off and have since been embracing the “frizz”. Why? Well, I guess because I felt like it.

What are your must-have products for shampooing, conditioning and styling your hair?
S: Honestly, I’m really bad at washing my hair. But when I do wash it, I really love the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner for curly hair. It’s inexpensive, smells great, and works wonders for my hair. For product, I use a leave-in conditioner, and hair pomade called “Product”. Yes, the name is Product. It’s the first pomade I’ve ever used and I really love it. I use both of them when I wash/condition my hair and any time after that when I get it wet. I’m pretty easy-going when it comes to my hair: wash/condition, brush it out, leave in conditioner + Product and I’m good to go!

Tell us about your hair color?
S: My hair is currently turquoise at the bottom, and the top is its natural brown-ish color. It was a combined effort of a friend and my Momma. We pulled my hair in a tight, low ponytail, and used a lightening kit to lighten that half of my hair to a golden blonde (left on for about an hour) and used Manic Panic’s Atomic Turquoise on the blonde for about 45 minutes. It hasn’t changed the texture at all and I absolutely LOVE it.

What is your signature hairstyle?
S: BIG! And usually parted down the side. But sometimes I’ll pin up a side to make a faux-hawk or wear a head scarf.

Did going natural affect your style choices at all?
S: Nope! My style has always been totally, unapologetically, me.

How would you describe your personal style?
S: It’s kind of hard to describe, because in general I just wear what I want and like. If it’s a current trend – that’s cool – if it’s not, that’s cool too. But I suppose if there was a certain style I had to pick, my wardrobe definitely has a bohemian/hippie vibe more than anything else.

I think it’s just really important to wear what you love. It’s great to pull inspiration from other people, but ultimately, you have to love what’s on your body and feel confident in it. There’s so much pressure to wear what’s “in” and “trendy” but the most important thing is confidence. You can put on a damn trash bag with a skinny belt around the waist and if you walk down the street owning it, people will want to wear the trash bag!

What are the three favorite things in your closet?
S: At the moment my three favorites are my barefoot crochet sandals (literally wear them 24/7 when I’m home), my red vintage cowboy boots, and my floral Odylyne tunic! It has big billowy sleeves and it’s super light and comfy.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
S: Yes! My blog is http://LAInspiration.com. You can find all my other pages from there!