Meet Pretty Natural Diva: Carmesha!

Meet Carmesha!!! 

Carmesha will be one of our new bloggers for the PND community! Read on to learn more about her!

Ja        Jameka: Tell us a little about yourself!

My name is Carmesha, I’m 23, and I’m a program specialist for a federal social service program.  I graduated from NC State University with a BA in Psychology and earned a MA in Business Management from Wake Forest University.  I live in Raleigh, NC with my fiancé, and I spend my time blogging (www.dimeandhernickels.com), looking for new restaurants to try, watching HGTV, and planning my wedding

Jameka: You recently signed on to be a writer for Pretty Natural Divas. Tell us a little about what you’ll be blogging about?

For the past year I’ve become serious about getting my finances in order, and I want to help others like me (young, black, fashion/beauty lover, etc) to do the same! I’ll be blogging about saving money, living and shopping on a college or entry-level budget, and avoiding the debt traps that we young people find ourselves in (student loans, credit cards).  I will also throw in some “extras” to help readers jumpstart their own financial journeys

Jameka: What made you go natural and how long have you been Natural? Did you transition or BC? 

I decided to go natural mainly because I felt silly saying I didn’t know what my natural hair looked like.  I also didn’t like the feeling that I needed a relaxer...I wanted to feel like I was perfect and presentable the way that God made me, so I started stretching my relaxers out for 12-16wks, experimenting with natural-looking styles (braid outs, rod/roller sets), and finally just decided to transition.  I got my last relaxer on July 8, 2009 and transitioned until June 2010.  I planned to transition for a whole year, but one day while sitting by myself in my boyfriend’s apartment I pulled out my scissors and just went to work cutting off my relaxed ends!  Natural & loving it ever since!

Jameka: What products do you currently use? 

I am a reformed product junkie so I have a LOT of products that I use just so I can finish it up and throw the bottle away.  Here’s my current rotation:

Shampoos:  Shea Moisture Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo (love it), Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo (cleans well & has great scalp tingle), and ApHogee Deep Moisture Shampoo (left over from my relaxed days).

Conditioners: any cheapie conditioner for co-washes, ORS Replenishing Conditioner for a quick protein conditioner, Kinky Curly Knot Today or Giovanni Direct Leave-In as a leave-in conditioner.

Deep Conditioner: rotating between Karen's Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Hair Mask, Le Kair Cholesterol Condition Cream Conditioner, and Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Mask

Styling products: Kinky Curly Curling Custard (wash and go’s) and Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie (twists and twist/braid-outs)

Jameka: What are some of the positive/negative comments that you've received about your hair? 

I haven’t really gotten any negative comments about my hair.  My family and friends have been supportive, aside from the frequent “so..are you going to get locs” comment lol, and my mom who LOVED my sleek relaxed look even said she really likes my hair in twist styles.  I have noticed that I get more compliments from people like coworkers and extended family when I straighten my hair, but as long as I’m happy with my natural look, I don’t need any other validation. 

Jameka: What words of encouragement do you have for those who are transitioning or for natural newbies?
Learn your hair! Part of being natural is experimenting to find what works for you, but don’t spend too much time jumping on bandwagons or trying to force your hair to do what it’s not meant to do.   Love your hair the way it is, learn what products/techniques work best for your hair and lifestyle, and don’t let negative people get you down.  

Stay tuned for Carmesha's segment! She will be posting on Thursdays!