Guest Post by: Marita A.
I had the great pleasure of meeting this week’s natural beauty at the most recent meet-up in May at Zhou B Art Studio. Bettina is redeeming herself as a natural, being a former “Remy Queen” and addict of “creamy crack, whose one year anniversary is coming up in July. This new natural has found confidence in her style, and has learned that even in the field of health care being a natural is not only commonplace but accepted. This summer Bettina is looking to add a little color to her natural mane.
Marita A: How long have you been natural?
Bettina: I have been natural for nearly a year, July will make a year.
Marita A: What inspired you to go natural?
Bettina: My older sister and her daughter are natural and I really enjoyed the look that they have. The main reason is the affect that the “creamy crack” began to have on my scalp; my doctor recommended that I stopped using chemicals for a while.
Marita A: What was the most difficult part of transitioning to natural?
Bettina: The most difficult part was letting go of the weave! I was a Remy Queen for a while; it had been so long since I wore my natural hair, especially with it being relaxed for so long. I had no idea how to maintain or style my hair.
Marita A: How did your family, friends, spouse or significant other react to your hair’s new kinky texture?
Bettina: My sister was very happy that I joined the group. Once I found other naturals that helped me maintain my natural hair, my friends and family truly started to enjoy the new look,
Marita A: Have you tried to convert any of your friends or family members into natrualistas?
Bettina: No, I have a history of being a weave diva. Besides, some of my friends have already started to think about transitioning.
Marita A: What’s in your makeup bag?
Bettina: At first, I only had mascara, liquid foundation, and clear lip gloss. Thanks to Rachel O. and her beauty tips, I have added eye shadow, blush, and colored lip gloss to my repertoire.
Marita A: How did you keep your skin naturally beautiful?
Bettina: I tend to have very oily skin, so I try to drink plenty of water. I clean my face well in the morning with Black Soap and follow up with skin toner.
Marita A: Did you go through any kind of personal/spiritual transformation while going through the process of going natural?
Bettina: For me the transformation was more personal, returning to natural really helped my financial state.
Marita A: What are some of your favorite hairstyles?
Bettina: So far I have been wearing coils until recently when my hair started to grow. Now that my hair is longer, I have added twist outs to my style routine. I am still waiting on my hair to grow a little bit more so that I can experiment with different styles.
Marita A: What encouragement can you give to someone who maybe considering going natural?
Bettina: Be who you are! Working in healthcare, I thought that my hair in its natural state would not be accepted. As I became more confident with my look, I noticed that there was no difference in how I was treated whether my hair was relaxed or natural in a twist out.
Thanks Bettina for sharing your story, please send us pics of your new hair color!
