“I am a new stay at home mom, of a small family. I am from St. Louis, Mo and currently reside in Chicago, IL. Believe it or not my job consists of working out and staying in shape! I also work as a baker, catering desserts. Baking and social media communications are two of my favorite things to do. You can find me on YouTube and Instagram, NATURALLYNELLYJ.
My motto is, ‘Compel, Inspire, Create, Evolve, Live Life’”.
Marita A: How long have you been natural?
Jenelle: I have been natural in the past unknowingly, always styling in a wash and go; using products for curly hair. At that time, I had no idea about being natural and what it truly meant. As of May of 2013, I decided be Keratin free (chemical free) and go natural.
Marita A: What inspired you to go natural?
Jenelle: My hair was severely damaged from my former stylist and my hair never really recovered from the damage. I decided to go to a new stylist who gave me a wonderful edgy bob haircut. I guess you could call it my BC since I’ve always had bra strap length hair (BSL). In May of this year, I began the process of getting back into shape after having my first child back in November of 2012. I just wanted to live a more natural, holistic, organic life as I have done in the past. I knew that meant starting from the inside out.
Marita A: Who are your YouTube or Facebook “hairspirations”?
Jenelle: MahogonyCurls, MyNaturalSistas, and DearNaptural85.
Marita A: What was the most difficult part of transitioning to natural?
Jenelle: Having the keratin still in my hair, parts of my hair were naturally curly and other parts were straight; having an edgy bob cut was a bit difficult to work with. It was very rough in the beginning. Wearing a twist out, bantu knots, or perm rods at that time were only a dream of mine lol. I had to get used to perfecting those styles…much harder than taking a flatiron to my head. Also, my hair is very fine which also created a challenge. I found many products weighed down my hair; having to purchase products and spending money on things I was not sure would work became a challenge as well. YouTube was a tremendous help and at the same time very overwhelming. I’d also like to add being convinced that I didn’t need to shampoo my hair took some time to get used to. Now, I actually have to remind myself to shampoo my hair once a month. Co-washing has been a breeze for me. It does the job just fine.
Marita A: How did your family, friends, spouse or significant other react to your hair’s new kinky texture?
Jenelle: My friends and family were very supportive some of them were already “naturalistas”. I would send them pictures of new styles that I tried and they loved them! I got a few comments about how I should have been natural long before now. My significant other was on the fence. He was very used to me having very long and straight hair but eventually he came around and is very supportive.
Marita A: What’s in your makeup bag?
Jenelle: I wear very little makeup. I do have are a few natural colored eye shadows from MAC, Bobbi Brown liquid eyeliner and blush, and Clinique mascara.
Marita A: What is your wash routine like?
Jenelle: I co-wash twice a week, alternate conditioners for my weekly co-washes. One week I will use Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque then As I Am Co-wash another week. Basically, I apply my co-wash conditioner along with a plastic cap over my head and workout to generate heat to my scalp. Once I am ready to rinse out the co-wash I follow it with Tresemme’s Flawless Curls Conditioner to finger detangle. I use Tresemme after every co-wash. Other than that once a week I apply a combination of Jamaican Black Castor Oil & African Argan Elixir oil to my scalp.
Marita A: How do you keep your skin naturally beautiful?
Jenelle: I use Murad products for my skin. I also drink tons of water, eat plenty of veggies, and juice my fruits and veggies. I believe that helps me out a great deal and good genes doesn’t hurt. My skin is oily by nature, however as I have gotten older my skin is not as oily.
Marita A: Did you go through any kind of personal/spiritual transformation during the process of going natural?
Jenelle: Yes, it changed my whole world! They say going natural is not just about the hair but also about letting go and being free. That freedom meant not having extensions, keratin treatments, or a flatiron to define my beauty. I can do my hair at night, wake up, and take it down in the morning. To me it makes my life much easier, especially with a nine month old jumping around lol. Having versatility with my hairstyles is a win win situation. I wake up every day knowing that I am better to my hair and to myself. This transition also encouraged me to start using social media as a means to display my different hairstyles. I want to show women that returning to natural can be easier than they think, even with fine hair like mine.
Marita A: What are some of your favorite hairstyles?
Jenelle: Twist out styles and perm rod rollers work very well for me. Sometimes I try to put a little edge on my hairstyles. I like messy unpredictable hair, to me that’s beauty. I no longer worry about the parts in my hair being perfectly straight or if one side of my hair curled better than the other. That’s what I love about natural hair it has no rules, it moves to the beat of it’s own drum or shall I say to the beat of it’s own follicle lol!
Marita A: What encouragement can you give to someone who maybe considering going natural?
Jenelle: I would encourage people to be patient with their hair, to care for their hair, to care about the chemicals or products they put on their hair, and how much heat they are applying to their hair. Invest in your hair as you should invest in your body and in your health. You can truly have the hair you want. Dare to be different and dare to be free. The best thing of all to me is, if it rains not worrying about my hair getting wet. It is the same with working out; I no longer worry about sweating out my hair. I’m not letting my hair making me prisoner of life but I am embracing all that comes with my beautiful textured nappy hair.
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