“i grew up in a family where i was told i was “lucky” to have the hair i do. i was told in grade school that i thought i was “all that” because i had “good hair”. i don’t think i’m anything. in fact, i’ve been trying to get comfortable in my skin since childhood. now i feel like i can be myself at 22. i don’t have to have 18 inches of jet black european silky weave to feel beautiful.” ~Karrie
BGLH: Where are you from and what do you do?
Karrie: born and bred in brooklyn new york. i lived in Dallas for 3 years and moved right back to NY as soon as i finished highschool. i’m a paper pusher by day and i bartend on the side for extra cash. city girls always have side hussles. it’s real in these streets!
BGLH: So I read on your blog that you used to be heavy on weaves. How do you make the jump from being a huge weave fan to being natural?
Karrie: the truth is, i started perming my hair when i was 14. it was too much for me to handle. on top of all that i wanted the straight look all my friends had. 2 years ago i thought i was going through some sort of 1/6 of a life crisis and decided to chop all my hair off. my ex boyfriend HATED it (it wasn’t all that cute so i don’t blame him). it made me really insecure. as soon as i had enough hair to braid, i started weaving it up, and i did so for 2 years.
the curly weave
my weave sisters out there know it isn’t wise to perm any hair other than what’s covering your tracks, so the middle and back of my hair were left untouched by chemicals for over a year. i spoke to Gem about it and she was all like “Guhl!!! letcho mane BE GREAT!” so i promised her that by July i would do away with the weaves. in that 2 year span i had no idea how much it grew. i hadn’t been paying much attention to it.
BGLH: You said that Gem, who we’ve featured, inspired you to go natural. Can you tell us a little more about that?
Karrie: for those who don’t know, Gem and i were sisters in our past lives. she’s been such a positive force in my life since i met her. sure she’s beige, from h-town, claims to have unicorn in her blood, and talks greasy all the time but there’s not 1 day that goes by without me speaking to her.
BGLH: What in your life has changed since you became natural?
Karrie: i’ve been getting a million more compliments. i feel 10 times better about myself now too… the most significant change i’ve seen since ive gone natural is the extra $250 i can hold onto, since my own hair is a lot less costly to maintain.
BGLH: I love the way your hair is curled in your photos; Can you give us a how-to/tutorial for that style?
Karrie: YASSS!! all that is, is a tight roller set. the lady who used to do my weaves 1) washed my hair 2) got a handful of mousse and some moisturizer and slathered it on thick. it holds better that way 3) separate yo hair into small sections and get to work! i chose skinny rollers (the ones you can bend and twist for a smaller/tighter curl) 4) plop yourself under a dryer for 40 mins or so. 5) SHAKE AND GO! and if a curl or 2 dropped, i’d grab a hold of a skinny curling iron and remedy the situation with a lil’ holding spray. that style lasted me for 2 weeks! i’d pin up the sides and the back for an easy breezy faux hawk. p.s. sleeping with a hair net saved my life!
BGLH: Why the Kesh cut?
Karrie: i don’t anyone who doesn’t love kesh. i wanted a haircut that would allow me to experiment with some 1950′s rockabilly hair do’s, but put a more updated twist on it. no one was surprised when i shaved my head. when i told my mom she told me she was surprised that i hadn’t done it sooner. LOL.
BGLH: Why are you pro natural hair?
Karrie: i grew up in a family where i was told i was “lucky” to have the hair i do. i was told in grade school that i thought i was “all that” because i had “good hair”. i don’t think i’m anything. in fact, i’ve been trying to get comfortable in my skin since childhood. now i feel like i can be myself at 22. i don’t have to have 18 inches of jet black european silky weave to feel beautiful. i remember looking at barbie’s and soap operas longingly, wanting what the media convinced me was beautiful. i’d pull my t shirt over my head and swing it around, pretending it was long/flowy hair. little black (and hispanic) girls are conditioned at very young ages to think that long/straight is better. in my opinion, relaxing a toddler’s hair is ridiculous. i could go on and on about my theories on self-loathing in the black/latin community, but i don’t think anyone is interested in hearing me rant. *whew*
