Hair Spray: The Luquisha Chronicles

This post was originally posted Jan 11, 2014 @ 16:28 CST

Anyone who knows me knows I’m not at all the “girlie girl”. Dressing like a girl is not my bag nor is it something I do on a regular basis. In fact, it is only out of shear extreme or lack of everyday clothes necessity that I will remotely THINK about dressing like a girl.

Not only does being a girl take an obscene amount of time and effort but if someone like me does it too often, I’m expected to continue dress that way which again takes way more effort, time and energy than I am willing to give up on a consistent basis. And don’t talk to me about applying makeup unless you’re planning to provide me with written and/or visual instructions. yes I am indeed THAT kind of tomboyish girl

So imagine my surprise in my willingness to keep up with Luquisha Renáe. While I do not go all in like the beautiful naturalistas I follow on YouTube and via the blogosphere, I have learned what products and regimens work best on my hair. However, lemme be completely honest here… I’m a bit of a product junkie. Just a bit. I can honestly say my bathroom dresser is not overstocked with various bottles, sprays, jars and other canisters of hair care product. Nor do I buy different products every time I go to my regular hair care dealers (i.e. HEB, Target or my salon).

I admit I am a creature of brand habit. I tend to buy the same products simply because Luquisha knows what she likes. Anything that contains coconut is a fan favorite especially the Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream but for whatever I can’t find it anywhere. Mi hermana Cindy found it for me at Walgreens online so I’ll have to order some when I get paid. yes I will stockpile in order to keep her happy

But at the same time, I don’t normally buy product unless I have run out or about to run what I current have at home. Natural hair care products are just as expensive as organic foods. And while I would absolutely love to buy her what she needs, mama don’t have a Stepford I don’t got nothing else to do but shop pocketbook.

I have realized in this second stint of being natural that Luquisha Renaé is not like other naturals. I’ve also realized being envious of someone else’s hair is not healthy for my own. I can’t expect Luquisha Renáe to be instantly fabulous like my friend Lauren (who has been natural for I believe nine or ten years now), Taren Guy (check her YouTube channel) and Naptural85 (check her YouTube channel).

I’m grown enough to know we all have different hair textures and hair care regimens. Yes I have learned quite a bit from these ladies and would luuuuuuuuv to have their curl pattern and/or length but I cannot let my hair envy get in the way of what is best for Luquisha Renáe.

I pause this blog posting for the following public service announcement: Hair envy is not healthy folks. Not healthy at all. Do what’s best for your own hair. Trust me if I would have learned that the first time around I would have the length I so badly want now because I would have been natural for seven years now if I had not crossed over to the “dark side” in 2009. I mean it has been a little over eight months (May 2013) since my second big chop and she’s grown quite a bit.

In the front around the bangs area, she is thick and loose lmmfao that sounded so dirty and when stretched comes down to the middle of my nose. On the sides, she’s more tightly coiled and stretches to maybe an inch below my ears dry (wet maybe a half an inch longer). At the nape of my neck, there are two different lengths: the middle reaches maybe to the middle of my neck while the sides reach to my collarbone. The crown area is probably the longest at maybe two and a half inches.

**thinking out loud** Hmm… I should wash and blow dry Luquisha in the next couple of weeks to really see how much she has grown in the last few months. This shall be another blog post. Stay tuned people…

Thanks for reading…

 

The Southern Yankee