I used to be the type of girl that liked to blend into the background. In some ways I guess you can say that I still am only I’m very comfortable with speaking up especially in front of a large group of people. I was very cautious about experimenting with my look because I didn’t like being in the spotlight at all. In some ways I found comfort in it. No one was really paying attention to me because I was the quiet girl that had her head buried in her books and didn’t run into any problems. I loved it.
It wasn’t until high school when I became more curious about fashion and beauty and started experimenting more instead of adhering to the status quo. My style became more girly and chic. I loved finding pieces that were unique and dressing in a way flattered my body. I delved into makeup during a class I took when I was in middle school and nailed down the basics of foundation, concealer and mascara, but I became more comfortable with wearing more statement eyeshadows and lipsticks during my junior year of college. I was always inspired by the beauty gurus on YouTube who could make such a creative statement through their makeup. It always reflected their vibrant personalities and I knew I wanted to have that same outlet to express myself. So, I started to learn and practice more advanced techniques and haven’t turned back since.
I’ve always thought about doing something with my hair whether it was chopping it off or getting it colored, but the thought of changing it so dramatically terrified me. Also, I thought that coloring it or getting highlights would do more damage than good. Ironically, I was still getting relaxers done every three months at the time, which was probably doing things a lot worse to my locs. It wasn’t until March 2015 that I stopped getting relaxers and switched to getting keratin treatments twice a year. Even then, I knew I wanted to do something more, but I wasn’t sure what.
(Without lighting)
(With lighting)
Now, I was feeling the color for a while because it was this nice reddish brown that changed colors depending on what type of lighting I was in. My hair was basically a mood ring. But, then my roots started to grow out and it was getting painful to watch. Spring break was coming up and I knew that it was absolutely crucial for me to get my hair dyed again because I didn’t want to look like a skunk for graduation. I always flirted with the idea of getting balayage done, but it was on the pricier end and I wasn’t really sure about how it would look on textured hair. But, since I had a little more money at the time I was able to afford it and decided why not? The balayage is actually a better technique if you’re not the type to get your roots touched up so often since the hair is dyed in a specific way where growing out your roots looks more natural. When I got to the salon and showed my stylist a photo of what I wanted, she said that since my hair was close to the cinnamon color in the photo, she said that it would be best to dye the top of my head a darker color and transition it seamlessly into the hair that was already dyed the cinnamon reddish color. Then she would add a few more highlights to really bring out the color. Thankfully, I didn’t have to pay for the full price of balayage to do it and I’ve been really happy with my hair ever since. I literally feel like I’m giving off some supermodel vibes from this hair and you better believe that I’m doing the Beyoncé hair flip at any chance I can get.
What are some ways that you have expressed yourself through beauty?
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