My name is Cassidy Blackwell and I am the Founder and Editor of NaturalSelectionBlog.com as well as the Global Editor of NaturallyCurly.com. I’m based and San Francisco and I love hosting and travelling to natural hair events all around the world!
How was your experience in London & Paris?
It was FANTASTIC! First of all, everyone was incredibly welcoming and it was such a special opportunity to share natural hair stories with so many women from so many different cultures. I think we get very spoiled in the States with the abundance of natural hair events and products, so it was very special for me to be a part of this larger events, which were the first-of-their-kind in London and Paris.
At the meetup you mentioned being affiliated with Beautiful Textures, tell us a bit about that line…
Beautiful Textures is a fantastic new company and they really support the international natural hair movement. I’m obviously passionate about the global movement to and it was (no pun intended) a natural partnership for me to be their brand ambassador on this trip.
Have you been natural all your life? If not why did you choose to go natural?
I was relaxed for 15 years actually and I decided to go natural when I started asking myself WHY I was relaxing. When I realized I didn’t have any good answers to the reasons WHY, i decided to start growing my hair out and commit to going natural.
Following your YouTube page, I see you’ve cut your hair a few times. How was that experience for you?
I’ve always trimmed my hair, but the first time I got a styled-cut was actually a complete accident. I experienced extreme heat damage while at a Dominican Salon in Harlem and ended up having to cut ten inches off the back. After that initial cut, I really started having FUN with my hair because I love having distinctive volume, style and shape. I’ve done a lot of fun cuts from asymmetrical to shaving one side down to a fade. I love it so much!
What advice would you give to naturals looking to experiment with different cuts & colour?
Just do it! Don’t be afraid of your hair. I think there’s somewhat of an obsession with length and protecting length that a lot of people forget to have fun with it. I say just go for it because for me, I’ve found that hair is all about self-expression so I just say EXPRESS YOURSELF!
How did family & friends react to your decision to go natural?
Interestingly, my family was much less supportive than my friends at the outset, but eventually after they saw how happy I was and how inspirational my blog had become for others, they too supported my transition.
Has being natural changed you in any way?
I think above all else, I am now more authentically ME. I 100% love my hair!
Have you made any hair-care mistakes in the past?
Oh yes, I’ve made SO many styling mistakes, but that’s part of the journey, right? I may be a blogger and we’re often looked up to as these natural hair “gurus” but I’ve certainly made some mistakes and have had really bad hair days. The thing is that when one gets more hair experience, the mistakes are fewer and more far between and you bounce back more quickly.
Do you have a hair regime?
Yes and no. I’m always experimenting with new products, but my wash and styling schedule remains primarily the same. Where I wash every 2-3 days and uses a cream or gel styler to do a wash’n'go. I’ll also deep condition or steam about once every week. I think the most important part of my regimen is to sleep with a sleep cap overnight.
If you could only choose one product to use what would it be?
CONDITIONER! And lots of it!
Any words of encouragement for those wanting to BC but are afraid?
Your only regret will be not doing it sooner.
Where’s the best place to find you? (e.g. blog, twittter, youtube)
Yes please keep in touch! I’m super connected all over the interwebs! You can find me here:
naturalselectionblog.com
twitter.com/naturalsblog
youtube.com/naturalselectionblog
facebook.com/naturalselectionblog
