Seriously Natural Spotlight | Tiara

Tell
me a little about yourself and your hair journey.

My name is Tiara Simons. I’m a multicultural black
American, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Majority of my family is from North
Carolina. My family has Native American, Caucasian, and some Latin decent.

How
long have you been natural? Have you always embraced your curls?

I have been natural for a year. I never used to embrace
my curls because in middle school kids picked at me about my hair if it wasn’t
straight. It was also due to an incident in high school when a girl told me the
roots of my hair were African and my length was Spanish.

What
motivated you to transition? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper& why?

I became a transitioner because I come from a family
that really cherishes long hair. My hair had always touched my stomach, until I
decided to bleach it for an ombre effect. I would straighten my hair every
single day and I got a perm because I wanted to try it out; neither of these
helped my hair. My hair gradually got shorter and shorter. 


I didn’t realize it
starting to touch my shoulders until people asked me, “Why did I cut my hair?”
I was definitely a transitioner I was not ready to be practically bald, I knew
I wouldn’t have confidence in myself.

How
would you describe your hair?

My hair has a lot of volume and is very thick. I would
say I have a 3b curl pattern. It doesn’t take too much to get have moisture in
my hair.

What
do you love most about your hair?

 I love how
versatile it is. It takes really well to when it’s straightened, but honestly I
don’t care to have to straightened anymore.

What
has been the most memorable part of your journey? Has it been easy or difficult
or both?!

The most memorable part was when I washed my hair and
didn’t have to put perm rods at the ends of my hair because it naturally curled
on it’s own. It has definitely been difficult because I was the only natural in
my family. Everyone around me kept telling me to straighten my hair and I just
wouldn’t give in.

What
are (or were) some of your favorite transitioning hairstyles or current dos’?

Some of my favorite transitioning styles were braid
outs, I think they definitely saved my life. Perm rod and flexi rod sets gave
me wand curls without the wand. I definitely still do perm rod sets on my hair.

What
have your experiences been as a ‘natural’? Any memorable reactions from family
or others?

When I straightened my hair for the first time for a
length check everyone in my family was shocked, as well as friends. My hair has
never been so thick and healthy before.

What
is your hair regimen?

After I wash my hair, I take a spray bottle filled with
1 part conditioner and 2 part water and spray my whole head damp after
detangling it. Then I section my hair in four parts. In each part I use the
Shea Moisture Hair Mask and Curl Cream to the mid shaft and ends of my hair for
ultimate moisture. 

After, I apply olive oil to all my hair and some Vaseline Cocoa butter to my ends. I complete the whole process with bedhead’s curl cream
to define my curls. And then I’m done.

What
are some of your favorite natural hair websites, Youtubers, or blogs?

I watch a lot of naturals on YouTube such as,
naturalneiicey, SunKissAlba, Andreaschoice, BerryBeautiful, SayriaJade,
Leahallyannah, glamtwinz334, Muchmorethanbeauty, and lanasummer. I created my
own YouTube channel to help others with natural hair and makeup tutorials.

Anything
you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?

-DO NOT GIVE UP! Honestly, it’s difficult at first going
natural because everyone is so accustom to straight hair, but trust me it is
going to pay off in the long run. Don’t think about the process think about the
outcome and how beautiful and radiant your hair is going to be. Love your
natural self.

Where
can people find you for more information?

You can find me on instagram @Royal.t.e.e and on
Youtube @Royal.t.e.e

How
is your dating life as a natural? Has it been a positive or negative
experience?

 I’ve definitely
have gotten a lot more attention being a natural because my hair is so big in
general. I would say it’s a positive experience because the guys I’ve dating
loved that my hair was real and not a weave. Plus it’s a conversation starter.

[Via Global Couture]

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