Curly Girl Profile: Leslie (2B)

Curl Profile: Leslie (2B)

I've known Leslie for about 18 years. We are sorority sisters and friends, and she has one of the best smiles of anyone I know. Her laugh is infectious. She left us Ohioans to move to Chicago a short while ago, and I miss seeing her!! Leslie is a CG pro, and she's had both long and short hair, so she knows the struggle. She's the person I talk shop with about products, techniques, etc. because she's been at this for years. Recently, Leslie donated 14" of her lovely locks to charity, which is just one more reason she is awesome. Here's Leslie, in her own words:

How would you describe your curl pattern? 

I’d say I fall between 2B and 2C

 

How would you describe your porosity? 

Low to medium

   

How would you describe the density of your hair? 

My hair is super fine but I have a lot of it. It probably falls somewhere between low and medium density.

  

Are you following the CG method (no sulfates, silicones, etc.)? 

Yep! No sulfates, no silicones, no mineral or castor oils. I try to make sure everything is water soluble.

If you answered YES to question 4, how long have you been going CG? 

Two and a half years.

What product do you use to cleanse or Cowash your hair? 

I use Yes to Coconut Ultra Moisture as my cowash and my rinse-out.

I cowash, rinse, then put more YTC conditioner on my ends and comb through with a wide tooth comb.

If you use a leave-in conditioner, what product do you use? 

 

When I do use it, I really like the Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner. It is pretty lightweight and doesn’t make my hair feel too heavy. 

I’ve been out of it for a while because I have been using Yes to Coconut Curl Defining Hair Smoother. It works somewhere in between a leave-in and a serum.

What styling product(s) do you use? 

When I am not being lazy, I use LA Looks Sport Gel, Yes to Coconut Defining Hair Smoother, and Shea Moisture Frizz Free Mousse

Describe your wash day regimen (include your drying method, air-dry, diffuser, plopping, etc.):

I generally wash every other day during the week.

Work wash days are cowash, rinse out, flip over and put up in my Turbie Towel while I get dressed for work. Then I take my towel out, give a little shake upside down and adjust my part.

When I am actually styling my hair, i.e. the weekends or when we are going out somewhere, I will cowash, rinse out, flip over and scrunch in gel, then mousse while still in the shower. Scrunch out any excess water/product with my towel and either wrap in my turbie towel or plop with a long sleeve t-shirt. I’ll sit for as long as possible, minimum 20 minutes. Scrunch in some of the YTC hair smoother. Diffuse with the hair dryer upside down and then right side up until as dry as possible or as long as I can stand it. Lastly, I will flip over and use my fingers at my roots to shake the curls out a little bit.

Describe your refresh day regimen (how do you rejuvenate your curls on days you don’t wash?):

I use Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo throughout my roots in the front and then I’ll spray water or just wet my hands and scrunch until I’m happy with it. When I can, I like to make my own lavender water refresh spray to use. I got the recipe from the CG Handbook.

What’s the biggest challenge you face having naturally curly hair?

Curl fall out! My hair is so fine that a lot of times, even when I do the whole rigmarole, it still pulls out at the roots and I can’t keep the volume.

What’s the best thing you’ve discovered by going natural?

My hair is so much healthier!

Any advice you have for others with similar hair to your own?

With fine curly hair, it is a lot of product trial and error. Try to use lightweight products and don’t worry if you have to wash with a sulfate free shampoo every now and then.

SHOP THIS ARTICLE: