We look up to curly girl Tanesha Awasthi as a leader in the body confidence movement, a female entrepreneur, and an award-winning blogger. She also happens to have a gorgeous head of healthy curls. We sat down to ask Tanesha how she does it all, and sought her advice for aspiring bloggers.
Introduce yourself.
Tanesha Awasthi, curly girl from the SF Bay Area.
How long have you been natural?
My relationship with my curls was a love/hate one for most of my teen and young adult life. At 18 I started straightening with relaxers containing lye, hot combs and flat irons. No one ever saw my hair curly – I would wash and straighten weekly.
Once I discovered the Japanese Thermal Straightener, I got it done against my hair stylist’s advice and I instantly wished I had my curls back.
After getting extensions to repair the damage the treatment had done, I ended up cutting my hair above my ears and starting fresh. As it grew, I cut the treated/damaged hair and never looked back. That was 10 years ago!
What’s your daily hair routine?
I shampoo and condition twice per week and condition every 2-3 days, depending on the weather. If it’s humid or I wear my hair down twice in a row I usually need to wash and condition sooner than 3 days because my curls get super tangled. (I only shampoo once per week because my hair is extremely dry and shampoo removes oils).
What are your favorite products?
Shampoo and Conditioner: Kerastase Nutri Thermique or L’oreal Professional Intense Repair (I use the masques as conditioner instead of the actual conditioner, it’s much more moisturizing).
What’s your nighttime routine?
I wear a loose top knot to sleep, although I know I should be wrapping! I’ve tried wrapping and I just can’t sleep well so I wake up with lots of frizz and flyaways, which I smooth with water and a small amount of gel if I’m not washing that day.
How did you get your hair color (if applicable), and how do you maintain it?
My natural color is very auburn with some gold tones, but I go darker using demi-permanent color in the salon, followed by Sebastian clear cellophane that helps lock in the color and also acts as a conditioning agent.
Do you ever get tired of curly hair?
I get bored with my hair often because I feel as if there aren’t many ways to style it, so whenever I get bored I experiment with scarves.
On your blog you inspire women to embrace their curves and explore their personal style. Could you give our readers, who may struggle with accepting their hair any pointers?
It took me many, many years to realize that natural is better – on EVERYONE! If you’re struggling to accept your hair, you should ask yourself why you can’t accept yourself as you are naturally and look at other women rocking their natural locks. Seeing women who have similar hair to yours will encourage you to embrace it!
I love seeing other women with curls similar to mine. When I admire others’ hair, it reminds me how much I should appreciate my own.
What are some of the most surprising myths or questions you’ve encountered?
When my hair is longer, I get tons of questions from people asking if it’s real, and some people even reach out to touch it as they ask! I don’t mind curiosity, but stranger’s touching my hair isn’t something I appreciate. I work hard to keep my hair healthy, so admiration is flattering, but negativity isn’t something I want around me or my hair! The next question I get frequently is what race I am. I always let people guess before I list everything out, haha. No one’s ever gotten it right. My Father is Jamaican, Cuban, Creole, Creek indian. My Mother is Israeli, Russian, German, Irish.
When did you start blogging?
Feb. 2011
How did you become a successful guru?
Well first off, thank you for considering me a guru! I started my blog as a creative outlet aside from my full-time job in tech and it developed into a mission to show women they can be confident, look and feel amazing in their own skin no matter what size.
What do you like most about blogging?
Being able to help my fellow female sisters of the world is the most fulfilling job in the world.
What do you want to do beyond your blog?
Right now I’m finishing my Fall collection! I launched my first piece for Holiday last year, followed by a few more pieces this past Spring and this Fall I’m launching my first collection (available at ShopGirlwithCurves.com).
Do you have any advice for new bloggers?
The best advice I can give is to be yourself. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion and have your own voice – your blog is yours, so it should be treated as such. Authenticity will take you far!
Any upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?
I have a few exciting projects coming up but sadly I can’t share any info just yet!
Check out Tanesha’s blog GirlwithCurves and her designs at ShopGirlwithCurves.
