A braided hairband from Christina ButcherBraided headband: detailed how-to instructions on page 2.

Over the next few months, we’ll be interviewing wavies, curlies and coilies who have used their textured hair to propel their own business ventures and follow their passion. These women (and men!”> serve as inspiration to all of us that, whatever your love in life may be, you can achieve success through it by just being yourself.

We will be sitting down with women who focus their business ventures solely on hair, and others who have just used it as a way to build a community of support around their other passions. It’s true. — this textured hair community that we all have helped build is a strong, positive force in the world, and we encourage YOU to use it wisely.

So to kick off our textured entrepreneurs series, we wanted to get someone in the hot seat who knew curly hair from the inside out. Christina Butcher, founder of the hairstyling website Hair Romance which has garnered an audience of over 5 million in just 18 months. She’s used her passion for hairstyling to build a website, a social media following and even publish a digital book with a second one coming out later this year.

According to Butcher, it takes passion, dedication and following a potentially crazy idea to the end to truly land where you want to be.

Tell us about your curly hair journey. Have you always worn it curly? When and why did you decide to start wearing it natural? 

My hair has changed a lot throughout my life and I love trying different styles. Hair can transform your whole look. A few years ago, I fell into the trend of straightening my hair all the time, but I ended up causing a lot of damage. My hair was completely fried. I had to cut a lot off and nurture my hair to bring it back to life. I started to appreciate my curls when I realized I could lose them. I love wearing my hair curly now.

You talk about how much you used to hate your hair on your site. Can you tell us about that transformation from hate to love?

My hair changed dramatically during puberty. I went from having straight blonde hair to brown curly hair and I hated it. It was fuzzy and always looked a mess, as I had no idea how to style it. To top it off, I had an awful haircut too.

It took me a long time to find a hairdresser who understood my hair, and once I had it cut to enhance the curl, it changed my life. Now I love my hair. Instead of trying to fight my curls, I work with them. The secret is a great haircut and nailing a quick and easy styling routine for your hair.

What is your current hair care routine?

“It took me a long time to find a hairdresser who understood my hair, and once I had it cut to enhance the curl, it changed my life.”

I wash my hair about every 3 to 4 days and I use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner. I give my hair a deep conditioning treatment every week, too.

I’m always testing out new products for Hair Romance so my styling routine changes a lot. I like to use an argan oil treatment on the ends of my hair, a mousse or volumizer spray on the roots and a curl cream to shape my hair. I usually dry my curls with a diffuser as it’s quicker. I run a serum through at the end to smooth any flyaways.

What are your favorite products?

I love Australian brand Original & Mineral (O&M”> who have just launched in the US. All their products are sulfate and paraben-free and contain natural ingredients, plus they smell delicious.

I use their Hydrate and Conquer shampoo and conditioner and love Frizzy Logic for smoothing my curls. I also find Morocconoil products work really well in my hair. I’m a big fan of styling powders like Aveda pure abundance, too.

What are your go-to curly hairstyles?

I really believe curly hair doesn’t need a complicated hairstyle. It looks beautiful as is, so I often wear my curls out. On day two, when it’s a bit slept on, I use a water spray and a serum to reshape the curls, and on day three, I’ll wear it up in a classic twist and pin hairstyle.

Where do you get ideas for all of your hairstyles? 

I love fashion, so I’ll take inspiration from runway hairstyles or editorials, but make them more wearable. Often, I just grab a bunch of bobby pins and start twisting and pinning. I’ve created some fun styles that way, too.

How did you get the idea to take this online? 

A friend said my hair deserved a daily blog and we laughed about the idea. When I mentioned it to another friend, she loved the idea and it started to grow from there. Soon after, I registered HairRomance.com and I haven’t stopped writing about hair since.

Read on for two quick, easy and only-for-curlies hairstyling how-tos from Christina!

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