Why I chose to blog?

I want to share a short version of my natural hair and beauty journey.    I started my natural hair journey in July 2010.  I just woke up one day and decided to cut my hair.  Yes!  I cut my own hair and I loved it.  This was the beginning of loving myself naturally and a new self-confident Ria. For years growing up as a tall, skinny girl from Brooklyn with thick, bushy eyebrows and acne I suffered with low self esteem at times.  

Therefore, my natural hair journey wasn't just about hair and beauty it was about me learning to love myself inside & out.  I researched and spent hours on the blogs learning about natural hair and products. I started a regimen and became a kitchen beautician.  I love mixing up hair products and body products in my kitchen.  In addition, my natural hair journey led me to pay attention to what I ate and used on my body and skin.  I started to change my eating habits and begin a completely natural regimen for my skin.  Voila!  I saw a difference in my hair and skin.  For the first time I wasn't spending a bunch of money on products for my skin and my hair was actually growing.  

Then one day I discovered coloring (my biggest hair mistake ever), curlbox.com & curlkit.com and I quickly became a PJ (product junkie).  Needless to say color plus my love for products led to a big learning experience for my hair.   My regimen was out the window and the color ruined my hair. I was trying and using everything in my hair and my hair continued to stay dry, brittle and breaking.  I wasn't listening to it.  Instead, I continued to color and try a bunch of different products. Until one day and I looked in the mirror near tears with frustration because I couldn't understand how my was not retaining length and in some cases it looked like it was getting shorter.  I was tempted to do a big chop and start all over again but my best friends talked me off the ledge. LOL!  

At the end of 2013, I started to listen to my hair, I mean really listen to my hair. I stopped using tons of different products and  I've began to slowly trim the color out of my hair and I am starting to see a big difference.  My hair is starting to become healthy again and strong. So, here I am!  I will be sharing my new hair journey with you because I feel like I am starting all over.