curl envy

Curl Envy: (kuhrl-invee)

• The act of being jealous or loathing the coils of a stranger (or friend)

This term has been coined by the natural hair community, however it is not limited solely to well…”us” lol What is curl envy? This is when you see someone with a head full of perfectly moisturized ringlets. The first reaction is usually reaching up to touch your own lack luster locks and wishing you’d worn a hat like your first instinct told you to. The second reaction is telling them how amazing their hair is and then asking for an itemized list of EVERY SINGLE product they applied to their hair so that you may too achieve this level of perfection. After they give you their list you sprint to the nearest store and stock up. You go home…use every product (as directed) and style per recommendation.

When you wake up in the morning you are feeling good and confident! You take your style down to unleash the coils curled by Jesus himself annnnnd…you get cooked spaghetti hair and contemplate suicide. (KIDDING!!!) What the heck happened?? You followed the directions to a TEE and used all 57 products that this stranger recommended. Why didn’t your hair turn out just like hers? Well! One realization that all of us naturals have to face at some point in time is that our hair cannot and will not do everything that other’s can and that’s OKAY! I am guilty of having curl envy (all I want is a perfect poof! Is that so much to ask?! Ps. If anyone reading this knows how I can push this hair to poof I am open to suggestions)

Worse than having curl envy for someone is thinking that someone has curl envy of your hair. EEK! I have gotten into back and forth matches many a time about what my hair can do that theirs cannot. Then it becomes a “no your hair is better” “no YOUR hair is better” spat. #annoyingright ? Embrace your hair! (I’m speaking to myself) it’s perfect exactly how it is! Whatever it chooses to do is absolutely perfect!