I adore this girl. I had to feature her! I stumbled upon Maya’s random curly hair tutorial on YouTube the other day and it was the most adorable tutorial I’ve ever seen lol just watch it and you see what I mean.

I was like where has this girl been and why have I never heard of her!? It’s because she just started a genius idea of a #shameless self-promotion campaign (check out her blog for info on this). I know that sounds strange but her reasoning behind the idea is actually exactly how I felt when I decided to start this blog and really put myself out there. I was sooo scared to unblock my personal twitter let alone make another one and a Facebook page for my blog! I just have lots of fears and reservations about coming out of my shell for the world to see…and so did she.

So Maya made this ONE curly hair video tutorial and her hair became famous lol but she will remind you that she is NOT a natural hair guru and is not focused on becoming one (at least not now)

….BUT I was fortunate enough to snag her up for this Girl Behind the Curl Feature hehehe :o) ENjoy!

Introduction : : Do share a little about yourself!

My name is Maya Washington and I hate talking about myself…But since you ask, I’m a New York City based artist with a focus on photography and acting. I started a #shameless self promotion campaign over a month ago to get over my qualms with my perception of self promotion. As part of the challenge I created a YouTube video titled “The Ultimate Curly Hair Tutorial” which garnered interest in the bombing curly hair market :)

In the beginning : : What inspired you to go embrace your natural-ness? OR If you’ve been natural since forever, what inspired you to never get a perm?

My frugal lifestyle inspired my natural hair. I don’t have the money to invest in touchups and salon trips. Not to mention I hate high maintenance. That being said I did try a Brazilian Blowout 6 months ago. Having the same look and hair can get boring after YEARS and I just wanted to change it up. I did love the results but it’s wayyyy too pricey and so controversial. If I was rich I would totally maintain it. Hair drying time is fast, my hair felt very soft and smooth and I do enjoy curly hair so a looser curl pattern for a change was nice. But again, since I have other priorities in life I won’t be doing the Brazilian Blowout (BB) anytime soon.

Your uniqueness : : How would describe your hair and how do you like to wear/style your hair daily? i.e. wash-n-go’s, twists, straight, protective styles, etc.

I would describe my hair as THICK! I prefer to simply wear my hair out curly and care-free but I’m experimenting with 80′s updo styles :) Also, when I do have time I love me a 2 strand twist out as well as a brush out with this humid summer weather. Can’t go wrong with frizzy Diana Ross styles.

Choosing favorites : : What are some fav products you can’t live without or would recommend to someone else? How do you use them?

Shea Moisture!!!! As mentioned in my curly video I love this all natural line. In particular I love their Curl and Style Milk and Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I also love IC (Inter Celluar) Leave-in Hair and Scalp treatment. I use this before adding any type of oil moisturizer for my overnight treatments. Even though this one is pricey I am digging the Moroccan Oil Treatment. It smells sooooo good and it gives my hair sheen and softness. But $15 for a tiny bottle? That’s like my “special treat” hair treatment. And finally Eco Styler Gel. This stuff is great for defining curls and styles. I used to use this before discovering Shea Moisture but now I use this when I rock my hair back in a bun :)

Drop some knowledge : : Do you have an awesome hair practice/technique you’ve learned and wouldn’t mind sharing? OR is there something you’d like to learn more about?

I’ve learned that for my hair, the best way to keep it healthy is rocking the 2 strand twist overnight with a moisturizer. Having your hair wrapped keeps it from “fraying” if you will. It’s never a good idea for curly hair to toss and turn overnight. Doing so will leave your hair all “dented” up. But yeah…2 strand twist all the way!

Shameless plug : : Do you have a hustle you’d like to share while you have the floor? i.e. business, project, etc. 

As mentioned above I’m an artist on my #shameless self promotion campaign. You can check my photography at: mwphotostudio.com and my #shameless self on YouTube.com/frugalartist

K.I.T. : : How can we stay connected with you? i.e. website, e-mail, social media, etc.

Above and twitter.com/mayasworld …way too many social identities! must condense!