Day 7 – Dear Mane Family, Today My Hair Took Up Space… and So Did I

It started with a mirror.

And a decision.

I stood there, half-wet curls, mirror foggy from my shower, holding a hair tie in one hand and a habit in the other.

That voice popped up — the one that whispers:

“It’s too much. Tie it up.”
“What if someone stares?”
“Frizz isn’t fashion, babe.”

But today, I didn’t listen.

I looked at myself—not past myself, not around my hair—and said,
“Let them stare.”

Because my hair wasn’t messy.
It was alive.

This time, I had my curly-care dream team — carefully chosen from Manetain’s BYOB (Build Your Bundle) page.
Total cart therapy, by the way.
I picked exactly what I needed—no random fillers, no generic “one-size-fits-all” combo.

Here’s what I used:

Gentle Co-Wash – to cleanse without stripping the soul out of my strands.
Leave-in Conditioner – the hydration hug my curls didn’t know they needed.
Volume Gel – the hero. Defined curls, no crunch. Holds the bounce, not the drama.

I styled with these, diffused gently, added some hope... and stepped out.

And the result?

Not perfect.
Not polished.

Just true.

Here’s the part no one tells you when you learn how to maintain curly hair:
It’s not about taming it.
It’s about trusting it.

Because when you finally stop asking your hair to behave, it starts to express.
And so do you.

For me, healthy hair isn’t flat or forced.
It’s textured. Bold. Sometimes unpredictable. Always mine.

And using a bundle I built, from a brand that specializes in Indian curls (yep, a Shark Tank curly hair brand moment!) — that made me feel like this routine was no longer a battle.
It was care. Ritual. Even joy.

So today, I walked out with open curls.
No scarf. No backup bun. Just bounce.
A little girl with curls of her own looked at me and smiled.

I smiled back — because this? This is legacy work.
This is what it looks like to stop hiding.

And when your hair shows up fully —
You do too.

Catch you tomorrow,