Meet the Ladies of Pantene - Shea Pegues

Shea is another one of the new Pantene models and guess what? She is natural too! She has an amazing head of hair, so of course I had to ask her a few questions.

AHS: Many women might assume that you are relaxed because in the photos you're hair is straight, but you are actually natural right?

Shea Pegues: that right I'm natural

AHS:Have you ever had a relaxer?

SP: I actually attempted to relax my hair in college and it all fell out LoL it wasnt so funny then. the chemical was way to strong. All my friends had one so i got one thinking i could wash it and it would dry straight. wrong!!! having a perm requires the same amount of maintenance if not more. my hair came out in clumps i was horrified!!!

AHS: How long have you worn your hair natural?

SP: All my life except for the one time in college. It was the beginning and end of my perming experience.

AHS: What are some of the challenges of having natural hair and also loving sleek and straight or big loose curls?

SP: Humidity Is the hair enemy lol. your day may start off with sleek or straight hair but the slightest bit of humidity and you can have an embarrassing mess on your hands, but surprisingly with Pantene frizz control shampoo and conditioner and the right flat iron I have trained my hair to keep humidity out. pretty amazing huh coming from a black woman with natural hair. I've been in clubs with my friends and and we all would go in straight and with in 30 minutes of being there they would be looking like Shirley from what happening (afro and puffy)and my hair would be straight and flowing with no perm. just about every girl in the club would ask what kind of hair was i buying was it Yaki or indian hair. they couldn't believe it was my hair i have had people walk up to me and run their hands through my hair to feel it (those kind of thing would throw me off guard). I would laugh and tell them its mine then the next question would be what kind of product am I using, I would spend the next 10 minutes explaining the process. Heres the trick being able to keep you hair from being dry with out a bunch of oil. hydrating your hair but keeping the humidity out sounds like a oxymoron but its possible.

AHS: How do you minimize heat damage?

SP: I let my hair air dry if i have enough time or if i blow dry it i will flip the heat switch back to the cool switch and i have a ionic blow dryer. Im telling you this new technology that has been made for hair really works. A ceramic flat iron really helps protect as well. I also use the Pantene Heat protect spray to while my hair is damp an the let it dry. These things really make a difference i know it takes a little extra effort and a couple extra dollars for the at blowdryer or flat iron but you will definitely see the difference. It's worth it.

AHS: Name of one of your "hair rules" (1 thing that you must do to your hair) and how often do you do it?

SP: I give my hair vacation time at least 3 times a month a for a day or two. what i mean by that is no flat irons no styling.I take one day where I wash it saturate it with all kinda conditioners and repair hair cremes. Its kinda like when you get a pedicure and they really pamper you feet and the foot scrubb ect. I take a day where i really check out my scalp my ( hair treatments) make sure my ends are deeply conditioned and just few hrs or over the top treatments and wear it in a loose bun for the day. I know i may look like a little kid with my bun but when i wash my hair out its movie ready!

AHS: Do you frequent a hair salon or are you more of a DIY-er?

SP: No disrespect to my sisters stylist but I am a definite DIY-er I hate waiting in the salons all day and I would rather buy a hot pair of shoes than fork over my hard earned cash or losing sleep trying not to mess up my hefty investment. I don't even sleep with my hair wrapped any more I use a Satin pillow it's just as good. I've trained my hair, it wasn't perfect the first time or the second but once I got my flow down with the product and tools my hair looks better what any stylist can do!

Meet the ladies of Pantene - Brooke Martin

Brooke Martin is the new Pantene model with the fabulous lengthy relaxed locks! I had the opportunity to ask Brooke a few questions so you know I had to know about her relaxer habits, hair care routine, and more! Keep on reading for Brooke's answers.

AHS: How often do you relax your hair and what relaxer do you use?

BM: I self relax with Motions relaxer once every 6 months.

AHS: Have you always had long healthy hair or did you face challenges getting to your current length?

BM: I have always had long hair but when I first started doing my hair I used Pantene products which gave me the salon look I wanted in the comfort of my own home. Pantene products helped my hair to stay healthy without going to the salon.

AHS: Having long hair, what do you do to protect the ends of your hair?

BM: I use the Pantene restoratives collection. It seems to help with split ends and it really keeps my hair strong for day to day styling.

AHS: What is your usual daily hair style, buns, ponytails, out, etc. ?

BM: I usually wear my hair down, sometimes straight sometimes with curls, and also in a bun when it starts to get oily.

AHS: Tell me a little bit about the Men's Clothing line launching this fall.

BM: My husband and I are started the line which is called Privledge and it is targeted toward men with a flare for style. I would describe it as classy casual with a touch of fun, this also describes our style which makes it so easy and fun to design.

Meet the Pantene Ladies - Tasia Spencer

Meet Tasia Spencer, the beautiful new and natural model for Pantene!

AHS: 3 years ago you went from relaxed to natural, what sparked the change?

Tasia Spencer: As an undergraduate student at an historically black college and university(FISK University), I was introduced to the beauty of wearing natural hair from classmates and friends. My close friends and roommate sparked my decision to go natural. I was curious to see what my natural hair looked and felt like without chemical substances. Plus, while relaxed, my hair was fine and thin, and I wanted my hair to be thicker, so I said "I'm going natural."

AHS: Did you transition or just go straight for the big chop?

TS: I was a trooper and transitioned without the big chop. Although, there were days when I wished I just cut all my relaxed hair off. First, I tried micro-braids, which were convent, but turned out to be a big mess once I removed the braids. My hair was matted all over, so I did get my hair cut a little. Afterward, I just started washing, conditioning and trimming away the relaxed ends. The transition was definitely a journey for 2 reasons; 1) it taught me how to creatively maintain my hair and 2) to accept me for me and to be comfortable in my own skin, whether long relaxed hair or tightly natural coiled curls.

AHS: If you transitioned, what advice can you give other women who are currently transitioning from relaxed to natural or thinking about doing it?

TS: First, really think about your decision and then fully commit to the transition. I know of women who decided to go natural and then 3 months later, their new growth became overwhelming for them to care for and maintain. So, think about it and fully commit to the interesting journey of discovering the natural hair God designed you with- which is the best type of hair! Oh, be creative with styling, try braiding your hair, or 2 strand twisting, or even wearing a cool scarf or headband.

AHS: How do you preserve your curls overnight?

TS: Well, I am faithful to my satin bonnet. I put it on at night to preserve and protect my hair. I also sleep on a satin pillowcase. However, sometimes when I blow-out my hair and wear it big, I section my hair and 2 strand twist it and then take out in the morning. But, there are those nights, when I allow my hair to be free without twist or a bonnet and I just fall asleep and wake up to an interesting situation...LOL!

AHS: What's your favorite hair care treatment and how often do you do it?

TS: My favorite hair care treatment would be to deep condition my hair with conditioner and added oil, such as jojoba oil and sit under the hair dryer for ten minutes or so. I do this treatment once every 3 weeks to a month.

AHS: Tell me a little bit about your blog.

TS: My passions are fashion, beauty and health and I plan to some day work in those industries. But since I do not work in the industries as of right now, I created QueenTahj Blog as my "right now fix" until my appointed time, when I reach my career goals, my dreams come true and my hard-work pays off. The main purpose of QueenTahj is to celebrate women of all ethnicities, through fashion, beauty and health. My goal is to encourage my readers to be fierce, fearless and fabulous in their own unique way in whatever they do.

Meet the Pantene Ladies

Pantene held an open casting call last year to find four African-American women with beautiful, healthy hair to star in Pantene advertisements. Three of the four winners of the “I Love Pantene!” casting call contest are appearing in advertisements right now! Brooke Martin, Shea Pegues, and Tasia Spencer’s national print advertisements are currently featured in various publications, including Essence, Ebony, JET, and Sophisticate’s Black Hair, as the newest faces of Pantene. Simone Delahoussaye is the fourth winner, and her advertisements will start running in 2011. Recently, we got a chance to ask Brooke, Shea, and Tasia a few questions so I'll be sharing those interviews with you later in the day, so stick around!