Okay, first, I have to say that I think that this has been the best Hairscapades Giveaway EVER in terms of response!! There were 100+ entries!! WOW!!! And I LOVED reading each and every one!!! It was so awesome to learn about where so many of you live and a little bit about the joys and challenges of your natural hair journeys!!

There were some common themes and some unique perspectives! So, I’d like to go a little “off script” and share a few of the responses about the joys of being natural for those who may not have read each and every single comment like I did ;)! Here goes!!

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“The joys are just getting in touch with my inner self, inner beauty, and loving me! Can’t nobody love me like me!” – Tereva (Lebanon, TN)

“[O]ne of the joys of being natural here in MD is that there are plenty of natural hair groups, meet-ups and swaps that I can/have attend(ed) that make me feel so proud to be a natural girl now! You may not always have the support from family and friends but if there are others out there to reach out to, it makes you feel so much better about your decision to go natural.” – MzPurp (MD)

“I enjoy the freedom and versatility of being natural.” – MsLynne27 (Deleware, OH)

“The joy comes from all the compliments that I receive and the many questions that I answer about natural hair and giving advice to other women. I love my hair and seeing other naturals!!!!!!!! LOVE IT:)” – Trinette Smith (Milwaukee, WI)

“I am more comfortable with my hair now at age 49 than I have ever been in my entire life!” – Karla King (Plant City, FL)

“No more searching for a stylist that can do my hair type, forking over a couple hundred dollars a month for a style that wont get me through the work week, no more giving up my weekends to get my hair styled, no more scheduling hair appointments around life events and no more boring styles. My heart skips a beat when I walk into a suburban store and see a variety of hair products made by and for people of color that look like me. I am flying high when I see women of color confident and embracing their natural texture and each one making it their own. This is the 1st time in my life where I have truly enjoyed my hair ” – Tiffany S. Jones (Detroit, MI)

“[E]ven if I feel I am having a bad hair day no one knows it because I have a new found confidence in myself that I would not have experienced if I were relaxed!! I have found that its not just about natural hair but about being healthy, from my hair to my body. I exercise more, smile all the time and share my love with being natural to anyone who will listen!!” – Allison (New Orleans, LA)

“Being natural make you stand out from the crowd especially in France we don’t see that many naturals but now its changing for the best .” – Tiga Elga (Paris, France)

“[M]y country is very famous for its natural ingredients for beauty, and I love it, makes women look beautiful naturally .” – Hana Clay (Jakarta, Indonesia)

“The joys of being natural in the Caribbean, for me, is the great African influence on how we style our hair so we can be very versatile. We also have plenty of castor bean plants growing all over the island, so we can make our own castor oil.” – Donnella Pope (U.S. Virgin Islands)

“It sure is great….getting ready to go out…and not spending hours with a flat iron anymore…and the compliments…you loook soooo young…your are so beautiful..heads turning….made me realize…that natural beauty..shines…more than pretending to be something I am not…..” – Tanya Ernandez-Dennis (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

If you haven’t read all of the comments and would like to, check them out here.

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Okay, and now the moment for which you’ve all been waiting (yeah right, like you didn’t already scroll ahead to read this first! I see you! ;)) …

The winner* of the TLC Naturals Giveaway is …

Nisha (Houston, TX)

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Congrats lady! Shoot your mailing address and contact number to me at hairscapades@gmail.com and TLC Naturals will get your Grapefruit Hibiscus Hydrating Hair Spritz and Grow It Hair Growth Cream in the mail post haste!!

*Winner was selected using the True Random Number Generator at Random.org.