The moment I saw Tynette's hair I was so inspired and immediately begged her to do a post for you guys. Hope you Enjoy!

Natural Beginnings
Growing up, I've always been natural. My mother refused to put a perm (relaxer) on my hair which would really upset me from time to time. I never knew too much about perms when I was younger, all I knew was that they would allow me to wear my own hair out like the girls I would watch on television. Because my hair was so thick and long, my mom kept it in either single braids or cornrows. About once a year we would go through the 3-day process of straightening it with a hot comb, but with this southern humidity I'd be lucky if my hair would behave for longer than an hour. 

The summer I turned ten (2000), I was still begging for a perm so my mom took me to meet her friend, Ms. Gwen who specialized solely in natural hair. During my first visit Ms. Gwen had a long talk with me about how perms weren't healthy and the damage they could cause. Afterwards she gave me a tape to watch about women who had suffered irreversible damage because of the chemical relaxer. Ever since, all talk of getting a perm ceased from my lips. Throughout that summer my mom let Ms. Gwen do my natural hairstyles which included two strand twist, braid outs, twist outs, and blow outs. I loved that I was able to wear my hair out naturally beyond the single braids or cornrows. I can say I grew to love my hair that summer. 

It wasn't just a hairstyle, but a lifestyle
Near the end of summer 2000, Ms. Gwen introduced my mom and I to this new technique of locking, sisterlocks. My mom and I both watched the orientation video which featured Dr. Cornwell walking around town with these beautiful long gorgeous locks! I instantly fell in love, and began begging for sisterlocks. My mom had hers installed in late August which made me want them even more. Since I was only ten years old, my mom didn't think I knew what I was getting into. She thought I didn't comprehend that it wasn't just a hairstyle, but a lifestyle. She kept saying, "Tynette, if you get these you just can't take them out if you don't want them anymore," but I knew exactly what I would be getting into. 

By that November, my mom had made a deal with me. If I could explain to her in an essay why I wanted sisterlocks, she would let me get them for Christmas. By early December I had written my essay and it must've been pretty convincing because December 18, 2000 was the day I started getting my sisterlocks installed. Because of the thickness, length, and size of the locks, my installation was completed within a week on Christmas Eve. I am 21 years old and I've had my sisterlocks for 12 years. I absolutely believe that this was the best choice I could've made when it comes to my hair. 

Products and Regime
My favorite products to use are the Black Earth products by Taliah Waajid. I am a Taliah Waajid junkie! They soften and moisture my locks very well. I try to wash my hair once a week using Taliah's Total Body Black Earth Shampoo. After washing and rinsing twice, I then use Taliah's Enhancing Herbal Conditioner and apply it thoroughly while my hair is still soaking wet. Next I'll put a shower cap on and sit under my hair dryer and deep condition my locks for about 30 minutes. Once that is done, I'll apply the African Healing Oyl to my scalp and let the rest of my hair dry while under the dryer (without the shower cap). 

Styling
If I want to style my hair, I'll use Taliah's Crinkles & Curls or Loc It Up and either braid my hair for crinkles, or bantu knot my hair for curls or waves. The Crinkles & Curls and Loc It Up are light and hold my hairstyle longer. Throughout the week, I use Taliah's Protective Bodifier or just some coconut oil to keep my hair moisturized and shiny. 

Hair Color

I color my hair with Naturtint, a natural hair dye that can be found at Whole Foods and Amazon.com. My color is the blondest, 10N. I refresh my color about 2-3 times a year. I love it when my hair is black at the roots and gets lighter as it goes down, but I also love when my hair is freshly dyed and my baby hairs are blonde. 

Skin Care
Body wise, I stick to my good ol' faithful Palmer's Cocoa Butter and vanilla scented body splash.

Natural and healthy lifestyle Advocacy
Ever since I can remember, my mom has always taught me to be an advocate of a natural and healthy lifestyle. I'm not one to wear make up, but I will throw on some masscara, eyeliner and lipstick for a night out. I love fruits and veggies, my favorites being mangos, pineapples, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms. I cook most of my meals and every once and in awhile I do like to indulge in sweets! Desserts are my favorite, especially anything that contains chocolate, caramel, custards, and so on. 
I have been dancing and playing the violin since I was five, I find those things to be very therapeutic along with cooking and writing.

Please show Tynette some love by visiting her amazing fashion and food blog http://www.caramelalamode.com/ You can catch tons of inspirational shots of her long golden locs, over 60 pages of hair, food and fashion eye candy.