Hey boos! Don’t kill me. I know it’s been months since I’ve talked about my hair in terms of protective styling, and I wanted to bring you all a post about my new style: Marley twists. The title labels this style as Havana/Marley solely based on the interchangeability of the two terms, but I feel this style can be rightly called Marley twists. This style was completed in 6 hours, spread over a two day period, and I used about 5 bags of hair in various colors to complete this style. The brand of hair I used the Femi brand of Marley and kinky twist hair (the website I ordered from sent me both types of hair with my order). The colors used to complete my twists are 1, 27, 30, & 33. I also used a few strands of 1B left over from my Biba Lock Twist install back in the winter time. Below, I will list the steps I took to prepare my relaxed hair for installation.
1. A pre-poo treatment is a must for me in preparing for protective styles. I love to do a hot oil treatment on thoroughly detangled hair. This time around, I knew my hair would need some type of protein, so I deep conditioned overnight with coconut oil.
2. Next, I washed my hair thoroughly with Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Shampoo with a shampoo brush to make sure my hair and scalp get fully cleaned. I washed my hair twice.
3. It’s time to deep condition now. I love having soft hair, but just like with the coconut oil, I know my hair needs protein. I am one to mix my deep conditioners, so this time around I used the Bee Mine Bee-U-Ti-Ful Deep Conditioner and the Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment to have a good moisture/protein balance. I processed this deep condition combo for 30 minutes under my soft hooded dryer, and let the deep conditioner combo to sit on my hair for about another 30 minutes before rinsing.
4. As my deep conditioner set into my hair, I gathered my products needed for my installation: Femi Brand Marley & Kinky Twist in the aforementioned colors, Bee Mine Luscious Creme Moisturizer, Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter, Eco Styler Argan Oil Gel, various butterfly and metal hair clips, a mirror, and a comb to detangle my hair as I go.
5. After rinsing my hair and towel drying, I separated my hair in three sections to make installation easier. I had a back section and two side sections. I moisturized and sealed my hair in the aforementioned sections. It was now time to start on my hair.
Now, we are at the point of the post where I have to share my resources. I watched many videos on how to install these Havana/Marley twists, and I want to share them. These ladies can explain the process and techniques better than I can through their tutorials. I suggest really checking them out:
Notorious Kia: https://youtu.be/i6E3hPwVT94
Breanna Rutter: https://youtu.be/IHNYCmMZ6Eg
My Natural Sistas: https://youtu.be/QzMlHmqs8Ag
TheBrilliantBeauty: https://youtu.be/E3p5oDbzKcg
Ambrosia Malbrough: https://youtu.be/ehhRD0KYj2Y
6. After installation, I dipped my hair in boiling hot water with the help of my mother (ALWAYS HAVE HELP OR BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH BOILING HOT WATER!!!) and my style was finished. You can towel dry the ends of your hair or use a blow dryer on high heat, low speed to dry your hair.
I personally really love this hair style. Between my crochet braids and wigs, I have gotten more compliments on this style over those styles. It is very easy to maintain, but it can be a little heavy depending on how many packs of hair you used and the size of your twists. Learning how to do this style so that it looks sleek is a learning curve; the more you do it, the better you’ll get. I love the invisible roots look, but if you cannot do this, so not be afraid to braid the roots first before twisting, especially if you’re having trouble installing at the back of your head. According to my install posting on Instagram with this hairstyle, I’ll say I’ve had this style in for about a month and some change (Instagram said 9 weeks). I have taken this style down and redone it twice, but for the most part, I’ve left it in for about a month. I will leave you all with photos of me rocking this style out. Stay tuned because I have more hair posts to make, especially on some new “essentials” I have purchased in the last few months. I’ll talk to you all again soon. Have a wonderful and beautiful day!
