Tag Archives: Marley twists
January 8, 2013 

IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT! Bee’s Marley Twist Tutorial

Let me just say this: I LOVE MARLEY TWISTS!

Ok. Now that I’ve shouted that from the mountain tops, let me explain. I recently wrote this post for Three Naturals, about the pits of protective styling. After getting some Senegalese twists done last month that only lasted me a few days, I learned how to do my beloved Marley twists, all by myself! I promised that I would do an updated post the next time I installed them, so here it is!

My first round of Marley twists weren’t perfect, but they were all mine, and they served their purpose for about 2 weeks. I took them down and left my hair out for a week, deep conditioning and rocking a cute twist out until it was time to Marley it up again. My video skills (and my Marley twisting skills, to be honest) need some practice, but I got HomieLoverFriend to play photographer so that I could capture my technique, step by step!

First, I got my tools together (purchased at Clore Beauty in Scarborough):

  • Freetress Equal Marley braids in #4 (I used 3.5 packs)
  • Cantu’s Shea Butter leave-in conditioning repair cream
  • ECOStyler Olive Oil styling gel
  • a wide tooth comb to part and detangle
  • banana clips to hold parted hair up and out of the way

Next, I used my fingers and wide-tooth comb to gently comb out my twist-out into a ‘fro.

To do the twists, I began parting my hair section by section, starting at the nape:

My parting skills need work. However, I took the section of hair, smoothed it with the Cantu leave-in, then gently detangled with my wide-tooth comb.

I then smoothed from root to tip of the section with the ECOStyler gel, and separated into two for twisting.

I then took two strands of the Marley braids (they come separated in the pack).

Here’s where it can get a bit tricky. I line up the Marley braids along my hair, with the midpoint of the braid in the middle of my two pieces of hair. Using some gel, I take both pieces of my hair and twist OUTWARDS on both sides. This blends the Marley braid into your hair for twisting.

Once the Marley braid is twisted into my hair, I start my two-strand twist. I take the RIGHT piece and cross it OVER the LEFT piece, then twist all the way down, using a bit of gel to smooth as I go. I find that once I twist the Marley braids outward (in the last step), if I twist LEFT over RIGHT, it naturally wants to unravel itself.

Once you finish and let go of the twist, it will naturally spring back and might feel a bit loose. Don’t worry! This is because the twist itself is thick – it will stay put!

I used perm rods at the ends of each twist, and dunked in a jug of boiled water to seal and curl the ends.

Here’s the finished product from the front…

…and a quick shot from the back!

Now, as I’ve said before – if I can do these twists, anyone can. I am definitely not the most coordinated person, and while it took my hands a few tries to match what my brain wanted it to do, I eventually got it – AND I did a better job than last time! It took me about 3 hours to do my entire head, so my routine will be to leave them in for 2-3 weeks, remove, deep condition, then retwist. It feels great to have a nice protective style that I can do at home while I watch a movie! Also, it’s very cost-effective, as I was able to use the same twists over again for this second set of Marley twists. I do have to perfect the “anchoring” part (what I call starting off the twist), because some parts of my head are easier than others. I also have to perfect the front and try to get the twists closer to my hairline. But other than that, I’m loving my Marley twist work!

If you need a video to see the twists in action, here are 2 great ones that I watched before I embarked on my own journey:

YouTube Preview Image  (via The Good Hair Blog)

YouTube Preview Image (via Curly Nikki)

Got ready for work in the morning, and rocked a cute ponytail – no muss, no fuss! Yay for Marley twists!

 Hopefully when I get better at the twists and can do them smoothly without succumbing to stage fright, I’ll try to create my own video tutorial, because I know pictures don’t always do it justice. If you have any questions or need help, let me know and I’ll do my best!  

December 18, 2012 

SELF-TRUST: Lessons Learned From A Set Of Marley Twists

Over the past little while, a recurring theme has been playing itself out in my life in various ways. From major incidents to seemingly insignificant ones, I finally realized what the intended message was. Last night as I tossed and turned, wide awake with insomnia, I got it. I pulled out my phone, opened my Evernote app, and wrote:

I used to put more trust in others than I did myself. From now on, I’m trusting myself much more.

Funnily enough, once I typed that message, my insomnia lifted and I knocked out.

In many of my recent interactions, I’ve found myself doing things that have me putting Bee in the backseat. From deferring to so-called “experts”, sacrificing my wants and needs so that others would be more comfortable, and biting my tongue when I don’t want to rock the boat, I’ve been unknowingly allowing others to steer my ship. Internally, I’d acquiesce and tell myself that it’s OK – other people may know better, other people may do better, and things may just be better if I hold my tongue or wait my turn. However, with last night’s aha-moment, I realized just how much of a disservice I’m doing to myself.

One big kick-in-the-pants teachable moment was something superficial, but something that taught me a lot about myself. I *drumroll please* actually installed my very first set of Marley twists, all on my own! This was a major feat for an uncoordinated chick with 2 left hands whose fingers manage to get confused with even the simplest YouTube tutorial. Just last week, I paid a stylist to put in the thick, kinky Marley twists I desired, and instead got a head full of heavy Senegalese twists. I had seen pictures and blog posts from other naturalistas who had installed their own Marley twists, but instantly dismissed any possibility that I could do the same. I preferred to pay my money and trust someone who I thought would know better and do better than I – and even though she did an amazing job, it wasn’t what I wanted.

Waist-length Senegalese twists – looked lovely, but weighed a ton

After about 3 days, I ended up taking down the twists. I finally resolved to try to do the Marley twists myself, so I headed to the beauty sto’, picked up the tools I needed, and studied YouTube videos until I felt ready to tackle the job. I’ll just say this – I can do some mean twist-outs, Bantu knots, braid-outs, etc. – but I can’t cornrow, I do tragic flat twists, and consider any style using extensions as one that requires a professional. However, here I was, surrounded by hair extensions, butterfly clips, conditioner and gel, doing the twists – and doing them pretty damn well for a 1st timer, too. When I was through, I was amazed with the final product – I kept looking at my reflection saying, “Did I really do this?”

EDIT: Click here for my Marley Twist tutorial post!

My self-installed Marley twists – not perfect, but I did a LOT better than I thought for my 1st time!

That moment illuminated something for me. In literal and figurative ways, it showed me that I have been putting WAY too much trust in others, and I haven’t been trusting in one of the most capable people I know – myself. Downplaying my abilities hasn’t really benefited me in any way – I’ve lost money, missed opportunities, and second-guessed myself when my instincts were right. I think it’s high time to get off this ride and hitch a new one – one that has me trusting in my ability to do things well, to speak my mind, to go with my gut, and to put myself first a little bit more. A wise man in IKEA said to me once, “Don’t be so afraid to make a mistake that you don’t do ANYTHING.” That being said, a sista is about to do a whole lot – and trust myself that it’ll go better than I thought, or I’ll at the very least learn something along the way.

Do you trust yourself? It may not be a question you ask often, but take this chance to reflect and think about your response. And don’t worry – a Marley twist post is coming soon!