﻿ ﻿ Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair Marley...Check...Installation....Check...Satisfied... Marley...Check...Installation....Check...Satisfied...

...NO MA'AM!!!

I am so disappointed, not in myself...but this hair! I'm not mad about the money or the time spent either. I really wanted this to work because I love Marley hair...but this just did not agree with me at all.

I studied all the YouTube videos and the blogs/websites that I could, but I guess I did not get my BA in YouTubology and minor in Crochet Braiding this time around. My fav crochet tutorials I stalked were:

So with all of my studying, writing down notes, and creating a fool-proof-crochet-braiding regimen taped on my mirror, I thought I had everything down. It took me about 5 hours to complete everything.



Here is how I did my crochet braids:

Prepping Marley hair

The hair I decided to use was LOME Natural Kinky Marley Braid Hair , which I purchased at a local beauty supply store. The only prepping I did for the faux hair was the Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse. This process removes the chemicals and the alkaline base that was used when manufacturing the hair.

﻿ Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair ﻿

Filled sink with warm water and added 1/2 cup of vinegar. (Did 4 times for all 4 bundles) Gently put hair in the sink without taking it apart. Soaked until white film appear on top of the water Emptied the water and rinsed the hair with warm water Hung the hair on a hook to drip dry

Prepping Natural hair

It is very important to prep your hair for long-term styling effectively and the correct way. This time I used:

Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair









Braiding Pattern

I used the slanted cornrow pattern to have the natural look. I had four braids on each side and 6 braids on top. I did not anticipate on having so much hair, so I just put 4 jumbo braids in the back and just bobby pinned them up.

Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair





Crochet Braiding Process

Now that the Marley hair was completely dry, I was ready...looked at myself with great purpose *must do the eyebrow raise* I took a strand of Marley and split it in half to get more hair of the pack. I took my closed latch hook and maneuvered it under the cornrow, opened the latch then put the selected hair in the hook in a "bunny loop" way, then closed the latch hook After I feel the hair is secure in the hook, I pulled it in reverse back under the cornrow until the "bunny loop" came through. I opened the hook and set it down. I then took the loose strands and pulled them through the "bunny loop." For a secure installation, I looed each strand 3 times (rubber band method) and reinforced it until secure Continue this process around the entire head.

Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair





Styling Crochet Braids



﻿ Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair



Now I wanted to have curly Marley hair, so I tried to Bantu knot my hair and dip the knots in boiling water (with the safety of the towel)...it did not work and it looked like a matted mess.



Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair

So I detangled my Marley with a Denman brush and used flexi rods. I dipped the set hair in boiling water...it looked worse. So I put in a bun for the day, not enjoying my hair...

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Crochet Braids LOME Marley Braid Hair





My Thoughts About My New Style



Just no and no! The hair was a fuss, but I wasn't too frustrated because it was new (thank God for me being created with the patience virtue!). I could have chosen the wrong Marley , or my braiding pattern was too bulky , or I did not let my Marley dry enough , or I should not have done the vinegar rinse ...but I just was not going to have it and I did not want to work with the Marley hair any longer!! I only had the style in for a few hours and it already seemed like lots of maintenance work. So what did I do... ﻿

Natural hair says: you can watch all the YouTube tutorials and studying ever little detail on blogs and websites, but your style may or may not come out right. But don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't. It takes trial and error to get that style that you want. You still want to put your hair away? Well, try-try again!

Always Desire Your Natural,