Twists & Twistouts

Finally I'm taking the time to post pictures of some of my favorite hairstyles. Since winter will be here before you know it, I thought I would start with twists. Initially, I didn't like wearing my hair in twists. I think that was because I didn't know how to make them look nice and I always felt like I looked more like a guy when I wore them. Then I realized that if I made them very small and set them on rods, so the ends would curl, then they were kinda cute!

Now I love twists! It takes me about 6 hours (or longer if I'm watching TV or otherwise distracted), but I can wear them for about a month and then take them down and wear a twistout for 2 or 3 weeks, so it's well worth the additional styling time! It's a great protective style since it gives your hair a break from being handled on a regular basis. Plus, there's no detangling process when you wash twists, so that's a HUGE benefit. When the winter hits and that Chicago wind is brutally cold, I can tie a satin scarf around my twists and wear a wool cap when needed. So this fall & winter, I think I will be wearing my series of hairstyles below.

This is my business photo. In this pic, I'm wearing my twists down. I'll wear it this way for a week or so after putting my twists in since I think this style looks best when the twists are fresh.

After the first week or so, I'll get a little bored and start playing with clips. I usually only pull up one side because I feel like I look too much like a little girl when I pull up both sides . . . but it really does depend on my mood.

I love it when I can find clips that matches my outfit!

I also like to pull up a small section of hair in the front and create a high ponytail. I'll pull up more hair into the ponytail as the twists get older and start looking a little worn.

If your hair is long enough, you can also pull all the twists up into a clip for a sophisticated bun or roll. At the time, those two different clip colors seemed like a good idea :-)

When you take the twists out, you'll have a defined twistout that you can wear for a couple of weeks. When this starts getting old, brush it up into a puff.

I love the way this style looks in a puff. As the twistout gets old, it loosens. I just run my fingers down any strands that still feel tight so they are lose as well (I think that helps minimize tangles), then I'll spray the front with my rosewater & vegetable glycerin mixture and use my boars hair brush to brush my hair up into a puff. Sometimes, I'll use a little pomade if I want to smooth the edges out more. I love how many of the strands retain a twist at the end to create a defined puff.

For a 6 hours worth of up-front work, I get about 6 worth of hairstyles. My hair products are constantly changing, but right now I'm loving Qhemet Alma & Olive Heavy Cream to create my twists. It's definitely heavy and moisturizing and I think it's perfect for the winter. Also, I'll spritz my twists with a liquid leave-in whenever they start to feel a little dry.