Introduce yourself!
B: Heyyy! My name is Breanna Chevolleau (better known as MiniMarley on YouTube) and I’m originally from South Florida. I currently live in New York City where I attend Pace University as a communications major, and intern at Oprah Magazine in the fashion closet.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
B: If I said my decision to go natural was based on a desire to liberate my hair and myself I would definitely be lying. I decided to go natural mostly because I was going off to college. My mother is a professional hair stylist and has always been the only person to touch my hair. When I was planning to move to New York for college I knew I wouldn’t want anyone new playing in my hair, and I also knew I would be too broke to afford it lol! I decided to go natural so that I could care for my hair on my own. (P.S. I’ve also always been low key obsessed with curly hair, so I knew it was time!) My last perm was in August of 2011 and my big chop was about 9 months later in June of 2012.
How would you describe your texture?
B: I would say I’m a 3C/4A. The curls around the front and back of my hair are very loose, while my edges on the sides are more tightly curled. In the middle I’m pretty much all 4A and my hair is very curly and easily defined. My hair is low-porosity and takes awhile to soak up water and moisture.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
B: Over the course of a month you’d probably see me rockin’ a braid-out or puff the most! I love braid-outs because they stretch my hair more than any other style and when taking my braids out I can separate until I have a big defined fro. (Check out my YouTube channel to see how it’s done!) When my braid-out or twist out gets old I am almost always wearing a mega puff with the occasional frohawk when I want to stand out. Though I am new to the wash-n-go family because it’s just beginning to work for me, I must say I love it!
What does wash day look like for you?
B: My wash days usually start with me looking a hot MESS! I generally wash my hair once a week unless I’m feeling lazy (don’t act like you don’t know!) I used to detangle with a denman brush but I have recently gotten into the habit of finger-detangling because I find that I shed a lot less hair that way. I also just started using shampoo a couple months ago because I didn’t feel like my scalp was getting clean enough. My go to conditioners are Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (to separate into four sections and moisturize), Aussie Moist (detangler) and Organix Coconut Milk and Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner. The only shampoo I use is Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. I usually separate into 4 sections, finger-detangle, rinse, and pat dry with a towel or t-shirt.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
B: I NEVER seem to have enough time to style my hair so I usually have to prepare the night before. When I do get lazy and have no time, I almost always put my hair in a huge puff. However, when all else fails I do two flat twists at the front of my hair and put the back section in a beanie! It’s super easy and it’s also great for mornings when your twists/braids haven’t fully dried or you just aren’t ready to take them down. I gel down my edges, make two neat flat twists, throw on a satin scarf then a beanie and that’s it! I’m always on the lookout for cute (big!) beanies because they always come in handy.
How do you combat shrinkage?
B: Shrinkage was a huge problem for me when I was back home in Florida because we had so much humidity! To combat it I used less coconut oil (which I usually use for EVERYTHING) because it seemed to attract even more moisture. Other than that I just had to embrace it because nothing seemed to work long enough. Luckily, now that I live in New York where it’s much drier, I don’t have too much of a shrinkage problem. The only time I experience major shrinkage is when I decide to wash-n-go. To solve that problem I simple let my hair dry after I apply product then stretch it over-night using the banding method.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
B: My problem areas would be my edges because they have a tighter, less defined curl pattern and are a bit thinner. What works for the rest of my hair never works as well in those small sections, so I usually just do smaller twists or braids in that area to compensate.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
B: Coconut Oil and Finger-Detangling! Coconut Oil has done wonders for me. I’ve used it since the day I big chopped and it has since been a holy grail because it constantly keeps my hair moisturized and helps with growth. Finger-Detangling is also a must because it keeps my curls poppin’ 24/7 and allows me to shed a lot less during washes.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
B: Wash-n-gos without gel…..oh no. For the longest time I thought wash-n-gos would never work for me because I only used a conditioner and moisturizer to “define” my curls and was afraid of the amount of gel some people use. Buuut after one of my insta followers convinced me to try it, I fell in love and now my wash-n-go is a bangerrr! (I use EcoStyler Olive Oil Gel.) Co-washing without ever using shampoo is also a don’t for me because my hair is super thick and just won’t get clean that way.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
B: Duhhh! You can find me on YouTube by searching Minimarley (don’t forget to subscribe!) and on Instagram @mini_marley!
