Do you remember the post I wrote recently on vacation hair? I had my St. Lucia trip in mind, but had no clue how drastically different this vacation would be compared to those in the past. Where on previous trips, I was able to maintain one or two different styles for the duration of the trip, this trip had me in a different style almost every day! When we arrived in St. Lucia, I still had my hair pressed from my visit to Urban Textures. The air conditioning on the shuttle from the airport to resort keep me cool and intact...
...but a short time in the humid island weather had me poufing out like nobody's business! For dinner on the first night, I slicked back the front and pulled my hair into a low side ponytail/pouf situation - it worked though!
I was able to enjoy a day at the pool the following day....since I figured my hair would get wet at some point then, I just pulled those poufy tresses up into a high bun, and held down my flyaways with a black headband made from the leg of some old pantyhose (Goody ain't got nothin' on me!):
After splish-splashing in the pool and the Caribbean Sea, I ended up co-washing and twisting with some gel and shea butter, then pinned them up for the night, and the next day...
Later that day, it was time to let those twists loose...the humidity was SO much kinder to my curls!
After spending another day on and in the water (speedboating, snorkeling, bathing in mud and doing photo shoots under waterfalls), needless to say, a redo was necessary:
I loved this snakeskin/50's roll + headwrap combo....I twisted my hair into what I call "loose" Bantu knots - I coiled the twists flat against my head and bobbypinned them instead of twisting into the regular knots that hold themselves together. I had two twists in the front that I had no clue what to do with, and since my hair was still wet, I got a couple more bobbypins out...coiled the two twists around each other, then tied on a headwrap leaving the front out. Black winged liner, my fave specs, and a red lip and I was good to go!
The next day, I undid the twists, but as usually happens with anything Bantu-related, my hair was not fully dry. I let my hair down, pinned back the sides to force fullness in the back (and cover the frizzy damp parts), and hit the road. Not the greatest pic, but here ya go:
I ended up back in the water after our morning at the school, but preferred taking a nap over staying up to twist my hair again...so for dinner that night, I pulled out a few clips and bobbypins and got to work on a quick updo:
French-rolled in the back and held in place with clips, I took the front piece and twisted it back and to the side, then pinned it in place. Do you recognize that peek of blue I'm wearing? It's the same Henkaa dress I wore here, but I tried a sweetheart style:
Did I mention I LOVE these dresses? I need another one ASAP because y'all are going to be tired of seeing this one!
By this point, our trip was almost over. My hair either stayed pinned up or thrown into a messy bun. For our last night, we headed off the resort and to a nearby street party that pops off every Friday night. I was feeling hella lazy at this point, so it was all about jeans, a tank top, and lipgloss. That's it. I had my hair in a bun, but hadn't slicked the front down to my liking, so I threw on a silk scarf:
The next day, it was time to call it a week, and hop on that plane home.
So, what tools did I bring with me?
- Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner
- Ampro gel
- Shea butter
- Elastics
- Pantyhose headband
- Bobbypins
- Banana clips
- 2 Headscarves
And that's it! For me, it was minimal work with maximum style...just the way I likes it! I ensured that I loaded up with conditioner before I headed out for the day, in order to keep my hair moist under the hot sun, and protected from chlorine and salt in the water. As soon as we got back to the room, I would rinse or just spritz my hair with water and add more conditioner. I would *try* to sleep with my silk headscarf, but that didn't always happen ;) Other than that, I didn't worry about my hair too much...I was too busy having fun!
There you have it - my honeymoon week hair! Do you have any vacation plans coming up? Are you already setting your hair plans in motion, or do you just go with the flow?