Carnival this year was absolutely great for me for many reasons and I am just musing aloud about the little things that added to my overall experience:
Professional Monday Makeup - This was the first year I have done professional makeup on both days. Money well spent! I absolutely LOVED my Monday Makeup, dare I say even more than my Tuesday face! Because it was Monday Kirk Thomas decided to go more dramatic with super long lashes, a dark smoky eye look and gems to accentuate the eyes. And since I was meeting the band for 10:30 AM on Monday there was no need for a super ridiculously early appointment, I had my face done at 9:00AM , just one person went before me, and I still had lots of time left to meet my band.
Custom Created Monday Wear - I will never ever wear a tank top and boy shorts on Carnival Monday again. My Monday wear was conceptualized and decorated by myself and it came out awesome if I must say so ! I have to thank Hai Lin of Hai's Trimming Inc and Carnival Divaz for so generously sourcing some of the supplies that I used.
Nude fishnets - Now I am not a fan of fishnet stockings worn for Carnival, especially the coloured ones that match the costume. However I got the idea to try the nude fishnets OVER tights after seeing both Beyonce and Rihanna use them on stage in their performances. The fishnets I used were nude to match my complexion, I picked them up at all places in a boutique, and they were the perfect shade. The best part of wearing the fishnets over the tights is that when the tights eventually got a run the fishnets camouflaged it.
Superpharm - I must priase Superpharm for coming to my rescue after I went through THREE pairs of tights on Carnival Monday alone! The first one got a run as soon as I opened the pack and put one leg in, the second pair ran when I bent over to pull up my boots and a gem from my top snagged the tights! And the third pair on the road a run appeared but because of the fishnet camouflage I did not bother to change. So at the end of Carnival Monday I ended up with ONE pair of tights! Knowing full well that I needed at least one more back up pair for Tuesday I decided to try Superpharm because they were the only place open from 7am to 11pm on both Carnival Monday and Tuesday that I could conceive of selling a variety of items. Thankfully they had tights in all colours and sizes, the proper low sheer to the waist Carnival tights and I was able to restock for Tuesday!
Wedge Heeled Boots - This year I upgraded my wedges by 1 inch and tried a 3 inch boot for Carnival Tuesday. Now even though I loved the height and they were overall very comfortable, if I am doing wedges again next year I will either switch to 2 inches for Tuesday or wear the 3 inch on Monday. I changed into my flat boots after lunch on Tuesday not because the 3 inch wedge was too high but because my feet were simply tired from Monday.
Transport to meet the band - With TRIBE I knew in advance that the band left from Stanmore Avenue which is an ideal spot for parking as I normally park in the Savannah opposite Stanmore Avenue. This meant an easy walk to meet the band in the morning and since they return to Stanmore it was an easy walk to the car when the band returned in the evening. Bliss however met on New Street and I had no idea where the band was going to end so we decided to park close to the lunch stop in St James by a friend's house. This worked out perfectly as during lunch on Tuesday we were able to make a stop at my friend's house to use the bathroom, freshen up, change tights, touch up makeup, stash all pieces of the costume that were too cumbersome and change my boots. The caveat was that the parking spot was far from where the band assembled. As a consequence we hired a maxi to take us from St James to meet the band on both days, our own private shuttle service. This was a brilliant idea, we just needed a shuttle service in the evening as well!
Tips for Carnival 2012
* Eat a good breakfast on BOTH Carnival Monday and Tuesday
*Add needle and thread to Carnival pouch
* Examine boots and do a test run if you are using an old pair, they can dry rot ! Better yet get the sole stitched for added security.
* Walk with a small bottle of adhesive, UHU or Evostick!
* Choose costume carefully, all that "bling" WILL rip your stockings
* Leave the fancy cup at home, it is nice to have a cup with a lid but it is a pain to carry around all day. The paper cups provided by the band are disposable.
* Get to the lunch stop early if you want to secure shade and a blanket
*Don't forget sunblock and note to self, the spray on sunscreen stains clothing!
