Carnival Glamour - the cost of looking good

For the more glamorous among us, the pressure is on, because glam often comes at a hefty cost. The financial strain can be so significant that some women resort to creative budgeting, saving months in advance, or even joining sou-sou plans to afford their desired looks. From high-end outfits to intricate hairstyles and flawless nails, the price of Carnival perfection is no joke.

Take Keisha Kallo, an assistant accountant whose love for Carnival knows no financial limits. And when she says she goes “all out”... she means it.

“I am a lover of Carnival, lover of the culture, I enjoy it to the max! My beauty expenses include acrylic nails, which I fill every three weeks, so a new set would cost $300 and fills are $230 - $250. For my hair, I usually do a colour in January and that costs $2,000. A blowout costs $200.

“My outfits depend on the event. The ones I know that I’m attending, I will plan beforehand. I start buying things around November the year before and typically, I’d spend $350-$500 per outfit. Sometimes I would wear something I wore once before and mix that in to cut the cost a bit. I am not very bold with my accessories so I usually rotate from my stash unless I see something I really like or I’m looking for a specific colour. I also try to rotate my shoes so I’m not stressed on finding stuff to wear during the season. Every year for Kes’ concert, my girlfriend and I colour-coordinate in black, so I usually look for something early. I definitely try to plan a couple months in advance and purchase things that I like. Read More