This past week was supposed to be the Safe Journey Retreat, which I had scheduled to coincide with my 30th birthday. COVID wrecked those plans of course, but then Jonathan had the idea that we could do a little getaway to the coast celebrate my birthday! I LOVE the sun and the water so Diani was the perfect destination for us.
We decided to stay at Swahili Beach Resort, which we’d heard really good things about, was Instagrammable (I mean it was a slaycation after all), and had a great sales offer. We ended up taking the trip with TKB, which was quite an experience, but I’ll talk separately about taking a long road trip with a baby once I recover lol.
I know that traveling is the last thing on many people’s minds during the pandemic, but there were a few reasons we felt comfortable traveling, and a few adjustments we made to our plan to improve our safety.
- We opted to drive instead of fly to the coast to reduce our exposure to other passengers.
- We packed our own food so we wouldn’t have to stop and buy food along the 8 hour drive.
- We called hotels when deciding and asked about the safety measures they were implementing for guests.
- We made the trip in the middle of the week, as opposed to over the weekend, as the hotel was less full during those days.
Ok, so here’s the part you’re waiting for — what I wore for my 30th birthday slaycation! In case you missed my rebranding post, I realized rust/caramel is one of my colors, so most of my outfits were in that color scheme. Most of them were also from Black-owned businesses because that’s the current and forever mood around these parts!

Look 1
Rust Bodysuit + Printed Pants
Man oh man have I waited a long time for this bodysuit! When I first saw it on Fenoel’s Instagram account, I knew I had to have it, but I was pregnant and could not fathom wearing a bodysuit. Once I decided to do my exclusive Buy Black fashion shopping this year, this bodysuit was one of the first things that I purchased. I’ve seen most people style it as a bodysuit, but it’s actually designed to be a swimsuit! Unfortunately (or fortunately), the medium I got is actually a tad big for me, so it looks better on me as a bodysuit than a swimsuit.
I paired the Fenoel bodysuit with printed palazzo pants by Christie Brown — they were part of a set from her Staycation edit (so apropos!) and sadly it sold out after I shared it on Instagram a few weeks ago. But maybe if you blow up their IG page and ask for a restock she’ll give in?? The icing on the cake with this look was the stack of gold necklaces that I’ve been mixing and matching by Missoma.

Look 2
Bikini Top + Ruffled Culottes
Another mix and match look — the bikini is by DiarraBlu, and I’ve worn it several times as a top because it’s just so cute. I actually did go in the pool with this one, but during the day I paired it with some culottes by Imad Eduso. I don’t think they’ve been styled as resort wear yet, because lined satin isn’t exactly the material when you think of vacation, but the hem is just to darn cute I had to pack it with me. Plus it was a super sweet surprise gift that the Imad Eduso team sent me (after I’d already purchased two of their sets), so it felt like a birthday present! The white acrylic earrings I wore with is sold out but by BaubleBar.

Look 3
Corset Maxi Dress + Nude Sandals
Every time I rewatch the 3D rendering of the Hanifa Pink Label Congo collection that launched this summer, I am compelled to let out a yasss. It was SO innovative and well-executed, so I had to support the brand! I wasn’t sure about my ability to pull off the Jolie dress when I ordered it, and to be honest, didn’t plan on wearing it anytime soon. But it fit like a dream when I got it, so I decided to use it as my birthday dress! Mary J Blige recently wore it for a cover shoot, so I felt like a celeb wearing it! The only heels I packed for this trip were by Brother Vellies, and they were part of a limited release she did with Moda Operandi, which included several shades of brown shoes in 3 or 4 classic silhouettes. I didn’t have a nude strappy sandal in my closet so this one is now it!

Look 4
Multi-Way Bikini
My last swimwear look was a bikini by Andrea Iyamah, whose pieces I’ve been buying for years! They’re just so expertly made and really flatter all body types. I struggle with bikini hyperpigmentation and sometimes swimsuit designers will make bottoms super high cut, but I like how this set is cut with a bit more coverage. Plus the ruffles on the top can be positioned in multiple ways which makes this suit super versatile! I didn’t photograph it away from the pool, but I wore the Michelle set by Fully Covered Still Fly as my coverup for the day (worn here!).

Look 4
Flirty White Blazer Dress
I don’t have any photos of the last daytime look I wore (but I shot it before I left!), because by the end of the trip I was pretty exhausted and just wanted one dinner where I didn’t have to think about photography (or the baby), but I wore this white blazer dress that I got from the Haentel boutique in Nairobi. It’s definitely a short dress (I wore nude bike shorts by Nubian Skin underneath), but I’m a sucker for a white blazer — I’ve found it on AliExpress and another site, so it’s definitely more of a 20s dress than a 30s dress LOL.
I almost forgot to talk about my hair! These are individual spring twists, in an ombre color (which I think is 1b/30 but not 100% sure). I won’t share where I got them done because it was actually an AWFUL experience, one of the top 5 worst salon visits of my life. But they are a super cute style — my favorite thing about them is the length, which I actually cut myself because I like how shoulder length hairstyles look on me!
Hello,
You look beautiful! Love the looks!
I am planning a trip in Diani beach and I was wondering about safety? According to France foreign website it is not recommanded… though I ask someone living in Kenya and who went there recently.
Many thanks!
Hi Louise — great question! I stayed at the resort the whole time I was there and felt completely safe.
Happy 30th Ijeoma! You look beautiful on these pictures, keep shining… I never comment just wanted to wish you the best for this next decade.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and wish me well!
Happy 30th encore! I love the rust/caramel on you, the 1st being my favourite. Looking forward to reading more.
Thanks so much!
I Love your stories..thank you for sharing♥️..Look No:2 is definitely my favorite
Thanks Selma!
Love everything! This is how you represent. ????????
Thank you Charlotte!