As we gear up for the Love Island USA reunion this evening, naturally we’re reflecting on all of the happenings from sixth season of the dating and reality TV show. Throughout the 36-episode season, over 30 Islanders attempted to find love in a villa in Fiji––Kordell and Serena being the couple to be this season––or else, be dumped off the island.
But with any dating show, your appearance on screen is half the job. As a fan favorite for her beauty moments, “I think physical appearance plays a role on a dating show because it does influence your first impression or initial attraction,” former Islander Sierra Mills tells ESSENCE.
However, a humid villa in the South Pacific coupled with unlimited camera time, yet limited mirror time, applied the pressure before she went out to look for love. “The reality of it is that we only had around 30-40 minutes to get fully ready and dressed, which for me was a big challenge,” Mills says. “I had to find new quick hairstyles that I could do in 15 minutes or less and that could survive in the Fiji humidity.” Naturally, with Island girl Bora Bora braids on the rise, a protective style was first on the list.
“I was initially thinking about coming in with braids since that would be the easiest way to manage my hair, but I was like ‘there’s no way it’ll last the full two months,’” she figured. Which is why within her 10-episode stay on the Island, we saw her pull off updos to slick back ponytails, braids to space buns, turning her into one of beauty’s fan favorites. “I didn’t start the season with a specific protective style, but I did come prepared with braiding hair, extensions, and various bundles to create a protective look when needed,” she says. “Let’s just say I used a lot of gel and hairspray to keep my hair slicked down.”
But while her slicked back hair looks had a 5-star rating on screen, she’s still a ways away from writing a love letter to her natural texture. “Growing up biracial with a white mom, I often felt a disconnect when it came to understanding and caring for my natural hair,” she says. Between breakage from a relaxer she begged for 11 years ago to hiding her texture with extensions, she grew up with hair anxiety which still existed on the set of Love Island. “I was anxious about appearing on TV because I knew I’d be filmed from every angle, including moments when my hair was out while getting ready or in the morning.”
Nevertheless, she used the dating show to challenge not only her heart, but her hair. “I really wanted to make it a point to switch up my hair every day, both day and night,” she says. “Looking back on my moments, I’ve come to appreciate my natural beauty on a deeper level.” While dating shows and apps may feel like a superficial way to start a relationship––and like Sierra, you may still walk away single––she finds the most beauty in learning self-love. “The experience reinforced my belief that true beauty comes from being authentic rather than trying to fit a particular image or conceal who you are.”