Fragrance Fav: Marc Jacobs So Decadent

Hello Loves,

Happy Wednesday.

I am back again with another Beauty Post. This one is featuring one of my favorite scents Marc Jacobs So Decadent.

Listen, if you want a fragrance that makes you feel strong and smell amazingly sweet while you take over the world, then this is your scent.

Let’s talk notes:

Fruity, Floral, Sweet, Green, Woody & Amber!!!

3 out of these are my absolute favorites. I am always in awe when a brand can create such a great combination of notes and still come out with something so individualistic. I love this fragrance so much that I have two bottles and a travel size.

Loves, this is one you want to keep in your Perfume Closet until the end of time. It is timeless and seasonless.

Marc Jacob So Decadent

Enjoy!!

xoxo Love!!!

Red Lips with No Resolutions

Hello Loves,

I wanted my first Lifestyle Blog to be one from my heart.

I decided that this year, I am not going to do the traditional thing and make a list of all the resolutions for my upcoming year. This year by far has been the toughest year of my entire life. Actually, truthfully the last 24 months have been the roughest roller coaster ride of my life. There have been some major life changes.

Okay!!!

So I decided that this year, I was gonna go on a quest to push myself harder than I ever have before. So, instead of making resolutions, I made a list. A list of things to get done this year, no matter what. I just plan to make sure that I am wearing my red lipstick while doing it!!

So Here is My List!!!

1.) Be consistent with video content on Youtube. In 2018 I went a little harder on vlogging and just producing more content. I love it and this year I am going 10x!!!

2.) Build Partnerships by creating great native content that resonates with my BIG personality (once I get over this dry hump).

3.) Get back into being as healthy as I humanly can be in 2019. For me, this isn’t about being thin or losing a certain amount of weight. I really want to push myself to be the healthiest version of myself I can be.

4.) Save as much money as I humanly can. No big splurges. Put all my money into my content making and business development. (I will be a FT Entrepreneur in 365 days). I did really well this year with no big shopping sprees this year. However, there was a whole other host of changes so in the end, I still have a lot of work to do.

5.) Be present on Social Media everyday. Simply stated, post on IG several times a day. Snap daily. Send out tweets, and talk to my community on Facebook. Again, this goes back to consistency, but with a more scheduled approach.

6.) Start to impress cultural experiences on my children. In October 2018, I finally took my kids out of the country to Mexico. I realized in that instant that my kids would need to experience the world with their own eyes and not from an article read at school. So this year, I am planning at least 1 if not 2 trips to another country with my kids. (Hence the saving of money)

That’s It!!!

That is literally enough to keep me busy for the next 365 days. I am pretty sure some real life will happen daily in there, but in a pea sized pea (hahahhaha) it will all be on social.

This is my major life reset and I hope I get it right this time, whilst I wear my Red Lipstick!! Because actually and factually, I Love It!!! Shoutout to Loreal Paris, Mattely In Love 102. And currently its on sale for under $6 with this Amazon Link!!! I love to have as much color around me as possible so I just want to mention that this Red is more of a Red-Orange, but still its worth keeping it in your arsenal!!

Well that’s it for this girl on this blog!! Until I see you again!!

XOXO Love

Going, Growing & Glowing 2019!!!

P.S…..

I did a little review on this lippie as well!! Have a peek and please subscribe to the channel!! Kisses

Food Friday: Wicked Sisters in Baltimore

Hello Loves, 

Welcome back to another Food Friday post. This post is back here where I reside which is in Baltimore, Maryland. Me and my girls decided to venture out for lunch one day and because we all have specific food tastes and preferences, we choose Wicked Sisters in Hampden. 

Now let me tell you. I was supposed to visit Hampden, and take you guys along with me when I did Vlogmas this past christmas for 2017 for the Festival of Street Lights. I literally just never made it. But Hampden is a quaint little neighborhood/ community here in Baltimore. 

What We Loved

Appetizer

The Mussels 

They came in a butter and garlic sauce with cheesy toast and plain potato chips. I mean!!! It was my first time trying them and I fell in love.  

The Meatballs

All you saw was cheese and boy oh boy it looked amazing. 

The Salmon BLT

Cooked to perfection and enough flavor to enjoy and save the rest for later. 

Cobb Salad with Chicken

I am a true Salad Lover, so if you can make a good one, I will love you for life. 

The Perfect Bacon Cheeseburger

True Story: It was so good and filling. I cut it in half. Walked to my car, placed it on the roof of my car to look for my keys and get in the car and then pulled off. Let me tell you how mad I was for that one!!

Fried Mushrooms with Buffalo Sauce

Everyone Loved!!!!

Until Next Time..

xoxo LOVE!!!

Food Friday: A Top Chef Meal

The look of anxious kids when you said you were taking them to try a restaurant and it took an hour to get there!!!

Let's Talk Vibes

Loves, the vibe in Family Meal was so open and welcome that is was unbelievable. I love the clean rustic look and that huge bar was just so inviting. Those big open windows made me want to immediately do a blog shoot. It was just so picturesque. The one thing that I thought immediately was how it would be cool if the table were removed and the chairs and benches went against the wall. You would have an immediate day party!!! I loved the entire look. (I am so sorry I didn't take more pics)

Okay Let's Talk Food

We tried the Deviled Eggs with Bacon Bits on top!!! OMGEEE they were really good. They were a little mustardy, but good none the less. I loved the whipped texture in them. (also, the first pic is blurry so I borrowed the second pic for clarity)

The Appetizer

I ordered the Duck Fried Potatoes which in my head I thought would be fried potatoes. Instead, a large basket of French Fries fried in Duck Fat (a great taste by the way) appeared and everyone went for grabs. It wasn't meant to be an appetizer, but it satisfied everyones initial hunger pains. 

Trying Something New

Priceless moments: When you parents tell you, you have to try something new. It's a requirement at every restaurant!!!! (Hint... It's on his plate and it looks mushy. He tried it and its homemade applesauce that he loved)

It's All About The Chicken

I mean there were so many options, but my stomach asked for Deep Fried Chicken with special spices. Both option were extremely filling. My only issue is that you would have to order extra sides because the chicken only comes with biscuits. The biscuits needed a little more something. But remember, I ordered the Duck Fat Potatoes in the beginning. Also, the spicy pickles that come with the beautiful big chicken bowl was definitely a restaurant specialty. The meal overall,  was very filling and we took half the chicken home.  

The Drinks

Isn't it a rule that you have to try the cocktails to fully understand a restaurant and its focus? So I sampled two drinks. One was a classic Amaretto Sour. My rule of thumb is that, if you can make this drink and blow my mind then you can make anything else. It is the smoothest lunch cocktail period. Out of a scale of 1-10, I give it a 5. There was a weird ingredient in there. It may have been too much cinnamon. I'm not sure but it threw everything off.  

The second drink was the Banana Butterscotch Adult Milkshake. I am not a fan of bananas, but I love butterscotch. That drink was amazing and rich. It definitely got a 10 in my cocktail book. It is made of Banana Cognac, Butterscotch Schnapps, Vanilla Ice Cream, Bruleed Bananas and Marshmallows. Need I say more. 

The Aftermath

Let's just say that we were all happy campers when we left Family Meal. 

Before you go, have a look at the video vlog for when we visited this Top Chef fav!!!

Until Next Time.......

xoxo LOVE!!!

Spring Into a New Fragrance

Hello Loves, 

Well Spring has arrived and with it is all the excitement across the land about the coming of the Sun. But here in the northeast, we got a little surprise. It came in the sign of 8 inches of snow here is Baltimore. 

Well, we chuck it up to being the beginning of unexpected adventure and prep to embrace the upcoming season with open arms. Spring brings about the aroma of different scents from all sources. Including, the earth, the environment, peoples homes (especially their kitchens), and most importantly the excitement from a new fragrance. 

So every year, I rack up on perfume from every Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack and any other discount store I can find. I never turn up my nose to a fragrance that I love. I don't care when the fragrance was created. I don't care that it came from a discount store. I care about how I feel when I wear it. 

Recently, I discovered Jimmy Choo Illicit. Now let me preference this by saying that I love the Jimmy Choo brand. One of my first pair of designer shoe purchases came from Jimmu Choo. I have big feet (size 11) and they make shoes that fit my feet without bleeding. Also, last christmas season Marshalls' brought out all of the Jimmy Choo fragrances. I was excited to try them, but I waited to late. I choose to get a Marc Jacobs and a Balenciaga fragrance instead. 

So fast forward a year later and here we are. I am so looking forward to exploring all of them over the next couple of months, especially since they are making their rounds in Marshalls. So let me introduce you to Jimmy Choo's Illicit. 

It was a great little surprise in a little bottle. It packs a lot of personality and I have worn it non stop over the last three weeks before writing this blog post. If you can find it in a Marshalls, then grab it or just click this link and grab it. 

So let's get into the notes. Rose and Jasmine Sambac, Honey and Amber, Sandlewood, Ginger and Bitter Orange. 

It was exclusively designed for the woman who is hypnotic, attractive, a risk taker, totally in control, seductive and most importantly living life to the fullest. 

Need I say more. Oh I will!!!!

So I have a 9 year old son. He is a typical boy. He interests lie in his digital space. But the other day he comes into my room and just lays on me and says, "Mom you smell amazing"!!! 

So that's it. This is my current favorite scent. I will wear it until it decides to hide in my Fragrance drawer and take refuge. I have won over my hardest critic. There are no more questions needed. Ladies, if you trust my instincts and you follow my vlogs, you know how I am about my fragrances. This one is stellar, even though it came out in 2015!! 

Until Next Time...

xoxo LOVE!

Fit Deets: Top: AmourChic | Booties: Zara | Jeans: Joes Jeans (Similar) |Sunnies: AmourChic |

My Hydrating Skincare Routine

Hello Loves, 

I am so very excited to share with you my very first skincare Vlog and Blog Post. I don't know why I was so nervous with getting this out there. But, it's here and I am sharing it. 

My skin has undergone some enormous changes as I have hit 40 years of age. Lately, especially in the winter time, my skin has been really dry and dying for some Hydration. Over the summer one of my best girlfriends took me to a Spa for my birthday. I was treated to a Facial. If you have ever had a facial, then you know that at the end you get a consultation. The Facialist had one thing to say. 

"Ms. Davis, you have beautiful skin for 43 but it is extremely dehydrated."

I left thinking part, like she was young and didn't know what she was talking about and just wanted me to buy her expensive products. I have always had great skin that didn't need makeup on a daily basis. 

Well, I have learned my lesson. I should have paid attention, because all my skin has asked for over the last few months is Hydration (with a capital H). 

Sooooo, today I am sharing a Hydrating Skincare Routine with you and I hope it helps if you are experiencing this as well. 

Step One

Using an Oil of Olay Cream Cleanser with a Facial Cleansing Brush

Step Two

I used a Toner by Constance Glow

Step Three

I used the Oil of Olay Luminous Miracle Boost Concentrate

Step Four

I applied the Valjean Labs Hydrate Facial Serum

Step Five

I used the Giovanni D:Tox Replenishing Facial Moisterizer

Step Six

I applied the Pearlessence Rosehip Balancing Facial Oil

You can see the entire routine here on my video which is currently up on my youtube channel with all of the links in the description box. Please make sure to subscribe to my channel. 

Until Next Time!!

xoxo LOVE

Me and The Bestie Take Mexico

Hello Loves, 

You know how you take the grand adventure with your best friend and lose all of the footage? This blog post and travel vlog is a long time coming. I wouldn't want the year to really gain way without posting all the great content I had already taken and never shared with YOU.

My best friend and I took a 5 day weekend to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and boy what an experience it was. This is our story through images. 

We stayed at the Grand Fiesta Americana All Inclusive Adult Resort. Click here in order to check out how grand it really is. First I want to say that the resort was beautiful. It was six months old and up in the hills of Jalisco as if we were sitting up in Calabasas, Ca. It was predominantly white in every corner. The rooms were spacious. 

The view from the lobby was incredible and you could see it in its entirety here in the youtube video. You can also see the full video here on the bottom if you scroll all the way down. One of my favorite aspects of the lobby were these amazing chairs. 

The Cuisine

We started the trip off with of course no better beverage than Tequila. Being that this was an all inclusive resort, there was food and drinks available 24/7. We took every opportunity to enjoy the cuisine and really dive into it all. 

The only one complaint I would have it that there wasn't any good cappuccino's. I was literally on the struggle bus for five days. Of course I am not complaining, because I had Tequila. Here is our story through food images. 

Soooo, funny story here as you will see in the video. When we fully checked into the hotel of course we beelined to the pool. We were there for about 30 minutes before we fell asleep poolisde and of course we burned a little. So we run back to the room to apply sunscreen (of course at this point its a bit late). When we opened the door, we had this little surprise in our room. Of course it was delivered to the wrong room but we indulged anyway. This is one of the funniest parts of the video because of course we were a little tipsy. 

FYI, we fell asleep because we had to get up at 5am to travel and didn't sleep a wink on the plane because we were excited!!

The Pool

The pools at the resort were incredible. There was a main pool and a chill pool outside of the beach. We had a cabana with one of our rooms and so it was great to have a chill spot. I mean what better way spend the day than to be served all day long with food and alcohol poolside. 

Normal Routines

Now no trip is complete without some of your normal daily routines being a part of it. Since I decided to be happy and healthy full blown in 2017, I make sure that I work out at least 3 days a week. Over the summer when I have more leisure time, I usually workout 5-6 days a week. So of course, I had to find the best trainer on the resort and workout with him. And trust me, my original thought was, this is a resort and we aren't going to get a good workout. BS, he worked our ass. I was exhausted when we were done. 

Secondly, I am a content creator. There is no better place to gain creativity than the beach with sunshine and the calm breeze. Of course, I had to do a little work while I was away. I mean what creator doesn't travel with several outfits?

Restaurant Review

We decided to venture off the reserve (ha!!) in order to try some local cuisine. Pepe's came at full recommendation. It was a choice that was well made. 

A Day Out on A Boat

We had the gull to charter a boat with the rest of the girls on the trip. It was the stormiest day of the trip thus far, but we made the most of the day of course!!

The Beach

So of course you couldn't even fathom loving anything more about Mexico than the beach. Well if you don't know, Puerto Vallarta is not the traditional destination for those that want that vacation beach turquoise water. It is a bit rustic and down to earth and very local. I love that feel to it. It gives it a sense of homeliness. A sense of self. It gives the chance to rediscover yourself all over again. 

A Happy Ending!!

Well this concludes my Mexican Adventure for the moment. Every image in this post as well as most of my others are not edited. I like real and raw images. I always have. Yes, the Mexican sun cooked us. There is actually a precursor to this one which I have been deciding on whether I would share. It was such a personal moment, I am still deciding. Make sure to watch the video below to get the full experience. The only thing that was missing was the fashion show and that's because I couldn't find the footage. 

Until my Next Adventure!!

xoxo Love

The Video

The What- If Plan

Hello Loves, 

Welcome back to the blog. Todays blog post is dedicated to a major lifestyle choice that I find very near and dear to my heart. The digital space has definitely caused a ripple effect on our daily lives. You really have to choose between who is putting out content worth reading and ingesting and those that are fluff. 

We absolutely live in a world full of fluff, so it gets harder by the day. I remember being very reluctant to start blogging because I thought that I didn't have the looks or the brains to really get out there and make it happen. Even now its a constant struggle. I have completely fallen in love with vlogging. It allows me to show all the sides of me with no filter. 

I don't create content that facilitates a life that I don't live. I want people to see the process of what It takes to be a Black Woman really trying to make her dreams happen. 

The process of blogging has been a very challenging one. This year for 2018 I decided to create my what-if plan. It was important for me to define what this blog meant for me. It is my voice out here in the digital-verse giving you everything I have. 

I am using the opportunity to share with you my what-if plan and hopefully it will inspire you to create one yourself. 

So for 2018, my what-if plan was created behind me thinking, "What-if I put all of my resources into me and my brand and business goals?"

What-if instead of blogging and creating for 100% of other brands, I focus on product that I was selling? 

What-if I didn't buy designer sunglasses, handbags, clothing and shoes and I put that money into creating products that I really want to sell to the public?

What-if I focused my extra time from my FT job on creating digital products and teaching others how to do it? What-if I didn't spend as much time on  looking at what other people are doing?

What-if I only created content outside of my own for brands that I want to work with in the future?

What-if I didn't spend as much time and resources on going out and hanging with friends and vacationing, and spent that time creating unimaginable content? 

This is the beginning of my What-If plan but right now in February 2018, this is what I am going with for the rest of the year. It's almost 365 days but who cares. I am completely focused on making Life Happen for Me!!

Think about you and your wants. What is it that you need to make happen? What would happen if you had complete focus for the next 365 days. What mountains can you move out of your way to see the finish line? In a world so busy and sooo distracting, you have to put blinders on and move on what you want. 

Try it. Comment below and let me know what your What-If plans are!! I can't wait!

Fit Deets : Dress: AmourChic | Boots: Asos | Jacket: HM | Hat: Beanie: River Island |

xoxo LOVE