March 2024 City Life VLOG | It's Official, 10 Years in the City!!! DVF X TARGET | To be Victorious

Come with me to the release of Diane Von Furstenberg X Target (in stores now).

Here is a look at the line and this video includes a try on haul of what I found. I plan on visiting another Target tomorrow to look for the yellow halter dress because they only had an XXL at my local store.

Have you seen the animal print? It's so cute. I will be looking for that also.

I loved the price point.

We finally made it and it is Spring! Yay! It was a long and dark Winter this year and last year and I must say ending it with my birthday is always my favorite choice because Spring really starts coming alive around mid February and stays beautiful and the weather is ideallic all the way to the end of May.

Check out this beautiful tree. It had been oozing earlier and earlier every year.

Hauls

I actually purchased this stuff a few months ago, but I never got around to photographing it. This is all from MAC. These eyeshadow paletes are so strategically placed by the register. I came into my favorite MAC store at Disney Springs and while checking out I saw it and grabbed it. I actually love the colors though and use it a lot.

The powder kiss lipsticks are actually very moisturizing. They are way more moisturizing than a lot of their lipsticks in my opinion. I have been wearing this color here "Wild Sumac" for a few months.

The lighter orangish color I don't like that much. It's a bit light and you actually have to take the time to make your lips nude before applying it, which I never really have time to adequately do. You also have to line appropriately with a darker lip liner to get it to look good if you have darker skin.

OTHER THINGS

Announcing my brother's are expecting!

Upon getting the babyshower invitation I was excited to buy like as much as I could from the list for this excited and joyus occasion. I also did kind of custom packaging for the items and everything came from Amazon. I didn't even know Amazon had the ability to make or compile a legit baby shower list (not just those wish lists that you can make public or private). It's pretty cool, every item comes with a kind of printed receipt with QR Code also for easy exchanges and returns as seen below.

Custom bags. I got all my bag items from Amazaon also, everything BUT the brown bags lol. I usually buy these things from the Container Store, but I liked this option a lot better.

Chauncey Marcus Williams and Michael Andrew Kohler of Tampa announce the coming births of fraternal twins this Summer.

I tried these products this month. It has been a while since I tried any new hair products. After all of the rage that went on on Tiktok last year over "non-melenated" women buying up all the rosemary hair oil for growth (and silk bonnets) this particular product became viral and was sold out in a lot of places most of the year.

This was met with a lot of ire from women who understandably, were upset because we always have been relegated to the one one with one small shelf of "ethnic" hair products when everyone else has literally the whole isle. I get it. Then, apparently for some (non-Black women) the oil was too strong and subsequently caused hair loss and not growth as expected.

So, for me, I was hesitant to try the rosemary oil because people were saying it made their hair fall out. My hair grows at a fast rate, it always has, it grows about an inch every two months if my diet is good and I am taking care of it. My hair right now is technically between waist length and tailbone length. I do not use heat in it or color it and so if it ever appears kinky straight that is the result of my hair being in a bun with no hair product. So, my point is, my hair grows a lot and I don't exactly need to use this oil.

Since I bought it, I used the oil and conditioner the month of March. Honestly, I can't tell you I saw a difference because I protective styled the whole month and I also cut an inch off in my regular trimming. I just got back from the Caribbean and usually my hair has a hard time adjusting to the humidity changes and that is why I always protective style during the Winter.

So, my hair was in small twists most of March and I used the leave in spray conditioner and oil. This is what I did not like, the conditioner spray smelled great when I first smelled it, but when it dries I hate the smell. They use a lot of perfume to cover up the smell of the actual products and oils and the oils and product smell very earthy.

It is now April and I have washed my hair probably 10 times and the smell is still in my hair! That is never a good sign! I have used clarifying shampoo a bunch of times as well as Biolage which is my staple. I CAN STILL SMELL IT! I don't know if it is the rosemary oil or the conditioner, but I am sure it was the conditioner because it had a heavy perfume scent at first. When I put on my silk cap that perfume scent wore off and even my silk cap smelled like that earthy smell. So, I just don't like the conditioner. I am still willing to use the rosemary oil. I used that a few times to test to make sure my hair would not start shedding since people were saying that happened.

Overall, I still follow my same hair methods that I have always followed and posted on my YouTube channel. I have never used rosemary oil until now so I swill have to test out using it for the whole month now that I have trimmed my hair.

You know I fell in love with this scent when I was in Orlando staying at the Ette hotel. They went on and on about how exclusive it was. I shelled out 230$ for this only for it to be announced in April that Le Labo signed a deal to sell this scent at Costco for 23% off. Now, I think this is a terrible idea, but I am also annoyed because I just bought this!

I don't have a Costco account and wouldn't open one to buy this perfume though at a discount so it's like a non-issue. But...I feel like when a brand makes their most popular item or any item available to everyone at a low price they loose their exclusivity and it does tarnish the brand. Think MK BY Michael Kors... or even some well known wine brands like Berringer which is sold in grocery stores.

The story behind Le Labo is a good one. It is made in the perfume capital of France. Every bottle is hand mixed to order and labeled to your preferences (peep the small print on mine). The bottles are not only recyclable, but refillable if you send it back in to the store. I actually ordered mine from the New York store so that is where mine would be sent to be refilled.

So, I am not supper excited about this whole Costco thing, but check it out if your interested. I have been using their shampoo, soap and hair conditioner since December and it's worth the money.

DATE NIGHTS AND BRUNCHES

PSOMI

NORTH HYDE PARK

Paul's Fusion Kitchen

Market at Edition

GLUTEN FREE MEALS COOKED BY MYSELF-

*RECIPES AVAILABLE BY REQUEST IF NOT POSTED.

Harissa Lamb meatballs with yellow rice and asparagus

Caviar jammy eggs

4 ways

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

ST.PATRICK'S DAY

MACARONI SALAD

GLUTEN FREE AND LOW CALORIE

MACARONI SALAD

(this was just another variation and way to use the rest of the macaroni salad).

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups of gluten free macaroni

.5 cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt, I use Fage

1/4 of a cup of mayo (I actually use less than this)

1 to 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

TO TASTE

Sea Salt

Pepper

Mustard powder OR Dijon Mustard

Parsley

Celery salt

Method:

Mix it all together in a bowl and let it chill in the fridge until it is ready to eat.

When serving: top with Parsley

Green onions

If you are using gluten-free noodles I recommend serving it right after you make it because if you chill those noodles a lot of times they get really stiff and they absorb the moisture of the yogurt and red wine vinegar (they will be drier).