Glow Down Diaries: Leaving Everything Behind in 2024 

Some people might say I lost everything this year. The truth is, in July 2024, I was forced to find my purpose with this stripping of my marital status, 9 to 5 job, and material items. A majority of my stress and problems arose from these facets of my life, holding me back from breathing at times. My all around health suffered immensely.

Not to go into too much unnecessary detail, this refocusing made me double down on all the priorities that actually mattered in this life and when it comes to leaving a remarkable legacy. Family. Esteemed friendships. Immaculate skin my future grandchildren can adore. Exceptional memories to last a lifetime. The blessings are innumerable.

Mastering the art of a glamorous glow down in Hollywood Hills requires both finesse and intention. The latter half of 2024 has been a cascade of captivating moments, thoughtfully curated outfits, and transformative experiences, all opulently chronicled in my vlogs. For ladies aspiring to elevate their lives, embrace understated allure, and live the quintessential LA dream, this post distills the essence of my journey back to my sumptuous hometown—one polished moment at a time. 

I created a little vlog series that is definitely worth a binge watch if you are in the mood to wind down and relax.

Originally, I constructed these videos with the objective of resurging my version of The Hills. Growing up in Orange County, Laguna Beach was a huge hit show that I watched with all my friends, because we all naturally lived that lifestyle and it was genuinely relatable. Aside from the program being entirely scripted, we felt the familiar scenery, outfits, and girl power (not necessarily the politics). In other words, we did not care to be like the women in the show, because we actually were them. 

Especially since a majority of my friends and family who grew up in the OC moved to Los Angeles for job opportunities and to chase our dreams. Hence, The Hills. Minus the Vogue internship. But keep the Vogue subscription.

The demographic of Orange County was that of an already successful older crowd who had settled down. A more luxurious, cleaner, and suburban atmosphere. I lived in Newport Beach and it is literally called Second Wife City. The young and hungry generation who wanted more hustle and bustle got eaten alive in Los Angeles and moved to another more affordable state or stayed to figure out how to become prosperous. I did both of the two. This continuous series features the expedition of the latter events unfolding.

Coming back to Southern California only to realise that my heart and home are here, I persisted on with my Hollywood Hills life and am still attracting my dreams. This time with a objective, impetus, and clear sense of direction. I know what mistakes to not make and what to look for. It feels good to return and see all my loved ones. This time, I doubt I am leaving. Only time will tell, so I highly encourage you to follow the odyssey in my vlogs!

This showcases my luxury skincare instant reviews and results, what I’m reading to get me motivated, and settling in after my move back to Los Angeles. I also got to see my friends for the first time in years while meeting someone mysterious. Something I missed was preparing fresh food–especially salads–and the final act is a little preview of what is coming. This vlog was put together in panic mode as explained in this post. I was in a rush to get back to my life, friends, and family in California for dire reasons. Subscribe for updates.

Outfit Style: Style was not a priority. Desiring a low-key status, I kept it polished yet versatile—think tailored pieces and elevated casual wear. I was not focused on style but simply utility. With only five outfits packed, I realised I could do a lot with a little bit for now.

Takeaway:
It feels magnificent to celebrate the beauty of surroundings I missed dearly and integrate small moments of refinement into daily life, making even the simplest tasks feel special. Everything is done with a little bit more gratitude than last time I was present.

Remember how in The Hills you had the Jenners in Malibu and friends circumjacent a bonfire? This was that, only a bit more us. I like to call it an in-between of The Hills and Housewives of Beverly Hills WITHOUT the drama and way more international funny stories.

Across multiple weekends at a friend’s Malibu home, we celebrated the stays of cherished friends from out of state and shared catch-up stories in the picturesque charm of Malibu. From stunning beach views at the Little Beach House terrace to belly dancing all night in the living room, we all delighted in this respite from massive life changes wisely.

This visit to Beverly Hills–pretty much five steps from where I am located– was filled with heartfelt moments reconnecting with friends from around the world amidst diving into my luxury skincare routine. Featuring some of my favourite skincare arsenal staples as Dr. Barbara Sturm, Augustinus Bader, and Vintner’s Daughter, this particular period was a mix of howling laughs, travel stories, and self-care.

I made new girlfriends along with linking up with some lovely ones I have known for about a decade (has it really been that long?!) As long as we do not look it [wink]. The busy and stressful interval of the past few months was showing on my face. Combatting it with this simplified skincare routine has saved me from actual disaster.

Something interesting: Our friend group is terribly international. We had loved ones from Puerto Rico, Monaco, parts of the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and South America in this particular vlog. Yes, we all speak the languages and go back and forth with each other in said languages.

This vlog was actually the first one I made on my own without old friends. Afraid to post about it, I met someone new. I did not want to make another mistake when it came to opening up my heart. He would not stop inviting me to different parts of Los Angeles and rediscovering institutions I always loved. We would have simple self care days, but then he would spoil me with endless adventures as you will see in a handful of vlogs. I try to cut him out as much as possible to keep our privacy, but the unfeigned smile on my face is inevitable.

Trying to get my health back on track is a common theme in my vlogs as I am back in a more consistent workout routine and will share more about that coming soon. Currently, I am doing a few workout challenges and want to get a few months of consistency with these programs in order to get the best results and properly review them. Meals and workouts are something you guys have been asking for, and I am doing my best to give you lovelies the content you deserve! ❤

Funny enough, this is not something I consciously choose, but I have hardly ever dated American men. All my longest and most profound relationships have been with foreigners whether I was living in the United States or not. Seeing this new someone special has meant a lot to me, because I could be myself eating and cooking exotic cuisine I grew up with that was not really accepted by anyone else. Learning to cook his culture’s food has also made me dive deeper into mine.

Join me as I explore the luxury of Rodeo Drive (the iconic Beverly Hills area where I used to work) with a shopping spree and a little celebration lunch at the newly opened Novikov. This was my second time there, because I obviously hate the place. As we both needed to up our outfit game, we shopped til we dropped and snored because the sun was beating down on us. Discovering our style as a couple, we have some clothing and accessories hauls coming in 2025! Keep an eye out.

I also review Alien Romulus and discuss my personal journey of embracing the mindset of progress, not perfection. Progress is never a graph going straight up. It winds up and down and sometimes can go backwards. This vlog is a fusion of style, good skin, and real-life reflections, offering a glimpse of everyday little luxuries.

Initially, I had several vlogs laid out and ready to post, but realised I show too much of extremely personal moments. I wanted to keep them for myself and took a step back about what I want to show. There is no difference with who I am in person and who I am online.

What I am worried about this time is the privacy of my loved ones and how they are affected. I ended up having to cut up all these vlogs and rearrange them to be coherent and watchable. Especially since there are more characters in my story than there are farm animals and coworkers who signed waivers. Life has changed drastically for the better, and I am realising there are a handful of chapters I would like to keep quiet for the first time on this blog and channel.

There are so many things that are cossetted in this vlog. Learning Arabic is a big one from having started years ago and picking the language up again. Then there was trying my first Cuban cigars. This came from celebrating my beloved friend’s engagement and an expedition into Downtown Los Angeles.

I hope you enjoyed this catch-up and will have an entire post about what really happened this year in 2024 that I can legally divulge, how I handled extraordinary losses, and all sorts of 2025 aspirations. Stay updated here. Thank you for making it to the end of this post.