Dahvi's Weekend Debrief (6/8/25)
Greetings from Grenada!, TONS of amazing product recs for travel, best hosting idea and a major end-of-an-era for media.
Greetings from the air! I’m traveling home from the West Indies. Grenada, to be exact. If you haven’t been, it’s a Caribbean island known for its array of natural spices and rum. I got to stay at two stunning Silversands resorts in one visit, and the pic above was taken at Grand Anse. The resort flew me out to experience their spa (which is beautiful, by the way—see pic below), but I was able to take in a lot more along the way.
Grand Anse is more lounge-y and social. The rooms are bigger and closer together, and there’s more to do on the property. Silversands Beach House is no less beautiful, just a slightly different vibe (similar aesthetic). The rooms are further apart, you have to take little carts to get to them, and it’s overall a bit smaller and designed for a more intimate experience (whether that be with a partner or a solo wellness escape). It’s very quiet and the ocean views from the restaurant and the rooms are unmatched. The fun part is guests at either resort can bop around to both (they’re 20 minutes apart) and there’s constant transportation included with your stay.
I received an Ayurvedic Shirodhara oil scalp massage during one of my spa visits. My hair feels so healthy from that one treatment alone. Then the next day I received a signature full body massage. Other highlights included a night out with the wife of one of the hotel partners’ CEO. Her best friend joined us, too. It was one of those unexpected, spontaneous hangouts, and it ended up being so much fun. We were out til midnight I think, and they showed me some fun spots. I definitely walked away with a few new IG followers (lol).
I also did a 7am Tai Chi session, and got a two-hour tour through the countryside to get to the sulfur springs, where I received a detoxifying volcanic ash clay scrub and immersed myself in the hot springs. There was also a cocktail hour where guests from both properties were encouraged to mingle. It was cute. I actually met a couple celebrating their 30th anniversary. They got married at like 25 (wild). They were so sweet, and we all ate dinner together that night and then breakfast this AM. There was one night that had this insane BBQ. There were literally 50 apps/sides and several mains. Everything was so fresh and delicious. And then there was an enormous breakfast spread each morning. It was too much to capture in one pic. I also took in some additional culture and sights. I’ll share more on social when I put together my videos.
I came out here solo, which wasn’t bad. The hotel graciously offered me a +1 (airfare not covered for them, but everything else was). I had someone originally going with me, who bought their ticket, but they started a new job right before the trip and had to cancel on me just weeks prior. It was a bit of a bummer in the moment, but also not.
There are pros and cons to traveling with someone. When it comes to weddings and group activities, yes, it sucks when you don’t have a partner-in-crime on hand. Or, like the iconic cruise I went on with my friend last year, yeah that’s not a solo kind of trip. Also, traveling with someone else is fun for filming content and having someone to eat with and create memories with. Also, the travel (*schlepping*) itself.
But generally, if it’s just me going to a fancy hotel, it’s OK to go alone because you can go at your own pace and not be accountable for anyone else’s experience. I personally just love laying on a boughie bed, scrolling on TikTok and essentially doing nothing. It does not take much to keep me occupied. I was definitely the only solo traveler at these hotels, but it didn’t faze me honestly. I guess it depends overall, but I felt perfectly at ease here. And I have to say, the hotel team and the PR team was extremely communicative throughout, and ensured I was in the best hands. I really couldn’t have asked for better customer service at this hotel.
The lovely trip aside, there is a lot to discuss with you guys. If there’s one thing my friends know about me, it’s that I feel 50-50 about my ‘fits. They either totally flop or I will wear them til they rip. Depending on how I feel, I don’t always bother taking a bunch of pics on trips because if I don’t like the outfit or my makeup or whatever, I don’t need the pic. But I’m proud to say I took a good selection of photos on this trip and was really happy with what I chose to wear. (my fav pic from the trip below).
The Products + Pieces That Defined the Getaway
The outfit pictured is a Lala Lace Free People cutout dress with a tie at the chest. I also wore my designated vacation wrap dress from Chaser. It’s from last year, but it’s perfect for any palm tree backdrop so I can’t put it down. Then I got this really cute, blue linen shift dress from Infinity Creative Agency’s Coachella suite in April, and this was my first time wearing it. It’s from the brand VRG GRL. It fit perfectly. I would usually never wear these types of dresses because of the way they make my arms look, but I was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out.
That said, the biggest breakout star of the week was none other than my Spanx Airessentials Half-Zip and Airessentials Tapered Pant. Thanks to my Daily Beast e-comm freelance gig, I’ve been able to experience the brand on a whole new level. Up until recently, I’d only ever worn the shapewear (which I don’t personally think is flattering on my body). But as of late, I’ve become the hugest fan of the Spanx Zero Waistband Cropped Wide Leg Jeans, and now this travel set. It’s lightweight, so comfy, literally what you’d expect true loungewear to feel like. The brand sent some additional pieces for me to try/potentially review, so if you’re curious about other Spanx quality, let me know.
Speaking of travel fits, there’s great debate on my TikTok about whether or not it’s acceptable to rewear your plane outfit on the way back (without washing it). It all stemmed from my Tulum trip when a couple of the girls said they’ll rewear their same outfit since it’s already dirty and gross anyway. I said no way. Check out the full video and LMK your thoughts!
And lastly on the travel or travel-sized front, I had some friends over for Weho Pride last week, and I always like to plan little raffles or gift bags. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, it just adds a little flair to the experience. Well, I went on Amazon and bought mini plastic decanters for only $10, and then I organized all my fragrances (new and used) into several big bags and let guests fill up decanters with any of the scents they wanted to try. Now they not only have some new scents, but also travel-sized. I highly recommend this for fragrance enthusiasts, beauty editors or content creators who have plenty of scents to spare. There’s no way you’re using every one of your perfumes or colognes. I have like 100.
It’s an easy, inexpensive way to connect with your guests on a whole new level and ensure your fragrances don’t go to waste. I would like to host a fragrance swap soon. If anyone in LA is interested, message me! And as for what I took with me on this trip? Loving Amouage Guidance and the brand new MCM Daring Dragon (they actually smell kind of similar, but MCM is slightly lighter/sweeter).
Speaking of beauty, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I found an eyebrow gel I love more than my tried-and-true ABH Brow Freeze Gel. I finally tried the Rare Beauty Brow Gel, and I was actually shocked that I liked it so much. It has a totally different consistency than any brow gel I’ve tried prior. It also cuts my prep time down by half. Like I’m really impressed. I’d heard good things, but people rave about every brow gel. My brows are so sparse that it’s tough to find one that actually pushes them up properly and makes it easy to fill in.
Mourning the Media
I’ll wrap this up with some shocking (or maybe not so shocking at this point) media news. It’s the end of an era, folks. The news broke a week ago, but I figured this weekend recap was the best place to discuss it. As of June 27, McClatchy Media Company (which I hadn’t heard of prior) is completely shutting down. Longtime magazines InTouch and Life & Style are under this umbrella, and will shutter along with its sister mags. These publications epitomized “tabloids” in their truest form. They were infiltrated with what was oft-believed to be lies. (though every once in a blue moon they’d get a good one. Jon + Kate’s messy cheating scandal and Sandra Bullock’s then-cheating husband are two throwbacks that I believe came from those publications). Maybe the Leann Rimes/Eddie Cibrian cheating scandal, too. So basically they did well with cheating scandals. Not much of the other stuff.
Ultimately, these outlets lived in the shadow of the once-extremely prestigious UsWeekly. The pages weren’t as glossy and the reporting was unverified, but these littler guys still made their mark. You could always depend on a juicy cover to captivate your attention in a checkout stand. The neverending “saga” between Brad, Angie and Jen will forever live rent-free in the head of any previous tabloid-consumer. Ah, the good ol’ days. No, really, they were. I was always an UsWeekly girl (and, of course People, which obviously has credibility), but the ones we’re bidding adieu to deserve to be honored for their place in pop culture lore.
I also want to tell you guys how hard these reporters had it in peak tabloid days. When I tell you I wouldn’t have lasted a day! I very fortunately got to have my cake and eat it, too, when I worked as a celebrity reporter (both at E! Online and People.com). Working digitally versus in print during the golden age of celebrity gossip was a totally different beast than it is now.
I covered a million red carpets, a few minor court hearings, did plenty of hard-hitting 1:1 interviews and shared insight from “insider” sources if I had it, but I wasn’t digging through trash, knocking on doors, camping out at Cedar’s and hopping on spontaneous planes to try crashing celeb weddings. There were a couple stakeouts I did (ie. the Century Regional Detention Facility for one of Lindsay Lohan’s jail visits), but my stakeouts were when reporters from other outlets were there and it felt like more of a group effort.
I honestly couldn’t believe some of the things the tabloid reporters had to do. Even just sneaking into the hottest nightclubs on any given night during that time sounded like pressure enough. These reporters had to do it all. Not having to do these outlandish tasks definitely contributed to my joy for the gig. I felt like I could breathe. So yeah, let’s pour one out for the tabloids and the people who kept them alive over the years.
I hope everyone had a great weekend. I’m shockingly feeling OK. Went to bed early in my hotel room last night and had a really nutritious breakfast that made me feel ready to take on the day! Though, my flight doesn’t get in til midnight. I splurged on a pre-ordered ride because I’m no mood for my typical LAX hotel hack in the wee hours of the AM. Just get me home! They also made me check my bag on my connecting flight. So I don’t expect to be home til 2am. Planes gross me out. You’re just inhaling a slew of strangers. It’s a very otherworldy experience when you really think about it. Like you’re basically skin-to-skin with people coughing and sneezing at you. Sigh.
Very busy week ahead, but some fun stuff on the horizon. I also have a really informative Substack in the works, featuring insight from two of my favorite beauty publicists. There’s a lot of ground to cover in this one, so it’s taking me a little while, but I hope to have it up this week (stay tuned!).
With that, drop your favorite celeb gossip mag or blog/website (past or present) in the comments. ◡̈
Amazing 😍! On your next trip with a +1, I'd be happy to join!!!