

This Modern Balinese-Style Villa Airbnb Is The Perfect Getaway
A wise human once said, "A vacation away keeps the doctor at bay." Vacationing hasn't been the same since the pandemic but I think it's still essential to get away every now and then. Airbnb has been a game-changer for me since 2012. The homestay platform provides a sense of culture and community that you just can't get from staying at a hotel. The groundbreaking company is one of the largest lodging companies in the world with no actual properties.
A gem amongst the thousands of options: The Modern Balinese Style Villa. Designed by decor duo, Angelique and Alexander, the pair channeled their love for traveling and adventure into one of the most beautiful spaces on this planet.
"Our specialty is modern living with world influences: from Bali to Mexico, Norway to India. We will design your space from concept to completion. Oh, and we build our own properties that you can come and stay in: our first being a luxury Balinese style retreat in Encino, CA."
The opportunity presented itself to visit this stunning, perfectly nestled abode and all I could think was, "Black girls deserve luxury." So this Black girl and her best friend got to spend the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day, relishing in the most grandeur place I have ever laid my head. Not only is every crevice of the house social media-worthy but it oozes relaxation.
The Living Area
Courtesy of Angelique and Alexander
The moment I set my feet in the villa, I felt the intentionality of the space. The open living room space is brilliantly designed for modern living. You can cook in the bomb ass, all-marble-everything kitchen while binging your favorite Netflix show and relaxing on the chic couches. The superior indoor swing surrounded by plants engineered a sanctuary downright quintessential for tranquility.
The Primary Bedroom
Courtesy of Angelique and Alexander
Talk about breathtaking, the Primary Bedroom connects you to nature and was heavily inspired by Angelique and Alex's experience with the effervescent indoor/outdoor living seen all over Bali. "When we built this room, we wanted to bring the beauty of our tropical garden and water fountain right into the bedroom." Think lush jungle. Since it was my bestie's birthday, she took residence in this room for our stay. Let's just say she didn't want to leave this space because, well, who would?
The Bohemia Room
Courtesy of Angelique and Alexander
Keeping with the love for Balinese culture, the Bohemia room is a love letter to local artisans, their craftsmanship, and the deep vibrant colors of the countryside. The decor of this room paints a vivid picture of the timeless skill of the amazing Balinese people. I posted up in this room and, between the plants and buddhas giving me life, I too did not want to depart.
The White Room
Courtesy of Angelique and Alexander
Designed for complete tranquility, the White room was simplicity personified. "Drawing inspiration from one of our favorite temples in Bali, we wanted to create a bedroom which fills the guest with complete calm." I spent one morning in this room doing my meditation and I felt utter serenity.
Joce Blake
Walking around the villa, I couldn't help but be full of gratitude. Childhood Joce was so proud of Adult Joce because both of them deserved this. They deserve luxury. For me, that was why this getaway was paramount to my mental health. As of late, I have found myself justifying why I deserve luxurious things and the simple answer is I am worth it.
While it seems elementary, it's a constant struggle for me as I didn't grow up seeing Black women in my life showering themselves with lavish experiences. So as I grow wiser, I am teaching myself that it is the standard and not the exception.
The Bathroom
Courtesy of Angelique and Alexander
The elegance engrained around the villa gave voice to the rich auntie I aspire to be and who my nieces and nephew already believe I am. Seriously, look at this freaking bathroom! Who knew I only needed a flight to LA to be on the black sand beach beneath the Gunung Agung volcano?
The Backyard Oasis
Courtesy of Angelique and Alexander
There are no words to truly describe the beauty of the backyard safe haven. It's a literal dream. We took full advantage of the oasis with yoga by the buddha fountain, drinks by the pool, lounging on the cabana, and dipping in the pool like our names was on the deed – it felt like home.
Joce Blake
My bestie, Lauren Keys, had things to say about our baeFF-cation. "This villa was the perfect calm I needed during such a chaotic time in the world! No detail was left untouched which added to the peaceful vibes it gave," she said.
Traveling to Bali may not be an option for all but checking into this villa will certainly transport you to the Indonesian province without having to use your passport. The votes are in: I give this Modern Balinese Style Villa Airbnb 10s across the board!
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Joce Blake
Originally published September 28, 2021
Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Stephen Zeigler/Getty Images