deerstalker

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-woman-tiktok-costa-rica-retreat-off-grid/

As many search for ways to connect with nature and live more sustainably, one TikToker is showing her followers that living off-the-grid is not only possible but affordable. 

Daja Hansel-Coates, who goes by the username @ihopeyoufindserenity on social media, relocated to southwestern Costa Rica 3 years ago with the plan to build a tropical sanctuary for herself. 

“In 2022, I did something that most people would consider completely crazy. I started living alone in an off-grid property that I purchased in rural Costa Rica,“ the digital creator said in a TikTok video, noting that she only had $50 to start the project. 

@ihopeyoufindserenity

My story and imperfect journey to off-grid living. Link to my GoFundMe is in my bio 💚

♬ sonido original – ihopeyoufindserenity

Through various photos and videos, followers can see the structure evolve from a basic frame to a fully functional cabin, primarily built with assistance from volunteers. On the property, there’s a farm where Coates grows food and cares for animals.

Besides sharing her journey with over 200,000 followers, Coates hosts “Inner-Child Healing and Liberated Daughter retreats” where guests can experience a lifestyle that features locally sourced foods and eco-friendly materials. 

I’m proud of all the things I’ve been able to do in the last 3 years, especially all of the people I’ve hosted and held in the space,” Coates captioned a TikTok video. 

The influencer, who partly supports herself by teaching English to residents, notes that living as an expat in Costa Rica has its downsides. She has experienced racist microaggressions in her adopted hometown. 

Additionally, tropical storms have battered the cabin, and termites have destroyed some of the cabin’s wooden beams. The soon-to-be mother recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with repairs, which will enable her to continue hosting retreats and gatherings that promote emotional healing.  

“My Inner Child Healing Retreats offer a nurturing space to explore deep emotional healing through play, rest, guided practices, and nature immersion,” the social media influencer writes on her website. 

Visit the website to learn more about Find Serenity retreats or how you can support rebuilding efforts. 

 

RELATED CONTENT: Camp Yoshi Is The Black-Owned Outdoor Travel Group Where ‘Luxury Meets the Land’

November 3, 2025

Black Woman Turns $50 Into A Tropical Sanctuary

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-woman-tiktok-costa-rica-retreat-off-grid/

As many search for ways to connect with nature and live more sustainably, one TikToker is showing her followers that living off-the-grid is not only possible but affordable. 

Daja Hansel-Coates, who goes by the username @ihopeyoufindserenity on social media, relocated to southwestern Costa Rica 3 years ago with the plan to build a tropical sanctuary for herself. 

“In 2022, I did something that most people would consider completely crazy. I started living alone in an off-grid property that I purchased in rural Costa Rica,“ the digital creator said in a TikTok video, noting that she only had $50 to start the project. 

@ihopeyoufindserenity

My story and imperfect journey to off-grid living. Link to my GoFundMe is in my bio 💚

♬ sonido original – ihopeyoufindserenity

Through various photos and videos, followers can see the structure evolve from a basic frame to a fully functional cabin, primarily built with assistance from volunteers. On the property, there’s a farm where Coates grows food and cares for animals.

Besides sharing her journey with over 200,000 followers, Coates hosts “Inner-Child Healing and Liberated Daughter retreats” where guests can experience a lifestyle that features locally sourced foods and eco-friendly materials. 

I’m proud of all the things I’ve been able to do in the last 3 years, especially all of the people I’ve hosted and held in the space,” Coates captioned a TikTok video. 

The influencer, who partly supports herself by teaching English to residents, notes that living as an expat in Costa Rica has its downsides. She has experienced racist microaggressions in her adopted hometown. 

Additionally, tropical storms have battered the cabin, and termites have destroyed some of the cabin’s wooden beams. The soon-to-be mother recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with repairs, which will enable her to continue hosting retreats and gatherings that promote emotional healing.  

“My Inner Child Healing Retreats offer a nurturing space to explore deep emotional healing through play, rest, guided practices, and nature immersion,” the social media influencer writes on her website. 

Visit the website to learn more about Find Serenity retreats or how you can support rebuilding efforts. 

 

RELATED CONTENT: Camp Yoshi Is The Black-Owned Outdoor Travel Group Where ‘Luxury Meets the Land’


November 3, 2025

First Look at Boots Riley’s Latest Film ‘I Love Boosters’

https://blackgirlnerds.com/first-look-at-boots-rileys-latest-film-i-love-boosters/

Boots Riley, the visionary filmmaker behind Sorry to Bother You and creator of I’m a Virgo, returns with his latest project, I Love Boosters. A bold, genre-bending exploration of capitalism, community, and youthful rebellion. True to Riley’s signature style, the film mixes biting satire with magical realism, delivering a narrative that is both hilarious and haunting in its critique of modern society.

Set in Oakland, I Love Boosters follows a group of young hustlers who survive by “boosting” shoplifting from major corporations and redistributing the goods to their community. What begins as a quirky underground operation transforms into a revolutionary movement when the crew discovers that the products they’re stealing contain strange, reality-bending powers. As they navigate fame, danger, and internal conflict, Riley uses their story to unpack the absurdities of American consumerism and the illusion of freedom in a system built on exploitation.

Visually and tonally, I Love Boosters continues Riley’s reputation for inventive filmmaking. Expect vibrant, hyper-stylized imagery, radical humor, and unexpected musical interludes that transform ordinary scenes into surreal political statements. The film doesn’t shy away from confronting issues like wealth inequality, racial injustice, and the commodification of rebellion all wrapped in Riley’s irreverent, anarchic energy.

Neon released a first-look image today of the film with its stars: Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige and Keke Palmer.

Ultimately, I Love Boosters feels like a love letter to resistance and to the creative, defiant spirit of those who refuse to play by the rules. It’s provocative, strange, and unmistakably Boots Riley, a filmmaker who continues to push boundaries, question systems, and remind audiences that cinema can be both politically charged and wildly entertaining. With I Love Boosters, Riley cements his place as one of the most fearless voices in contemporary film.

The post First Look at Boots Riley’s Latest Film ‘I Love Boosters’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.


November 3, 2025

TALAMASCA Episode 3 Contains a Big Vampire Easter Egg That Will Please IWTV Fans

https://nerdist.com/article/talamasca-episode-3-interview-with-the-vampire-easter-egg-armand-pandora-marius/

TALAMASCA Episode 3 Contains a Big Vampire Easter Egg That Will Please IWTV Fans_1

So far, Talamasca: The Secret Order hasn’t had much to do with the other shows in AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe, outside of a cameo from Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy from Interview with the Vampire. But hidden in the opening sequence of Talamasca episode three, there is something that might just hint at the future adaptations of Anne Rice’s vampire novels and links into Interview with the Vampire. In the third episode, we learn that in the early ’70s, a great fire burned through the Talamasca’s central library in Amsterdam, destroying a thousand years of archives. One of the pages we see burning in this Talamasca scene contains mentions of several core vampire characters, one of which we already know well — the Vampire Armand, played by Assad Zaman in Interview with the Vampire.

A burning page of manuscript from Talamasca: The Secret Order.
AMC

The page we see on fire in Talamasca seems written in Old English, suggesting a medieval or Renaissance period. The script on this Talamasca artifact mentions the beauty of Amadeo, the name given to Armand by his vampire maker, the ancient Roman, Marius. In the books, Armand was originally a Russian slave (changed to Indian for the TV series), named Andrei. In the Interview with the Vampire series, his name became Arun or Arjun. When Marius bought him from cruel slave owners, he became mesmerized by his beauty, and named him Amadeo, Latin for “Loved by God.” When a Satanic coven kidnapped Amadeo and brainwashed him 500 years ago, they bestowed the name Armand upon him. The little dialogue we see echoes Marius’ descriptions of Amadeo in his vampire memoir, Blood and Gold by Anne Rice.

TALAMASCA Episode 3 Contains a Big Vampire Easter Egg That Will Please IWTV Fans_2
Alfred A. Knopf/Ballantine Books

The other vampire mentioned alongside Amodeo/Armand in the burning manuscript we see in Talamasca is Pandora. It’s hard to make out what it says about her, but her name is clearly visible. Marius sired Pandora in ancient Rome, and she is nearly 2,000 years old. Described as a woman with luxurious and long brown hair, Pandora was Marius’ immortal companion for many centuries, long before he met Armand. She first emerged in the modern day in Rice’s third vampire novel, The Queen of the Damned. In that story, she stands with several other ancient undead to oppose Akasha, the mother of all vampires. The character received her own novel in 1998, simply titled Pandora. It was one of two vampire novels published by Rice that year, with the second being The Vampire Armand.

We haven’t yet met Pandora or even heard of her in the Interview with the Vampire AMC series. But this inclusion of Pandora in the Talamasca certainly hints that she is on the mind of the Immortal Universal, as is Armand and his backstory.

Armand (Assad Zaman) in 1940s Paris in Interview with the Vampire season two.
AMC

AMC has already cast Marius for the upcoming The Vampire Lestat, he’ll be played by Christopher Heyerdahl. But these hints in Talamasca: The Secret Order suggest his backstory with Armand will remain intact from Rice’s novels. Pandora has not yet been cast, as far as we know. But, as we mentioned, this shows she’s definitely on the creative team’s mind for future seasons. Pandora is one of the many vampires we first meet in The Queen of the Damned. So theoretically, should we get that far in Rice’s narrative in a future season, Pandora will be there. We also learned at NYCC that season three of Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat will pull from Queen of the Damned.

So we say, let the fan-casting commence, we say! In the meantime, we’re just going to watch the trailer for The Vampire Lestat again for the 200th time. Who knows, maybe Pandora is in the crowd of one of Lestat’s concerts in the trailer? Can anyone out there spot her? We bet money Armand is definitely lurking somewhere there.

Talamasca: The Secret Order releases weekly on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. Interview with the Vampire season three will arrive in 2026.

The post TALAMASCA Episode 3 Contains a Big Vampire Easter Egg That Will Please IWTV Fans appeared first on Nerdist.


November 3, 2025

8 Beauty Buys For A Polished Look And They’re All Black-Owned  

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-owned-beauty-brands-skincare/

Ever wonder about the arsenal of items in your esthetician’s beauty kits? Well, that glow and polished look you have after receiving a grooming service is now more accessible. The variety of serums and tools is plentiful; many of which are from Black‑owned brands that are elevating not only skincare and daily beauty routines, but are also Black innovators in the beauty arena. Here are eight must-have beauty products that you can find at a beauty store near you.

Sugardoh Sugaring Tool Kit

Sugardoh Sugaring Tool Kit is the brainchild of entrepreneur Aliyah Marandiz. The kit includes sugar, applicators, and cloth strips for sugar waxing that offer a waste‑light alternative to conventional wax. Products are sold through its online store and shipped nationwide. Sugardoh snagged “Ulta’s Brand of the Year 2024” and is praised for its natural, soft‑touch hair‑removal method that curtails waste. 

EpiLogic

EpiLogic was founded by Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton, a plastic surgeon, who delivers a skincare line built around gentle, non‑irritating ingredients and crafted for melanated skin. Distributed through its website and a network of skincare retailers, the brand is in high demand for its products that are specifically formulated for skin of colour.

UnSun Cosmetics

UnSun Cosmetics, the brainchild of Katonya B. Breaux, offers residue‑free mineral sunscreens that are tinted to complement skin tones. Launched in the mid‑2010s, the line is sold online through a curated handful of retailers. It has quickly become a well‑known name. Estheticians consistently champion sun protection, and Black‑owned options like this one highlight a growing push for inclusive care.

Klur body oils 

Klur, the venture launched by Lesley Thornton, stands as a line of botanical body oils and blended skincare elixirs meant for treatments, from massaging to a splash of moisture, and body polish. The collection ships from its online website, but it also does pop-ups at a handful of curated retailers. After 10 years on the scene, Klur stakes its claim as a counterpoint to run‑of‑the‑mill skincare, leaning on meticulously selected ingredient profiles.

Shani Darden Skin Care 

Shani Darden Skin Care, a line of cleansers, peels, and serums, was launched by celebrity esthetician Shani Darden. The brand surged into the spotlight in the 2020s, buoyed by its credibility and cultural insight qualities that resonate with estheticians, who often prescribe or rely on its peels and serums.

Hyper Skin

Hyper Skin’s Fade & Glow, the AHA‑infused mask line, was conceived by Desiree Verdejo. It’s a skincare brand that zeroes in on brightening the complexion, targeting pigmentation, dark spots, and uneven tone. In just a few years, the label has amassed Allure Best of Beauty awards. Choosing a line whose formulas are crafted with melanin awareness in mind is a best practice and a meaningful statement.

Baby Tress Edge Styler 

Baby Tress Edge Styler, a stylized 3-in-1 brush tool, was co-founded by Shannon Kennard. It’s available through Baby Tress channels and retailers. The tool gained industry attention in 2024 by winning Allure’s Best of Beauty award. It supports representation in beauty tech by being a Black-owned tool for brows, lashes, and hairline edges.

Oui the People Featherweight Body Gloss 

Karen Young, a Black woman entrepreneur, founded The People Featherweight Body Gloss, a finishing tool that feels almost weightless on the skin. Its feather‑light formula glides, leaving a sheen without any heaviness. The product now sits on the shelves of major retailers. It is also available online, and in 2024, it earned a nod from the Beauty Press Awards. Estheticians frequently finish their treatments with oils or glosses. 

RELATED CONTENT: Shout Out To The Black Estheticians Who Keep Melanated Skin Glowing 


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