Mommy & Tahiry at the Lip Lab: A Day Out with My Broke Best Friend

My daughter Tahiry is nine now.

She’s still little in some ways; still wants bedtime cuddles, still leaves glitter on the furniture—but there are signs that she’s growing up. I see it in the way she carries herself. I hear it in the questions she asks. She’s curious about her place in the world. About how she looks. About who she’s becoming.

And if I’m honest, I feel it, too. The shift. The ticking clock. The quiet awareness that these moments—where I’m her whole world—won’t last forever.

So I’ve made a decision: I won’t just be present for the big milestones. I want to be present in the small, intentional ways that say “I see you. I hear you. I delight in you.” I want to create memories that hold us together long after she’s grown.

That’s why I planned a day just for us. A day of joy, beauty, and bonding. A day for my broke best friend and me.

A Beauty Experience Worth Every Drop

We started at Lip Lab D.C., tucked in at 20 District Square SW in The Wharf neighborhood. It’s not just a store, it’s an experience. You sit down with a Color Expert and design your own lipstick or gloss from scratch. You choose the shade, the finish, the scent, and even the name. Then they pour and mold it right in front of you, and engrave it with your name or a special message.

Tahiry and I both created custom lip glosses, hers had sparkle, of course, and when she held her finished tube in her hand, her eyes lit up like she had just won a crown.

Each gloss is $55, which includes the full custom experience and engraving. Yes, it’s a little luxury. But this wasn’t about the price; it was about the moment. It was about her knowing that she matters. That she deserves to take up space, have preferences, and express herself without apology.

My Broke Best Friend

Let me tell you about my daughter. She’s nine years old but already has a refined palate—truffle salt, tuna steaks cooked medium, and the only lip gloss she’ll carry is Dior. Tahiry doesn’t have a job, doesn’t pay a bill, and couldn’t tell you the difference between a debit card and a credit score. But that didn’t stop her from stepping into the role of creative director of her own luxury beauty empire, ready to swipe someone else’s card with full confidence.

She picked her lip gloss scent like she was preparing for a high-stakes product launch—“Bougie by T,” coming soon. And the way she gave honest, no-nonsense feedback on every shade I tested? Let’s just say she knows exactly what she wants. She was in her zone—bold, opinionated, and living her best soft life on my dime. And honestly? I loved every second of it.

This whole bougie vibe? Yeah, a lot of that is on me, but I’m passing the blame up the line to my mother on this one.

She’s my broke best friend, but she’s also my heart. Spending intentional time with her—just the two of us—reminded me of something powerful: these little dates aren’t just cute outings. They’re deposits into her sense of self-worth. They’re my way of telling her, “You’re worth slowing down for. You are worth celebrating.”

A Boat Ride & Southern Comfort

After Lip Lab, we caught the City Cruises Water Taxi from the Wharf across the Potomac to National Harbor. The ride was breezy and peaceful, giving us just enough time to exhale and enjoy the view together. It turned an already special day into a full adventure.

We ended with lunch at Succotash, a restaurant serving Southern cuisine with a modern twist. The hush puppies, the fried chicken, the mac and cheese, it all hit just right.

Tahiry talked about her gloss and asked when we could come back. I just smiled and took it all in, knowing that these are the memories she’ll hold onto long after the gloss is gone.

These Moments Matter

As Black mothers, we are often taught to do everything—hold the household, hustle, sacrifice, stay strong. But too often, joy and softness fall to the bottom of the list.

This day reminded me why I refuse to let that happen in my house.

I want Tahiry to know that joy is not a reward. It’s a birthright. That being seen and celebrated isn’t something you have to earn. That creating beauty for yourself is holy, not indulgent. I want her to understand that love shows up in the details... in time carved out, in stories shared over lunch, in tiny tubes of gloss with her name on them.

Because these moments? They are the glue. They build a foundation for trust, for confidence, for softness that lasts.

Plan Your Own Day of Beauty & Bonding

If you’re looking to create a moment like this, here’s what you need to know:

Lip Lab D.C. 📍 20 District Square SW, Washington, D.C. 20024 💄 Custom lipstick or gloss: $55 (includes scent + engraving) ⏰ Book ahead online at www.liplab.com

City Cruises Water Taxi ⛴ Runs between The Wharf and National Harbor 🌐 Info and tickets: cityexperiences.com

Succotash at National Harbor 📍 186 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD 🍽 Southern-inspired comfort food in a beautiful, relaxed setting

Before You Go

She’s growing up. And so much of what she’ll carry into womanhood will come from what I show her now.

So I’ll keep making the time. I’ll keep creating these moments. I’ll keep saying “yes” to adventures, to beauty, to rest, and to joy.

Because one day, she’ll look back, and she may forget the exact color she made. But she’ll remember how she felt. Chosen. Loved. Celebrated.

And that, to me, is everything.