Muna's Menu
The Menu invites Chic, Conscious Consumers to share their go to products & passions because what’s more curated than a menu? From skincare to soundtracks, here’s what’s on their plate…
Napkin Notes from your Home Chef, Phia
Allow me to introduce you to our latest Guest Chef Muna ….
.
Muna describes herself as the “Startup Strategist”, much of her strategy and expertise is showcased through her Substack I Have Thoughts. On Substack she chats everything Early Stage Investing, Beauty, and Women’s Sports.
Let’s get into Muna’s Menu!
What is your favorite restaurant?
Right now? Fish Cheeks in NYC and Bambou in Paris. Both are Thai fusion but have very different vibes. Fish Cheeks has great cocktails and is such a fun place to go with friends. My go-to drink order is the Tongue & Cheek in a little coupe. Bambou has amazing desserts (I dream about the eclair often) and the unusual decor makes it perfect for meeting up with a new friend or reconnecting with an old fling — there’ll never be a dull moment because at the very least you can chat about the upholstery or smoking parlor in the basement.
Describe yourself in 3 words:Exacting. Unapologetic. Obsessive.
Describe yourself or what you do using references from movies,characters, TV shows, or songs.
I always say my job is like Mad Men so that my family has a grasp on what I do for a living. It’s glamorous and exciting and the proximity to celebrities, tastemakers and important decision-makers can sometimes give a false sense of power and prestige. But at the end of the day, like Don Draper, I’m just some guy. Or more specifically in my case, just some girl who happens to help startups and investors build the companies of tomorrow. I’d also say my work can be a little bit of Wendy Rhoades from Billions, and a tad bit of both Aaron Burr and Alex Hamilton in the song ‘Nonstop’ from Hamilton the Musical. Me as a person, though? I’d say I’m Erika Girardi pre-lawsuit drama mixed with the musical number ‘Chip on Your Shoulder’ from Legally Blonde on Broadway. You could probably also throw a little bit of Lady Mary (from Downton Abbey) and Mary Jane Paul (from Being Mary Jane) in there too. Strong sense of self, a little controlling and condescending, but deeply passionate and fiercely loving towards the people they care about.
Describe your “digital diet”
My screen time is ridiculous. I’m trying to work on that. I think I average 6-9 hours a day. Mainly I scroll through Instagram following people I know IRL or work with. Recently, Substack has been my favorite app along with falling in love with YouTube again. Long-form content is *in* whether it’s written or in video form. Brand Baby by Bethany Paris Ramsey, The Sauce by Kellie Spano, With Love, Mufaro by Mufaro, Reframed by Ashley Rudolph, and Work Wife by Sabrina Molu are some of my fave newsletters that I check daily while on my lunch break. Weekend mornings are for YouTube. @ParisianVibe is one of my favorite channels. Their “In The Bag of 3 Parisians” series is top tier ambient but entertaining content. I also love SheerLuxe’s YouTube account, especially their ‘Leading Ladies’ series and the ‘BTS of [Fill in Cool Agency, Event, or Product Launch]’ videos. It’s like 52 minutes of pure chic, fun, cool girl energy. In what world would I watch 50+ minute YouTube videos?!?! This one, apparently, if they’re made by Sheerluxe 🤷🏾♀️. Every single one is so perfectly paced and filmed in the unfiltered, low-fi but still high quality and professionally produced way. I also watch A LOT of sports. Several evenings throughout the week, I’ll stay up way past my bedtime trying to catch up on WNBA games. Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, and Las Vegas Aces all get top priority on my screen time.
If you had to choose your “big three” based on your favorite media, brands or products what would your Sun,Moon and Rising be?
Sun = 30% Puck News and 70% Man Repeller (RIP)
Moon = 70% Coveteur and 30% Vine videos (RIP)
Rising = 70% Puck News and 30% Man Repeller (RIP... again)
Let’s start with Aperitivo:
What makes you feel chic?
A clean apartment. Fancy laundry detergent. Fresh bouquets around my home. A perfectly fitted beanie.
What are your 2 favorite perfumes?
Xtra Milk by Dedcool is my absolute #1 and there’s a tie for #2 between Noelle by Joya, New York Nostalgia from Maison Millais, and Punkstar by Moodeaux
What’s your drink of choice?
Caramel protein shake with a shot of espresso in the morning, iced water with Berry Dragonfruit MIO in the afternoon, and a non-alcoholic Southside Mojito from Blind Tiger at night!
What is a free beauty tip you live by?
“If you never wear sunscreen, what’s the point of your expensive skincare?” i.e. “Wear sunscreen, always!”
Moving on to Starters:
What are your favorite shower products? face, cleansers, body wash, scrubs etc.
I mostly just use Suave body wash and Dove exfoliating bar or whatever else I can buy in bulk on Amazon.
What’s your favorite appetizer?
Caesar Salad!!
What’s your favorite piece of content you’ve recently consumed?
Can I choose 2? Because both of these videos rocked my world recently in the most frivolously fabulous and inspiring way: “Inside The Team That Runs The Beauty World: Glossier, Victoria Beckham, Diptyque” from SheerLuxe’s YouTube and “A Stylish Businesswoman’s Dream Wardrobe, Building A Brand, Biohacking Routine & Dubai Hotspots” also from SheerLuxe (starts off slow but picks up ~13min mark)
I also revisit Wes Kao’s article “Rigorous Thinking” at least once or twice a year. She’s one of the best and most underrated leadership experts. She was my business coach when I first started my company and I use her advice as the gold standard. This specific article put a name to the specific approach I use in everything (work, life, romantic, etc.) to achieve success. The world needs more rigorous thinking, if you ask me!
What’s your favorite song?
‘Next Thing You Know’ by Jordan Davis
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
“You’re so cool” said by an underclassman to me and my best friend our senior year of college. Sounds cheesy, but it was really affirming to be seen as aspirational and cool just from being my authentic self. Every time I start to care too much about how I’m being perceived I think back to that moment and remind myself to just be who I am.
Now for The Main Course
What are your favorite serums, body lotions etc.?
I am hardcore obsessed with Abi Ame’s summer skin body serum. It’s a body lotion-serum hybrid that soaks into the skin so well and feels soooo luxurious. I just bought my fifth tube.
If I want something a bit more ritualistic, I’ll reach for Koba Skin body creme. For my face, Topicals FADED has been a godsend because dark spots are my #1 skin concern and nothing worked on my darker skin except their serum. I’ve been buying it since launch day in 2020 and it’s really helped me handle the recurring scars that pop up from all my skin picking. I’m on my seventh or eighth one at this point. Other honorable mentions: Light Beams Skin Barrier Serum by Of Other Worlds (if you use a lot of chemical exfoliants this is good!) and Caudalie’s vinoperfect but I only get it in France because the U.S. prices are ridiculous.
One product you’ll repurchase over and over again?
SO MANY! I’m fanatical when it comes to products I love. Maybe my most beloved is On Til Dawn Setting Spray by One/Size or the Taylor Farms pre-made chopped Cesar Salad on Amazon Grocery delivery.
What’s your most worn fashion piece?
A random “Black Billionaires Club” sweatshirt from this cool brand I found on Instagram during early days of COVID. I’ve worn in 2-3 times a week for the last 5 years. Mine is so worn down that I desperately want a new one but they release in such limited quantity runs that I may never get a chance. According to Instagram the last time they had the Black version in stock was 218 weeks ago...
What’s your death row meal?
I can’t even begin to think of an answer for this because I’m so afraid of death!!! Maybe a really good lobster roll with thinly cut chives and garlic butter?
What’s in your bag?
Give us a fashion tip that helps you be a more chic conscious consumer.
Wear what you like. It’s not about finding a signature style, it’s about wearing what makes you feel good and if that’s the same thing every single day then go for it!
What’s a perspective you’ve had that has completely changed overtime?
That marriage is a scam. I grew up overexposed to shows like Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, Vanderpump Rules, and The Bachelor which gave me a really screwed up view of what adult relationships and marriage was supposed to look like. Now I’m completely flipped and starting to appreciate the romance and whimsy that comes from a beautiful wedding and loving marriage.
What was your favorite item of clothing as a child?
My basketball jersey for whatever team I was playing on at the time — either AAU or my school team.
And a final bite for Dessert
What are your favorite lip care products, candles - the things that act as the icing on the cake in your self care and beauty routine.
I’m a lip product fiend right now. Eadem’s Le Chouchou in Butter Mochi is my favorite in squeezy tube right now but my go-to is always a lipstick style format. I love Finding Ferdinand’s Morphosis lip balm which gives an Hermès or Gucci Beauty level of chicness with it’s packaging but at a fraction of the price and is Asian American-owned with a clean, vegan formula
What is your favorite dessert or midnight snack?
Birthday cake milkshake from Braum’s or a cake jar from Blondery
What’s your favorite thing on your nightstand?
My charging pad because it forces me to put my phone down and go to sleep. Without it, I’d be tap-tap-tapping away all night.
If you had to curate the guest list for the ultimate “Chic,Conscious Consumer” gathering, who are your three must-invites?
Anne Hathaway! I love her style and she wears Christopher John Rogers sooo well. She also seems thoughtful in an honest yet kind way which makes for a great dinner party guest.
Tariro Makoni who’s the author of Trademarked, a newsletter here on Substack. She seems like someone who cares about all the little details and understands the ✨context✨ surrounding what she buy which makes for a great conversation partner. I also think she’d be a great person for comparative analysis. Most people don’t try tons of the same product in order to find the best one and that makes her even more interesting. I think she and I have that in common – our desire to test different things before committing to a favorite.
My friend Christal who’s the founder of Tonal Cosmetics and has an incredible eye for art and design. We send ultra long voice memos about what we’re loving and what we’re side-eyeing all the time.
Libby Callaway, one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I had the honor of interning for her. I was absolutely awful at that job, but learned so much and was able to see what a true tastemaker is like — not just someone who claims to have an edge and curates “taste” based on what’s trending.
What is a topic you wish someone would ask you about – a quirky interest or something you’re well versed in that you don’t get to talk about enough.
How we can change the world by our own individual actions. I see so much doom and gloom on the internet, especially now, and there’s this resounding theme of feeling helpless. That feeling of cynicism can be curbed by doing something and I want to talk about all the things we could be doing instead of doomscrolling — volunteering, donating, advocacy, accountability, mutual aid, community building, etc. etc. Please!!! ASK ME ABOUT IT.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“In the end, it’ll all be okay. If it’s not okay then it’s not the end.”
And that completes your serving size for today! For more of Muna check out her Susbtack and Le French Conversation, where she hosts meetups for anyone who’s learning and practicing French!
As always, thanks for consuming!!
Phia
“Each Day Gets Better”
So grateful to be in your rotation friend! <3
This piece really made me think, Muna's 'just some guy' insight is so profound.