PENDA SARR

Shoot Your Shot

3:50:00 PM

Summer is the perfect time for me to focus on my blog and work on creating some new content. It gets hard during the academic year so I'...

Summer is the perfect time for me to focus on my blog and work on creating some new content. It gets hard during the academic year so I'm really trying to shoot more this season and buy more key pieces. Recently, I've been really getting into sneakers. I've even decided that I'm going to start a collection haha! Sneakers are comfy, versatile, and with all the new trends right now, you can wear them with any type of outfit.

I wanted part of my outfit to match my shoes(neat/organizational freaks be like) so I wore this cute and simple bandeau top. It's one of those items that you can wear for a casual day, or spice it up and wear with a suit at night. Thank God I wore it too because it was super hot this day!

To keep the black/white/blue color scheme going, I paired the look with a vintage Chanel. It's the perfect bag because it's small, yet I find that it adds a perfect contrast to this whole "streetwear" type of look. I've noticed that mixing streetwear with designer pieces is on the rise and at first, I didn't quite like it but now I see its appeal. It's a great way to make an outfit stand out!

My main focus for this shoot was to find a quiet and empty basketball court(after all, my sneakers are named after a former basketball player lol). You can do so much in a b-ball court, because there's so many colors and interesting tones around you. The photographer and I basically walked around the lower east side and as soon as we found one, we gave each other that "yep, this is it" look haha.

There was only another person on the court playing basketball, which was great because I didn't feel pressured to rush my poses. Sometimes, you're in a crowded area and people keep walking by so you get kind of de-stabilized but we didn't have that problem here. I even had some time to do some squats haha!

I loved everything about this photoshoot. It's really nice when you envision something and it turns out exactly how you wanted to, and sometimes even better. Safe to say I'll be back at the court ;)

(The floor was so hot haha...but we needed to get the shot!)

Photographer credits: @Beezshotme (https://www.instagram.com/beezshotme/?hl=en)

Connect with me:

Instagram: @pendasarr
Snapchat: @pendouchi

Outfit details:

Top: Pretty Little Thing

Jeans: Bershka

Shoes: Nike

Bag: Chanel

Get the look!

Top:

https://www.prettylittlething.us/basic-black-jersey-bandeau-top.html?istCompanyId=b972e4de-de58-4ac9-9a3c-d255a815fef9&istItemId=xwmrwllpll&istBid=tzww&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy8un2IGL3AIVzVuGCh2MEA2YEAQYASABEgL42PD_BwE

Jeans:

https://www.bershka.com/us/women/clothing/jeans/high-waist-mom-jeans-c1010276029p101316081.html?colorId=250

Shoes:

https://www.stadiumgoods.com/air-jordan-1-retro-high-og-256559

Bag:
https://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/p/A57521Y83723C1381/large-shopping-bag-embroidered-wool-calfskin-silver-tone-metal/

Standing in the Sun

1:33:00 PM

Do you ever just quickly put together an outfit and then you really like how it turned out? That's exactly what happened to me with this...

Do you ever just quickly put together an outfit and then you really like how it turned out? That's exactly what happened to me with this all yellow look. I had to meet up with a friend and run some errands that day, so I wanted to wear something light, comfortable, yet still stylish. So, I paired these flowy high waisted pants with this yellow top that you guys have probably seen me wear before.

You have to tie both of the pieces together, so I tucked in the wrap top into the pants, that way the tie detail could really stand out. At first, I was a bit hesitant about pairing both items together because the yellow isn't the same shade. However, in the end, I actually liked how the different tones looked together.

I was super sick this day and on top of that, I hadn't gotten much sleep from the night before. But the fact that it was sunny and that I was wearing something bright kept me really happy. I always try to stay positive in any type of situation, it helps put things into perspective and keep me stress free. And believe it or not, wearing bright colors also helps me out lol!

I love doing monochromatic looks, so I finalized my outift with these cute yellow gold sandals. They were on sale last summer for less than $30 and there was only one pair left so of course, I had to get them :))

Yellow is a beautiful color to wear for the spring and summer so I'm definitely going to be getting more of it for the summer. As you can tell, I really liked this outfit and I got so many compliments on in so that didn't hurt either haha!

Stay tuned for more posts! Thank you for reading <3.

Connect with me:

Instagram: @pendasarr
Snapchat: @pendouchi

Outfit details:

Top: Nasty Gal

Pants: Thrifted

Shoes: Zara

Get the look!

Top:

https://www.nastygal.com/wrapped-around-your-finger-top/AGG93655.html?color=146

Pants:

https://www.loft.com/petite-slim-tie-waist-pants-in-marisa-fit/457768?skuId=24474559&defaultColor=3401&prodId=457768&CID=PLA_BRD_G_LT_Petite%7CLT-G-PLA-Petite-Pants-PLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg5ejoYK42wIVASaGCh1pbwuyEAQYASABEgKpWvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Shoes:

https://www.zara.com/us/en/multicoloured-straps-sandals-p12634301.html?v1=6597044&v2=1047083

Beauty Hacks & Tips

12:06:00 PM

Hello hello :)! It's time for some beauty #tingz! I'm really excited to write this one because I think it can be beneficial to all ...

Hello hello :)! It's time for some beauty #tingz! I'm really excited to write this one because I think it can be beneficial to all of us. My interest in beauty really kicked off a little over a year ago, so I'm always experimenting with my makeup and skincare products. Through research and my own experiences, I've come up with some beauty hacks and tips which have helped me with my routines. I divided everything in terms of makeup and skincare tips, so there's something for everybody. Ok, let's get started!

Makeup Hacks & Tips

There are different ways to perfect your makeup routine. Here are some of the hacks and tips I do which work well for me.

1) Moisturize your face right before you're about to start your face makeup

Usually, we tend to moisturize our face before we start our eyebrows. However, this can make our eyebrow product come off easily. So, I find it better to moisturize my face after I finish my eyebrows and eyeshadow, and right before I apply my foundation.

2) Set your face with powder after you prime

This was a game changer for me! If you have oily skin, it's good to set your face with a matte powder about 5 minutes after you prime. It'll help reduce the shine and give you a more airbrushed look, which will last all day. If you have normal skin and want a matte look, this is also something to try. If your skin is dry, I would skip this step, unless you have a hydrating product to add on top of your primer.

3) Apply foundation on the center of your face and then blend outwards

In order to minimize looking cakey, always put foundation on the center of your face first and then blend it outwards. It'll make your makeup look much more natural, as opposed to if you were to put it around your jaw or hairline.

4) Apply foundation, concealer, and then setting powder to cover a pimple

We all have those days where there's that one pimple who just doesn't want to go away. To cover this up, you can dab a bit of foundation on it, and then add some concealer. To help both of those products stay in place, you can add setting powder in the end.

5) Apply lip balm on your upper cheeks before your highlighter

Zendaya talked about this trick and I just had to try it. It actually makes your highlighter stand out more so if you're the extra type, definitely try this one. Just make sure that your lip balm doesn't have any ingredients which could make you break out.

Skincare Hacks & Tips

1) Apply hyaluronic acid to your face when it is damp

I recommend hyaluronic acid to anyone. It replenishes your skin by hydrating it, and keeping it soft and supple. It's best to apply it to your face when it's damp, that way your face can retain as must moisture as possible. The Ordinary has a pretty good hyaluronic acid serum, check it out here: https://theordinary.com/product/rdn-hyaluronic-acid-2pct-b5-30ml.

2) Do your skincare routine as soon as you step out of the shower

I used to focus on my body first when I stepped out the shower, but I've recently been letting my body airdry and working on my face first. This really helps because when your face is still damp, it can absorb skincare products easily and give you that soft and smooth glow.

3) Layer masks

I recently read this tip in an article and I also see beauty youtuber Jackie Aina do this often so I decided to try it out. We all have different types of skin and believe it or not, sometimes different areas of our face need different treatments. So, it's important to layer masks.

For example, if you have an oily t-zone, you should use masks that have clay, charcoal, or salicylic acid in them. This will help absorb the oil and get rid of any debris that's inside your skin. To brighten your under eyes, consider using retinol eye masks. For your cheeks, try using a mask with vitamin c in it. Yes, you'll look a bit crazy with 3 different masks on your face but hey, the glow after is worth it.

4) Use your ring finger to blend eye creams and moisturizers

It's important to be gentle when working with your skin. The ring finger is our weakest finger so using it to apply eye creams and moisturizers can be very beneficial, as it has the least pressure.

5) Use frozen green tea bags to get rid of puffy eyes and dark circles

This is an ancient hack but it still works so well. Sometimes, you have a crazy and tiring week and you just don't want to use all those products. If you want to use something more natural, try freezing some used green tea bags and then putting them on your eyes. Green tea has amazing antioxidants and lots of caffeine, which can help brighten the dark circles, and reduce the puffiness around your eyes.

So there you have it, some of my favorite beauty hacks & tips! Feel free to message me if you have any questions or to let me know if you try any of these hacks.

Thank you for reading!

Love,
Penda

How Becoming a Blogger Helped Me Build Self-Confidence

3:52:00 PM

You never know where your source of growth comes from, but once it’s there it all starts to make sense. This is what happened to me when I ...

You never know where your source of growth comes from, but once it’s there it all starts to make sense. This is what happened to me when I began my journey to becoming a “style and beauty blogger”. It’s almost been 3 years since I began my blog (wohoo anniversary coming up!); it was scary starting something so new to me, but the results have been worth it.

I’ve gotten questions from people asking me how I became so comfortable with myself/gained confidence and quite often, I found myself giving half-responses because I wasn’t so sure. However, I sat down a few days ago and really thought about it and a lot of it has to do with my side hustle, which is basically blogging.

I’m not gonna sit here and tell you guys that it’s one of those things that just “happened” because it definitely wasn’t lol. I had low self-esteem in highschool. I hid it quite well but I was struggling with loving and being comfortable with myself. A lot of those negative feelings started to go away when I began my blog.

If we’re being completely honest, I had no idea what the heck I was doing when I first started. But, I liked it. I liked brainstorming ideas, I liked creating outfits, and most of all, I liked practicing poses and then executing them on the days of my photoshoots.

In the beginning, it was hard for me to pose in front of people, but as I kept doing it, it became one of those things where I was like “oh well if people stare at me, then they stare at me”. The fact that I immersed myself so heavily in my worked greatly helped me learn how to love and gain confidence in myself. I also think it has to do with the fact that I felt good whenever I wore an outfit I liked. Apart from that, the photoshoots were quite empowering for me. So, little by little, I started to celebrate myself and recognize my worth. And as weird as it may sound, 95% of that was due to two things I loved doing: creating outfits, and blogging.

I also met a bunch of people through my blog who had the same interests as me. These people, some of whom are my closest friends now, had such a great energy and that was refreshing for me. The saying that surrounding yourself with people who love themselves and have good vibes can lead to the same for you is definitely true. I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum: surrounded by people who tore me down, and the opposite. And of course, I gravitated towards the opposite because I noticed it helped me with my own self-esteem.

It was definitely a hard/weird journey but it was necessary for me. I think at some point in our life, we all go through a phase(or multiple) where something sort of triggers a change and we consciously or unconsciously embark on a journey, no matter how uncomfortable or scary it may be.

With that being said, I’m really happy I’ve reached a point where I’m confident in who I am. It’s taken a lot to get here and sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I not started the blog or discovered my love for fashion. Of course, there’s no one way to boost your self-esteem, what works for some people may not work for others. But, I do think that it all starts with positive thinking, and allowing yourself to realize how you feel and working towards changing that. And who knows, maybe starting a blog or expressing yourself through creative mediums such as fashion may help ;)!

Speaking of fashion, let’s talk about style! I actually wore this outfit on New Years Eve, however, it’s one of those looks you can wear during the daytime. I combined a floraly bodysuit with some semi-flare (is that even a term haha) pants, and black block sandals.

Because of the prints on the bodysuit, I barely accessorized: just some large gold hoops, a watch, and a bracelet. By the way, I’m trying to get more jewelry, so if you guys know about some cool stores, please let me know!

I really liked the bodysuit. I was a bit hesitant at first because I found it fitted weirdly on me, but I think wearing it with the high-waisted pants helped. This is just one way to wear it; for example, you can wear a skirt or some cute culottes with the top.