Sandra's Truth

Tell me about yourself.

Sandra: My name is Sandra and I am a hairstylist. I am from London, but my parents were born and raised in Ghana. I work in a blow dry bar, but I am also a blogger on Instagram. I do it in my free time because I like fashion and going to restaurants with my friends and reviewing food.

What are your beauty struggles?

Sandra: I have a natural 4c curly afro and I just stick to products made by black companies because that is the only thing that works. I like using coconut oil in my hair and for my weave, I use whatever products I find lying around. I also have stretch marks that I find really annoying. When it comes to makeup, I keep it simple by shopping at MAC because I know they have my shade. If I was more into beauty, I would probably be extremely frustrated because there are no options for women of color, but I just stay away to save myself the disappointment. It is probably so frustrating being a makeup artist that works with people of color because darker skin has different undertones and brands don't create products that cater to them. That’s why I don’t venture into makeup because I’ve had a lot of bad experiences in stores where I'll get my makeup done and I walk out looking like a ghost. I don’t even bother trying. I feel like as a community we need to stop pressuring brands that don’t include us and make our own. Brands that include us know our worth.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Sandra: First, if you ever have a bad day or encounter a bad situation, don’t dwell on it. Have your moment then act like it never happened and carry on. If something bad is happening in your life you have to acknowledge it, be annoyed for a second, and then get over it. Take your L then after that use that as motivation and be better. Especially since we are in our 20’s and younger, we are at the age where we are trying to find ourselves and find out who has our back. Second, we can all win together. There is no need for competition.

What does community mean to you?

Sandra: I feel like the friends you’re always around, don’t always support you because they are used to having you around. The community I have built on my Instagram goes so hard for me and I appreciate them for that. Not saying my friends are bad friends. I’m just saying that since they are so used to me they have this mindset where they don’t actively try and help me. Online, I feel like what I have experienced with community is not that good. Most girls won’t tell you where they got their hair from or won’t share tips. Most people are so secretive about where they get things from, but little do they know putting other people on can lead to their glow up as well. A lot of influencers that make it big abandon the people who helped get them where they are and only associate with other famous influencers. It’s funny because some influencers have large followings, but little engagement because they don’t interact with their community. When it comes to me, I hate the competition among young black women. I would help anyone whether they have 1 million followers or 1 follower.

What is your self-care routine?

Sandra: I should do more if I’m being honest. I’m a very neutral person. I am never really sad or overly happy. I joke around a lot and am always laughing. That’s what keeps me sane; I’m not a very serious person. Also, once a week I’ll have a pamper day where I’ll eat junk food and relax. I like my own company as well. I’m usually by myself because it allows me to just to get my stuff together, but I do enjoy being in the company of people I love. My favorite song right now is Cardi B and Bruno Mars - Finesse.  

Keep up with Sandra on her journey:

Instagram: @blooutsbysan_