Our Journey to Outer Beauty

HerRise isn’t just about inner growth — it’s also a space to explore your outer beauty journey. Especially for the girls who’ve had to figure it out on their own.

Maybe you grew up with a mom who was in survival mode. Maybe you didn’t have one at all. Or maybe you just didn’t have anyone around to teach you the little things — the beauty tips, the hair tricks, the steps to feeling more confident in your own skin.
I see you. Because I’ve been there too.

When it came to my own hair, it was a long journey — and it started with confusion. My mom, like many women of her generation, preferred to keep her hair straight. And while she always made sure I was taken care of, she didn’t really have the tools or knowledge to teach me how to care for my curls. I had to learn it all myself.

For years, my hair was a frizzy, crunchy mess. I didn’t understand why certain products didn’t work or why my curls never seemed to hold definition. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the concept of different hair types — like low porosity and high porosity — that everything started to click. Once I understood how my hair absorbed and responded to moisture, I began to see real change. My curls became healthier, more defined, and way more manageable.

But the journey didn’t stop there. Recently, I’ve noticed that while my hair is trained and healthy, I’ve lost a lot of density over time. It’s not something I paid attention to at first, but now I’m on a new chapter — learning how to bring back the thickness I once had as a little girl, back when I mostly wore braids or kept it straight. This process of rediscovery is something I want to share openly, because I know I’m not the only one navigating it.

When it came to makeup, my story is like a lot of girls growing up in the 2000s and 2010s — YouTube was my teacher. I watched countless videos, trying to mimic looks and figure out what actually suited my face. Some of those early experiments? A mess. But over time, I found my rhythm. I followed creators who looked like me, and even some who didn’t, and studied their techniques until I could build my own.

Fashion? Same story. I didn’t grow up with unlimited resources or closets full of trendy pieces. I grew up low middle class, so I had to be resourceful. Thrift stores and clearance racks were my best friends. I learned how to elevate basics, how to work with what I had, and how to express myself through style — without needing to break the bank. I learned that less can be more, if you know how to make it your own.

Everything I know now about outer beauty — hair, makeup, fashion — came from trial and error. From curiosity. From watching, experimenting, failing, and finally figuring it out. It didn’t come handed to me. And I know a lot of girls out there are still in that figuring-it-out phase.

So that’s what this space is for.

HerRise is the guide I wish I had.
It’s for the girls who’ve felt lost in the beauty aisle. For the ones who weren’t taught how to braid their own hair, or pick the right foundation shade, or style an outfit that made them feel powerful. It’s for the self-taught girls, the late bloomers, the experimenters, and the glow-getters ✨

Outer beauty isn’t something you’re born knowing how to express — it’s something you build through self-awareness, patience, and creativity. And you don’t have to do it alone anymore.

Illustration by Mohamed Hassan on Unsplash