Style Session with Sarah

Remember when I mentioned a little project I was working on a few weeks ago? Well today I’m excited to reveal a new series on the blog called Style Session. You guys liked my interview series “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” but I wasn’t thrilled with the structure of it anymore. I’ve rejigged the interview style and questions with a focus on fashion and beauty and today I’m presenting it in it’s brand new format.

First up is my lovely godsister Sarah, who’s like my idol. I’m the oldest child in my family, but I’ve always viewed Sarah as an older sister figure. She’s so accomplished and gorgeous and I want to pursue my passions like she does. I caught up with Sarah on a sunny Saturday in the East Village and we spent a quick twenty minutes discussing her style and beauty routine.

star-crossed smile: So, Sarah, tell me a little bit about what you do.

Sarah Springer: During the day, I work at CBS News. I’m also a documentary filmmaker and I enjoy long-form journalism.

SCS: That’s really cool. How would you describe your go-to style? What do you like to wear?

Sarah: It’s great that you’re asking this because a friend of mine was recently saying that, looking at my closet, she would not be able to pinpoint my style. Overall, I’d say that comfort is key for me. I love crop tops. I love anything high-waisted and, when it comes to pants or bottoms, I love skinny [pants], tight, but not too tight.

SCS: I feel the exact same way. I just had a high-waisted denim revelation. Why would I wear low-waisted pants anymore?

Sarah: Exactly. Even though I’m wearing low-waisted pants right now. At least the blouse is loose enough to where I don’t feel like I’m showing everything.

SCS: Where are your favorite places to shop? Online or offline?

Sarah: Online, I definitely prefer to go to Polyvore if I’m looking for something specific. That way it will show me all the results for that item, including stores that I may not know about. I’m a huge online shopper because even though I love getting clothes, shopping in stores can be exhausting. Especially in New York, where everybody is [shopping] in the same area. You know when you go to an amusement park and you just wish that you could snap everybody gone so that you can get on all the rides and be the first in line? That’s how I feel when I shop in stores. So I’d rather shop online and just risk it. A lot of people don’t like to risk it, but I don’t mind.

SCS: A lot of places online now do free returns or you can return in store…

Sarah: Right! So it’s not that big of a deal. Right now I’m very into Topshop and Zara. Back in the day I used to shop at H&M a lot, but then you get to a certain age and you start to think about quality vs. quantity.

I really do believe in buying signature pieces that are timeless, that will last for years if you take care of them. Like leather, for instance. If you buy a leather jacket, it never goes out of style and it will last you 50 years. Another thing is jean jackets. Those are kind of timeless too. I feel like every spring, I see a jean jacket.

Another thing that I’ve been obsessed with is leopard. People want to hate on leopard, but it will be around forever. You can quote me on that! It’s definitely something that I incorporate in my style. I would never do head-to-toe [leopard], but an accent of leopard, can be very chic, very classy.

SCS: It’s true…. I feel like people at any age can wear leopard. I also wanted to ask you, and it might be hard to choose- do you have a current favorite item in your wardrobe that you find yourself putting on again and again?

Sarah: Yeah, actually I’ve ripped them because I’ve worn them so many times. My high-waisted Zara pants. They’re jeans, but not really. I’m looking for them again but I can’t find them anywhere I go.

SCS: Are they jegging material?

Sarah: Yeah, they’re stretchy and they don’t fade. I don’t like faded black jeans. I like a very crisp, dark color and I like [the color] to stay with every wash. Those pants were great, but I wore them so often that there’s a little hole in the thigh area.

SCS: Well I agree, high-waisted pants are where it’s at. Ok, let’s move on to beauty if you still have a couple minutes. Tell me about your beauty routine. What do you do on a daily basis to get ready?

Sarah: Before I used to just wash my face with water and St. Ives scrub because I never really had skin problems. I used Aveeno for a long time too. But right now, my mom got me on this skincare line by Rx for Brown Skin. The moisturizer I use is called ‘Flawless.’

SCS: Like Beyoncé.

Sarah: [Laughter] Yes, like the Beyoncé song. Occasionally I’ll try to do a hydrating mask because I tend to get dry, but that’s about it. I think that the more you put on your face or the more [products] you use to keep to your skin clear, the more dependent it becomes. I think it’s better to stay as minimal and natural as possible. Unless you have acne-prone skin or something that requires medication.

Also I’m using some anti-aging products now, because I think that starting that at 26 or 27 is a good thing. I tend to get wrinkles on my forehead, but I’m trying to do a lot of preventative things. I also have issues with dark circles under my eyes, so I use concealer.

I’m not a huge makeup person. I used to just wear blush and mascara, but now I’m finding that makeup brightens me up a little bit, and it helps with the dark circles. So I put concealer under my eyes and smooth it out, then I put on blush and then mascara.

SCS: So no foundation or anything like that?

Sarah: Nothing all over the face- I can’t do cakey makeup. I want my skin to breath as much as possible.

SCS: What products are you loving?

Sarah: I tend to go with MAC because it’s convenient. I love going to Sephora and just playing around. I think Bobbi Brown is really good and NARS products are really good. I think that it’s really important to take the time to sit with someone and figure out what works for your skin. Everyone has different undertones and different colors on different parts of their face. So it’s really helpful, if you have the time, to sit with someone who knows what they’re doing. I always say you should check their makeup. If their makeup looks crazy, then steer clear.

I like a natural look. I don’t want to look like I have makeup on. One thing I’ve been thinking about is eyebrows. I want to start putting more into my eyebrows, if I can, just to bring them out a bit, but I’m so lazy.

I’ll end with this- simple is key. I want to be as minimal as possible with everything- face, clothing, everything.

Thank you so much Sarah for allowing me to interview you! I would love to get feedback from you guys on this new series. Did you like it? Do you want to see more? Let me know in the comments below!

Outfit Details: Top- Foreign Exchange // Jeans- H&M // Purse- Urban Outfitters // Shoes- Aldo