Indians have always been obsessed with fair skin, and how women with darker skin tones have been looked down upon. There are hacks and totkas shared by people to lighten skin tones by people like having dark skin is a crime. Even beauty brands that only have fair-skinned celebrities and models as their brand ambassadors send the wrong message in terms of beauty standards. In an exclusive interview with Hauterrfly, Ananya Birla talks about his representation is important in the beauty industry and how it shapes young mindsets. She is the Indian brand ambassador of Maybelline New York along with Suhana Khan, PV Sindhu and Eksha Kerung.
Ananya Birla shed light on the importance of representation in the beauty industry. She said, “One thing I would like to say is that we should never compare ourselves to anybody else, and we all have our journeys. We are all beautiful in our own ways.” Opening about her battle with having thin lips, the ‘Teri Meri Kahani’ hitmaker said, “For the longest time, I used to battle with it, and now I feel beautiful.”
She said it was a struggle for her because the beauty standard was all around her. Ananya Birla added, “Showing diversity in the beauty industry, in general, is very important. All colours and shapes are beautiful, hand on heart.” She elaborated that misrepresentation leads young girls in believing that they are not beautiful which is not true at all. Ananya also added that portraying inclusivity and diversity is very much important for the mental health of both boys and girls.
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It is high time that other brands also showcase inclusivity as per Indian standards in terms of their ambassadors. There should be more inclusivity in terms of shade range in foundations as well because the Indian skin tone leans more toward brown, and only having fairer shades shows ignorance on the brand’s part.