'A confident woman holds power': Indian actress Katrina Kaif on facing the pressure to look beautiful

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. In the age of social media, however, there are many beholders. With every image or video we put out on the Internet, the beholders are deciding how we look, how we dress, who gets to epitomise beauty and who doesn’t. No one feels this heat as much as public figures in the entertainment realm whose every feature, every bulge, every curve is out for close scrutiny. If a criticism on your weight or skin tone ever upset you, imagine the celebrity who reads comments on how they look on an everyday basis and pick up the pieces and move on. Which is why, when Katrina Kaif rejects the nomenclature of being an epitome of beauty, it is deeply satisfying and validating.

It says something about our collective obsession with beauty when even she says, “There have been times when I have felt the pressure to live up to a certain standard of beauty in my experience as an actor and a model.” This also means that women — whether they are Gen Z, millennials or boomers — have to find an alternate idea of beauty, one that is rooted in something other than what the world had prescribed her.

In 2019, Kaif co-founded Kay Beauty with Nykaa, the leading Indian beauty and wellness ecommerce company. In doing so, it may seem that Kaif joined her Hollywood counterparts like Rihanna who have launched their own makeup and beauty brands that have turned out to be hugely successful. But Kaif’s relationship with makeup goes deeper. “I got interested in makeup in my early teenage years. And it has been a deeply personal journey right through my years as a model and an actor. I have often done my own makeup for many films and red carpet events,” she recalls. Which is why when an opportunity came to launch a beauty brand, she knew exactly what was needed.

Kay Beauty, which makes its way to the UAE and will be retailed at Nysaa, is a culmination of an endeavour to make women feel comfortable in their own skin. And makeup does that most effortlessly. “Whether you are having a good or bad day, we want you to feel good about yourselves. That emotion has to be celebrated, and I think that’s where true beauty emanates from. When you see a woman who is confident and comfortable in her own skin, she holds power. It’s no longer about conforming to a societal standard.”

There is considerable truth in that claim. Makeup has the power to make you feel comfortable in your own skin, giving you the confidence you need to make your presence felt in the world. The reason Kay Beauty resonated en masse in India was because it found a consumer base among women who wanted quality makeup without breaking the bank. From a soft, everyday look to the smoky eye, the range is so vast that it’s not an exaggeration to say it has something for everyone. “What makes the UAE an ideal market for Kay Beauty is that we know that we have discerning consumers there. Women know that the function of makeup is to highlight the features so they look their best selves. That’s what led me to do my own makeup on several occasions. In doing so and simultaneously working with the best makeup artistes in the world, I came to understand that there was a need for a makeup range that offered quality at an accessible price.”

The brand enters the UAE with a wide range of products, including its liquid highlighter which has acquired a following of its own owing to a seamless formulation. While it was initially marketed as a brand for women of colour, its canvas has been expanding steadily to include all skin tones. But Katrina says what makes the UAE a natural market is the fact that the climate is so similar.

An astute beauty entrepreneur, she is aware that in order to enter the UAE market, which already offers the best products from some of the biggest brands, you have to stand out. “You need to be able to offer something really extraordinary to step into that market. And it’s one of those places I am most confident of stepping into because I know the products will resonate among the consumers. Whether it’s our textures or formulations, it’s for every consumer out there. I also know that the UAE has a diverse population, which is exciting for me. One thing that was very important for us when we were developing Kay Beauty was that we wanted the products to work in hot and humid climates. Our formulations had to be just right, and it could not have been about just shade and texture,” she says.

The excitement is duly shared by Adwaita Nayar, co-founder of Nykaa and CEO of Nykaa Fashion. “Kay Beauty has made significant waves in India with its innovative and inclusive products and has resonated deeply with Indian consumers from all walks of life. With the GCC becoming a hub for all beauty enthusiasts who love to discover and try new product in the markets, we can’t wait to enter the region.”

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