International Women’s Month: Beauty Lessons From Inspiring South Asian Women

From glowing complexions to statement hair, explore beauty lessons inspired by inspiring South Asian women this International Women’s Month.

March 8^th is recognised as International Women’s Day, but I think we should be celebrated every day!  South Asian women around the world contribute positively to their societies daily; we are your volunteers, CEOs, teacher, scientists, orderlies… who show up and move the needle forward.   Our work ethic, intelligence and kindness are enhanced by our brown beauty that glows in the sun and photographs like a dream.  We only need to read a newsfeed or look around our neighbourhood to find inspiring beauty style from South Asian women who better the world!

Berry Pout

Canadian social media and conventional news outlets have raved about Mayor Mamdani making history in New York.  As a proud Canadian, to me, the great municipal election story is the victory of Milany Thiagarajah, a young Sri Lankan – Tamil Canadian who won the councillor seat in the Montreal district of Darlington.  Thiagarah whose father was an attorney in Sri Lanka and a solicitor in England,  developed a career that focussed on helping citizens gain access to government services.  She uses her personal experiences and multilingualism (English, French and Tamil) to connect with the people of Darlington to promote diversity and local business and to push for safety.  Thiagarajah also educates Montrealers about Tamil culture, and she does it all it with a winning smile.

Thiagarajah’s bright smile is enhanced by a soft berry colour that stays on!  Since we are now in the age of the great lip combo, I suggest using these three products to create a similar pout that can withstand coffee mugs and samosas:

1. The first step is to have a smooth base, because flicks of dead skin will ruin all lip looks. I am a fan of the Ghlee Lip Scrub which uses the softness of brown sugar and the healing properties of ghee and vitamin E to lift away dead skin and insert moisture. You only need to rub 1-2 ml of product, using circular motions all over the lips, including the corners to get a smooth surface.  Since the product includes ghee and vitamin E, your lips emerge smooth and soft.

   

    

2. The basis of a great, glossy lip is to apply a lip stain. I love the Summer Fridays Flushed Stain 12HR Long-Lasting Lip Tint because this product delivers a pigment that is infused with aloe vera gel (soothing effect) and panthenol (adds shine and softness), so the lips are nourished, not shrivelled.  The marker tip is so fine, that you can easily define the corners of the lips and enhance the roundness of the cupid’s bow, as if you had used a traditional lip pencil.  The pigment is so rich that even if you have patches of deep mauve and soft pink on the lips, the colour will look uniform.  For the berry pout, I suggest trying Rosette and Plum.

   

    

3. To add dimension and shininess to the lips, I add a thin layer of the Clarins Lip Comfort Oil, because it delivers botanical oils – namely organic jojoba, hazelnut, and organic rosehip star extract oil, to hydrate and repair. I love that the doe foot applicator is slightly squishy so that it hugs the lips as you apply the oil; it is a controlled and elegant application experience. My lips shine and my favourite shade, Plum, transforms my lips into a fabulous berry pout.  There are several berry-tinged shades in the collection including Cherry, Fig and Pitaya.

   

I was a tad concerned that the oil would break the pigment and result in a gloopy mess. I am delighted to confirm that my concern was for naught.  The integrity of the lip combo was infallible and survived for several hours!

Power Pixie!

South Asian women are rightfully heralded for their long lustrous locks but pageant queen, respected actress, formidable dancer and recent viral sensation, Kalpana Iyer demonstrates that the pixie is also elegant on brown beauties.  This Indian legend, who was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) into a Tamil Brahmin family developed an illustrious career in entertainment, was recorded dancing to one of her famous songs, Rambha Ho Ho Ho, at a wedding. Aside from her nimbleness and insane amount of charisma, her short, stylish hair looked so chic and remained intact for the full performance.  It is clear why Iyer works the pixie; it allows her expressive eyes and stunning cheekbones to shine through!  If you are looking for hairstyle change, Iyer demonstrates why the pixie is a great option. Read below for some key tips:

1. The key to maintaining a pixie is to get your hair trimmed at least once every six weeks, to maintain the shape. If the pixie loses it shape, you lose the advantage of the cut, namely the sharp frame that brings bone structure into focus.
2. Additionally, it is important to infuse the hair with volume, because a pixie can devolve into a helmet making you look flat. The Fable & Mane Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner are wonderful, because they leave a weightless finish.  Their ingredient list is powerful as both products contain onion juice which encourages hair growth and amla, vitamin C-rich berry that conditions hair and naturally provides UV protection.  This duo enhances your mini mane with Ayurvedic wisdom, and it looks so good!

   

    

3. To maintain several millimetres of volume at the roots, spray them with a volumising product such as the Aveda Volumizing Tonic™ and then using a round brush pull the hair upwards and dry the roots.  The spray does not leave a crunchy finish and its classic Aveda scent soothes the mind.

   

    

4. The final step is to create a shiny finish, as it creates the illusion of more volume since light bounces off the surface of the hair. JVN Leave-In Conditioning Mist  is a fantastic product because it lightly hydrates the strands, so you minimise frizz and the hair becomes softer.  The product also imparts a soft scent of amber and cashmere musk brightened with a splash of lemon and mandarin.

   

Creamy Complexion

Indian modelling sensation Bhavitha Mandava’s story of being discovered in the New York subway is like a modern-day Lana Turner story.  This architecture student from Hyderabad was discovered whilst taking the subway in New York! Mandava’s harmonious features are mathematical perfection and her beauty transcends time.  She infuses Chanel couture with allure and undoubtedly, carries the modelling baton handed from Yasmeen Ghauri, Neelam Gill and Lakshmi Menon with aplomb.  In addition to her bone structure, Mandava’s fresh complexion is arresting because it unabashedly celebrates her brownness.  Spring is time to explore skin tints and concealers to create a soft complexion that celebrates your unique beauty.

For spring, I rely on the following combination to perfect my complexion:

1. Lise Eldridge Seamless Enhancing Skin Tint (20 shades available) earned a permanent place on my vanity because the liquid itself is lightweight so when I blend in my shade, it sinks into the skin leaving a soft, hazy finish. The weight of the skin tint must be light to impart an effortless finish. My skin tone is medium, neutral, and my shade T10 registers as a perfect soft olive, so I do not need to correct with a powder. The undertone match is essential in a skin tint because the look is bare, so the undertone seeps through. I also love the packaging, because it is shaped like an egg, and it is easy to hold, so I can squeeze out a few droplets of product and there is no waste. The liquid spreads easily with a brush or my fingers, so a novice and an experienced makeup lover can apply it successfully; skin tints should always be easy to apply.

   

    

2. The challenge with any skin tint is that dark spots can be somewhat muted, but they are still visible. I have a collection of sun spots on each cheek and these areas needs a heavier coverage, for which I recommend a stick concealer such as the legendary Clé de Peau Concealer (12 shades available) because it goes on creamy and sets to a imperceptible powdery finish.  The product stays put all day.

   

Shadow and Light

Tyla Laura Seethal, the South African singer of Indian, Indo-Mauritian, Zulu, and Irish ancestry, known mononymously as Tyla, won her second Grammy Award this year for Best African Music Performance for her song Push 2 Start.  Her strong vocals and critical acclaim have laid the foundation for a fruitful music career.  In addition to her beautiful voice, Tyla’s facial beauty is unforgettable; and the key to the latter is the subtle and effective use of highlighter and contour.  Tyla’s beauty looks are a masterclass in a bespoke application of shadow and light. To create a similar effect for your own look I recommend:

1. Analyse your face, because your features are unique and the application of shadow (contour) and light (highlight) varies.

For example, my nose is on the wider side with a bulbous tip, so I apply contour on the sides of my nose and my tip and then bend out.  I also want to minimise my chin which is on the pointier side, so I apply some contour on the bottom tip to lessen its prominence.  I also want to have bigger looking eyes, so I add highlighter under my eyebrows to attract light to the area.

You need to examine your face and decide if you wish to minimise any features and/or bring any features to the fore.

Remember that it is imperative to use a light hand when applying and bending such products, otherwise it will look obvious which is not the point of shadow and light.

2. I am a fan of the Ready Jet Set Beauty Sculpt & Shine Baton Cream Contour & Highlighter Stick, because in one baton you can create shadow and light. The dual-ended baton is efficient because on busy days you do not want to spend time scrounging at the bottom of your makeup bag for multiple products.  The glide of each product is smooth and silky, because they also deliver skin care ingredients such as Golden Seaweed and Castor Oil to soothe inflammation and Marine Fennel to encourage cell turnover.

   

The contour shade has a deep cool tone, which is perfect to create a shadow effect.  The highlighter is a soft gold which dissipates into a soft glow when you tap it in using your fingers.  You can also use a blending brush for these products.

Embracing the Textured Mane

Sunita Lyn Williams (née Pandya) is a legendary American astronaut, the daughter of an Indian neuranatomist and a Slovene-American mother, whose missions in outer space, including spending over 60 hours space walking, have helped open potential paths to explore Mars. Williams more than proved her mettle when she was literally stuck in space for over 9 months and returned to Earth just last March!  Williams hard work and curiosity demonstrate that a life dedicated to science and space is exciting.

On one mission, Williams had cut her hair to donate to Locks of Love.  This act of generosity, in the vastness of space on a mission speaks volumes and it piqued my curiosity.  In the pictures from her missions, Williams’ mane is completely natural.  Understandably in space, hair cannot be styled but what inspires me about Williams is that she demonstrated that hair in its natural state looks wonderful.  On Earth, in the work setting, leaving your hair natural can be met with some consternation but I think a great way to respect your texture is to infuse it with moisture and style it with an accessory.  Below is a quick two-step routine:

1. After you wash your hair, wrap your hair in a specialised absorption towel such as the Crown Affair Towel. It is a microfiber waffle knit towel which absorbs water from the wet hair gently and it does not pull on the vulnerable strands.  The towel reduces drying time.  I know when I need to remove my towel, because it becomes so wet that it starts to slide off.

   

    

2. Once the towel is removed, I suggest using a multiuse cream such as the JVN Air Dry Cream, and to let it air dry. My experience with this product is that as my hair dries, it melds into the cuticles of each hair, and as my natural waves set, the cream prevents frizz.  After my hair is dry, I pass a brush and add a clip.

   

The diverse group of inspiring South Asian women demonstrate that we are a talented group, and I know that when I apply the above tips to my routine, I always smile.  I like that on some level I am celebrating an accomplished woman who is moving the needle forward and I look good doing it too!

Suggested Readings:
The Beauty Styles of Strong South Asian Women
Mother’s Day Special: What Are Our ANOKHI Moms’ Timeless Beauty Secrets?