So much of our identity plays out in the way we choose to present ourselves to the world. Beauty rituals, passed down between generations, are one of the richest sources of heritage, but the distinct spin we put on things, is what makes it so individual.
Notions of beauty continue to evolve depending on what's being prescribed by our culture at the time, but also – crucially – by the tastemakers taking the reigns and dictating what's beautiful to them. With social media opening the world up exponentially, we're more able than ever to be inspired by what we see across the globe. New generations of women are able to pick and blend elements of tradition with other facets of their personal style and the Insta grids of South Asian influencers are alive and kicking with creativity.
Both in South Asia and across the continents – where first, second and third gen trend-setters are mixing different facets of their identity – a beauty revolution is at play, showcasing and celebrating individuality.
"I was born in Bangladesh and moved to the states at the age of 10," explains beauty influencer Nusrat Ali.
"It took me a while to love my skin and feel comfortable in it. I started my Instagram account, @iiroshnii, two years ago to celebrate how powerful I felt within my skin. Unfortunately, colourism still exists in South Asia and companies like Fair & Lovely are still promoting their skin bleaching creams."
"When I was young, I fell into the skin bleaching trap, avoided the sun and only wore certain colours because society told me that I wasn’t beautiful enough. I spent too many years disliking the skin that protects me and represents my heritage, obsessing over how to lighten it. When I finally learned to accept myself, I discovered the skincare community on Instagram and how welcoming everyone is within the community."
Nowadays, desi women are playing by their own rules (or ditching them altogether). "Fast forward to now, my account is full of colours and I do colourful makeup looks because I get messages from South Asian girls that look like me telling me that they didn’t know colourful eyeshadows can look good on our skin," says Nusrat. Blended in, of course, are touch points that link her back to the heritage she's intensely proud of. Nusrat oils her hair in coconut or amla oil to promote growth, mixes up home skincare concoctions like turmeric and yoghurt masks to fight pigmentation and reps the jewellery and bindi that are innately part of who she is.
"Ultimately, I created my Instagram as a space to celebrate the skin that I am in. My main goal is to increase South Asian representation within the beauty space because there is definitely not enough."
