Katrina Kaif rejects global ‘standards of beauty’

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif has called for rejecting certain “standards of beauty”, remarks that came as she announced the launch of her brand, Kay Beauty, in the UAE with Nysaa, an online cosmetics store.

In 2019, Kaif co-founded Kay Beauty with Nykaa, a leading Indian beauty and wellness ecommerce company. The brand’s Instagram page already boasts 1.4 million followers.

As her joint venture gets ready to debut alongside established beauty brands, Kaif spoke to Khaleej Times about rejecting global beauty standards and feeling comfortable in one’s own skin.

“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,” she was quoted as saying.

“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.”

Kaif is not alone in launching a brand and becoming an entrepreneur.

Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez as well as Deepika Padukone have all joined the ranks while using their platform as celebrities to power their businesses.

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“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,” she was further quoted as saying by Khaleej Times.

“I have often done my own makeup for many films and red carpet events,” she added.

The actor, who boasts over 80 million Instagram followers, was last seen in ‘Tiger 3’ alongside Salman Khan.

She is widely considered to be one of Bollywood’s highest paid actors.

Kaif looked towards the UAE for expanding her product for a myriad of reasons, including its “diverse” population.

“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,” she was quoted as saying.

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, added the report.

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Kaif also added that the UAE was a natural market for expansion because the climates are similar, noting that she developed Kay Beauty with the idea of it working in “hot and humid” climates.

“You need to be able to offer something really extraordinary to step into that market.”

“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.”