Katrina Kaif and Huda Kattan talk about brand building and the “pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards.”
Katrina and Hooda talk makeup, beauty, diversity, inclusion and beyond
Bollywood star Katrina Kaif and beauty brand founder Huda Kattan spoke about makeup, changing the way one looks, building a personality and how it’s okay to be yourself in a world based on appearances. Katrina Kaif shared a glimpse of the conversation on a collaborative post with Huda Kattan, Huda Beauty and K By Katrina. “Jab K met Huda: From contouring conversations to highlight moments, the iconic Huda and I discussed our experiences as beauty founders, the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, the social media pressure cooker, and authentic expression …….. Who knew makeup would be the best therapy session ever!! #JabKayMetHuda”
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Beauty brand founders Katrina Kaif and Huda Kattan, who started K By Katrina and Huda Beauty respectively, chatted about their beauty babies and even did each other’s makeup, with Huda trying out her famous baking technique on Katrina. They sat on the couch and chatted, almost five years after they first started discussing the possibility of meeting. Huda got Katrina’s number from a group chat that had several beauty founders and messaged her. Katrina liked her message and that’s how things began.
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During the interview, Hooda asked Katrina, “As a Hindi actress at the pinnacle of your career, why did you decide to go into makeup, because it’s a big step and I’m sure it’s a scary step?” Katrina replied, “Yes, it is. Right from my teenage years, I’ve been obsessed and passionate about makeup. It almost became a form of self expression that I didn’t have otherwise. I was a really shy teenager.” Hooda didn’t believe it and Katrina said, “People don’t believe it but I was very shy.”
Katrina explained how makeup gave her self-expression, "Makeup somehow gave me this form of self-expression, which allowed me to create this glamorous persona." She shed light on her journey in the world of show business, saying, "Early on, as a model, I sat in the chair of some of the best makeup artists in the country and then the world. I would always observe their techniques, ask them questions like, 'Why are you smudging the liner?', 'Why are you using concealer here?', 'Why are you using lip liner?' I think very quickly, I learnt all these techniques and I realised, 'Okay listen, I know my face really well, and I know how I want to look and very quickly, I started doing most of my makeup myself."
Katrina knew what she wanted from her product and this inspired her to fill the gap in the market for high performance celebrity makeup and products. “As an actress and a celebrity leading beauty brands, I love it and have had some incredible moments,” she said.
Katrina further explained how she has felt pressured to match a certain standard of beauty, saying, "But there have also been moments when I have felt an obligation to match a certain stereotype of beauty, which in certain days, moments, months or years I don't completely match. I felt a kind of judgement like I didn't deserve to be there if I didn't look right or my best. And that feeling of judgement touched an emotional chord with me. It kind of hurts because you don't look your best in a certain month or even year. And you think that means I don't deserve to be here? Is it just about physicality?"
Katrina, who is considered the gold standard of beauty in Bollywood and is also called "Barbie", questioning her own image because she is unable to look her best, seems unbelievable. But it also helps us understand the pressure of staying under the radar.
Katrina further added, “There is literally no standard or stereotype of beauty and everyone is accepted, everyone is beautiful, everyone fits in. And that’s where our tag line came from, ‘It’s good to be who you are.’ That was the emotional reason and inspiration behind starting the beauty brand.”
Katrina then focused on Huda Kattan and how she has been the epitome of self-acceptance and the mantra of 'be who you are'. She said, "I think you're really a huge role model for a lot of women around the world. And I think everyone looks at you as the OG kind of influencer or beauty blogger. I think you've created that space and it's a huge thing for you to have made that path." This highlights how Huda Kattan's presence on the internet has been a source of self-acceptance and reassurance of being beautiful by billions of women around the world. To now achieve that as a beauty blogger, beauty brand founder and more is quite a big deal.
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