As Indian actress Katrina Kaif brings her beauty brand Kay Beauty to the UK, she discusses makeup, representation and challenging stereotypes
Words: Sophia Charalambous
Katrina Kaif is no stranger to the world of beauty. One of the best-known names in the Indian film industry, she has starred in numerous films and earned many accolades – she was even the first Indian actress to have a Barbie doll created in her likeness. The beauty industry is a natural progression with the launch of Kay Beauty, already a success in India and now the first Indian-founded beauty line to launch exclusively into Space NK. “I've been the face of many international brands and many film sets, stages and awards ceremonies and sometimes I felt that the beauty industry can be very intimidating and it can feel a bit exclusionary,” Katrina tells Mayfair Times from her home in Mumbai. “I had this vision, and it was kind of driven from a very personal place, where I wanted this Kay community where people were going to come together and makeup was celebratory. “The expression of beauty can be just joyful, it need not be intimidating and I wanted to see a lot more representation of the different diverse, beautiful faces I saw around me and celebrate the personalities that I find inspiring” Launching in the UK, where there is a significant south Asian community, is something that Katrina is very excited about.
“The UK has an incredibly vibrant south Asian community but beyond that, there's also such a deep cultural connection to beauty, to culture, to traditions and also to Hindi cinema, which is a way that one celebrates their expression, their heritage,” she explains. “I think today also we are seeing people celebrate their heritage but they will redefine their own rules, they will do it in their own way. “Kay Beauty was created with that spirit, rooted in south Asian identity, but still having complete potential to be relevant globally.”
When designing the range Katrina wanted to make sure the makeup could withstand a hot and humid climate but also be comfortable, breathable and flexible on the skin. Kay Beauty was co-founded with Indian online shopping site Nykaa founder Adwaita Nayar and experienced a successful launch, with Middle East openings in Dubai, Qatar and Oman. The UK is the next step in its international growth strategy. One of the reasons for Kay Beauty's success is that the products understand the subtle differences of Asian skin. When she was working on set or preparing for a public event, Katrina realised there was a real gap in the market. She explains: “What's really important is undertones.
Either the makeup artists did not have the experience to understand the undertones of warmer skin tones or at that point, maybe early on, I had lacked a deeper understanding so I could not understand quite why I wouldn't like the application of the makeup on my skin. “Understanding is really important when you're going to speak specifically to warmer and deeper skin tones. “South Asian skin can also have a lot of hyperpigmentation – your products need to be breathable and lightweight but also offer the coverage that is sometimes desired.”
Beauty standards is a term spoken about often globally, not just in India, and is something Katrina is hoping to readdress and redefine through her brand. She launched Kay Konversations online, speaking with women such as wildlife conservationist Padmaja Rathore and athlete Ayesha Billimoria to showcase courageous women with inspirational stories “I would see these unique personalities who did not, I would say, fit in, or conform to the kind of typical beauty standards that we were seeing, especially in India at this time, around, you know, six, seven years ago in commercial advertising, but they were so confident they were standing there in their own element, and that represented power to me,” Katrina explains.
“Right now we're seeing south Asian and Indian beauty take its place on the global beauty stage and I'm thrilled to see that happening.” Film is something Katrina has always been passionate about, and she describes each film being a journey and a world that consumes you but one you eventually have to say goodbye to. It is passion – in addition to her obvious talent – that has helped her reach this point in her life and career, whether it is being one of India's highest paid actresses, receiving a flurry of acting awards or having India's fastest growing celebrity-founded beauty line.
She adds: “Without passion your intention is not going to be clear. And if your intention is not clear, then I always feel that it will ring as inauthentic to an audience. I think that is true whether for your movies or your makeup.”
