Dharavi's Maleesha Kharwa Leads Dusky Skin Representation As The Face Of A Luxury Indian Beauty Brand

Beauty norms are evolving and thankfully, it seems like it's for the good. Over decades, beauty representation has become more diverse. Today, dark-skinned faces are more likely to find their fitting foundation shade and people who look like like us are seen on billboards. Recently, Maleesha Kharwa, a 14-year-old girl from Mumbai's Dharavi area has been recognised as the face of a luxury beauty brand. Maleesha was picked by Forest Essentials for their new campaign, 'The Yuvati Collection'.

She's not a celebrity or a renowned face. She's just as ordinary as any other person could be. That's exactly why this move by Forest Essentials makes all the difference. Maleesha being the face of the campaign is definitely gives the right representation for the everyday woman. Hailing from the slums of Dharavi, Maleesha is definitely on the path to achieve her dreams. This also serves as a reminder that where you are raised and the colour of your skin doesn't always have to be a setback. For Maleesha, it all started when she was discovered in Mumbai in 2020 by Hollywood actor Robert Hoffman. He later set up a GoFundMe page for her, which further led to multiple projects and modelling gigs.

Brands have always portrayed a specific image for campaigns and advertisements, usually with fair and clear-textured skin being visible. However, some brands are moving ahead with their approach by embracing diversity in skin tones and showing it proudly in their campaigns. It is wonderful to see how it is not a necessity to make your skin lighter but be comfortable with your own skin tone.

In a recent move, it was Maybelline who broke the norms by making Suhana Khan the face of the brand. In doing so, they proved it's not your colour but your personality that makes you stand out. After being called out for her dusky tone, Suhana and Maybelline went ahead and embraced it. Brands today are becoming more relatable as they choose their spokespersons and ambassadors more thoughtfully and it's a move we welcome heartily.