I have been living in Singapore for the past 12 years and am of (Asian) Indian origin. It has been a charm filled life no doubt, its like having the best of Asia and the west. The place however has its own deep rooted “Asian” issues and I did not realize that I have been a part of it until very recently.
Asians are obsessed with the fair skin. Healthy glowing skin and a beautiful face is often associated with a woman with fair rosy skin. It’s a constant struggle to remove the yellow undertones in their skin and bring in some pink into it. I am brown skinned and have tried to be happy with the quality of my skin and glad that I have sharp and attractive features.
But that resolve tends to shake when watching the porcelain skin of the model who is advertising “perfect and glowing skin, glowing with health and goodness” and I have often wondered why they could not have a dark complexioned woman showing off her flawless skin. Can the camera lights not capture the glow in dark complexions?
I have been a typical consumer and bought products that promised the skin that I did not have, rather the color that I did not have. Products in the market made me feel like I was wearing a mask. It was very tough finding a powder or a moisturizer for tanned brown toned skin. Bobbi Brown came as a welcome change she brought tinted moisturizer into the Asian market. I could now wear something that did not make me look like a Geisha and cover some flaws in my skin.
The next 5 years saw the markets flooded with similar products. A change came about in the attitude as well. You started seeing former shade tanners come out to get some sun on them. There were still a few who were frozen in time but who cared, tan was cool suddenly.
Then something else more spectacular happened. A great awareness far bigger than what was happening in the people around me. I had reached an age when I was comfortable in my own skin. I was in my mid thirties and I was more sure of what I had and how I looked.
I am now in my mid forties I have come to accept myself completely. I knew now to wear makeup that enhanced my features not change it. Coupled with a healthy lifestyle, I was completely in love with who I was and what I had become. I didn’t feel the need to hide behind harsh concealers more than was necessary. A healthy diet and lifestyle aided by a healthy outlook to life was the secret. I was aware and at peace.
If this amazing self acceptance is a by–product of age, I cannot but eagerly look forward to growing older!!
Asians are obsessed with the fair skin. Healthy glowing skin and a beautiful face is often associated with a woman with fair rosy skin. It’s a constant struggle to remove the yellow undertones in their skin and bring in some pink into it. I am brown skinned and have tried to be happy with the quality of my skin and glad that I have sharp and attractive features.
But that resolve tends to shake when watching the porcelain skin of the model who is advertising “perfect and glowing skin, glowing with health and goodness” and I have often wondered why they could not have a dark complexioned woman showing off her flawless skin. Can the camera lights not capture the glow in dark complexions?
I have been a typical consumer and bought products that promised the skin that I did not have, rather the color that I did not have. Products in the market made me feel like I was wearing a mask. It was very tough finding a powder or a moisturizer for tanned brown toned skin. Bobbi Brown came as a welcome change she brought tinted moisturizer into the Asian market. I could now wear something that did not make me look like a Geisha and cover some flaws in my skin.
The next 5 years saw the markets flooded with similar products. A change came about in the attitude as well. You started seeing former shade tanners come out to get some sun on them. There were still a few who were frozen in time but who cared, tan was cool suddenly.
Then something else more spectacular happened. A great awareness far bigger than what was happening in the people around me. I had reached an age when I was comfortable in my own skin. I was in my mid thirties and I was more sure of what I had and how I looked.
I am now in my mid forties I have come to accept myself completely. I knew now to wear makeup that enhanced my features not change it. Coupled with a healthy lifestyle, I was completely in love with who I was and what I had become. I didn’t feel the need to hide behind harsh concealers more than was necessary. A healthy diet and lifestyle aided by a healthy outlook to life was the secret. I was aware and at peace.
If this amazing self acceptance is a by–product of age, I cannot but eagerly look forward to growing older!!
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