Makeup Artist Prarthana Jagan Calls for Acceptance in Beauty
"I realised that so many of us are chasing this “perfect” body, but it simply doesn’t exist. We are all beautiful and not because of our bodies and skin, but because of our words, our emotions and authenticity."
We ask five creators who have mastered the art of unconventional beauty to share their thoughts on movements that celebrate what were once considered “flaws” and the impact of social media on the progressive beauty scene.
Makeup artist, skincare influencer, and model Prarthana Jagan has created a large and inclusive platform to showcase her skin-positive content. With close to 12k followers on Instagram, Jagan currently posts beautiful makeup content and realistic, almost “raw” tutorials creating looks while flaunting her vitiligo skin.
As with celebrities such as Winnie Harlow and the late Michael Jackson, the condition causes the skin to lose its pigment cells and creates a difference in skin tone in affected areas. For Jagan, her vitiligo is limited to her face – something that’s caused her to be self-conscious while growing up in a judgemental society.
“It was definitely damaging to my self-confidence,” says the model. “My vitiligo is on my face, which made me very self-conscious. I was subjected to a lot of bullying while growing up and whenever something like that would happen, I would dissociate from reality. It was a tough time.”
Due to her tough adolescence dealing with bullies, the creator has chosen to make her content “real” so that others in her position can relate to her experiences and feel less alone. “It is honestly just about accepting my skin,” she says. “It is about my thoughts of myself and not about what others think. I didn’t plan on starting this journey to show people that I’m challenging the notion, I just wanted to be myself and I don’t really care if I’m accepted by people or not. I placed myself first.” Jagan now calls for acceptance in beauty more than anything else.
You embrace your vitiligo by choosing not to wear foundation in your beauty posts. Did you ever feel pressured to cover up when you were younger?
I was pressured to cover up when I was younger, but not by anybody else. It was my own fear of being raw and real in front of my bullies. Despite covering up with makeup, I still remember one particular incident where I was on the school bus and a senior threw water on my face, asking me, “Why won’t the makeup melt?”
I always wore makeup – even on overnight train journeys – so my own relatives and friends had no idea about my skin condition. After eight years of struggling to wear makeup every morning, I started a YouTube channel and took things forward. I could finally be free.
You did a ‘real skin’ series on your Instagram page in March last year. As a skincare influencer, why do you think it’s important for your viewers to see the “real you” in your content?
I think people always look forward to seeing someone who resembles them online. People like to relate to others and talk about their issues. I just am myself and I find that a lot of young individuals are isolating themselves and feel like they are facing issues alone. But that is not the case. We are all different, of course, but the one thing we have in common is that all of us have our own hardships and insecurities. We might as well talk about them openly.
Can you share with us some comments you’ve gotten about your vitiligo?
I hardly focus on the negative, but one comment will always stick with me. It said: “Your achievements feel like a personal victory.” It has been my biggest motivator to be in this space and talk about acceptance.
How has your perception of beauty changed over time?
I used to see a lot of Indian actresses and models who were tall, skinny and beautifully powerless, almost like a lifelike doll. I have seen my mother, my neighbour and friends who used to chase this notion, I did too. But after growing up to have dark underarms, knees and elbows, the urge to scrub them off has finally stopped – only because I realised that so many of us are chasing this “perfect” body, but it simply doesn’t exist. We are all beautiful and not because of our bodies and skin, but because of our words, our emotions and authenticity.
What are your thoughts on inclusive beauty movements?
I completely stand by it and hope for it to evolve more over the years. I hope that the future includes us accepting these qualities in-person and not just for an ad campaign.
Do you think social media has made an impact on this movement?
It definitely has because a lot of people are able to share their voices. We are able to see celebrities come out and show their real skin, unfiltered by photoshop. It’s magical how you can talk about your own issues and see how people are also going through a similar stride in their lives.
