HYDERABAD: The Vogue Beauty Festival — 2022, a four-day virtual celebration of wellness and beauty, with a deeper understanding of the internal and external approach to self-care, had audiences eating, breathing and sleeping beauty. Held between July 28 and 31, the all-access pass included international masterclasses, beauty school videos, effective tips on wellness, fitness, health and nutrition, makeup, skin, hair, and more — all hosted by global experts and influencers, who continue to champion the beauty and wellness spirit.
The glam affair that concluded on Sunday night had celebrity content and experts like Namrata Soni, Rashi Chowdhary, Justine Mellocastro, Masaba, and Pernia Qureshi, among many others. This year saw beauty heroes that made the year a whole lot better and CE caught up with a couple of them.
As part of the festival, a jury of industry experts narrowed down to select the top five products in each category, which were then opened to be picked by audiences. Hyderabad’s very own dermatologist Dr Varshini Reddy, the founder of Glow Clinic, was one of the esteemed members of the jury.
Speaking exclusively to CE, she answers what her first and foremost rule is when it comes to makeup and skincare today: “Good skincare is like an investment for your skin, well-being and the future. Choosing skincare from a plethora of options can be overwhelming and that’s where a dermatologist steps in — always take their advice, don’t pick products because they suit someone else. Practising intuitive skin care is one of my favourite things. People must get to a point where they’re equipped to use certain products that treat a particular concern or help with their current skin goals. It’s not about the price but about how the making, research and technology behind it.”
On how Hyderabad fares when it comes to skincare and makeup, she says, “I’ve seen rapid growth in the last few years on how people are embracing skincare and investing in their skin. The city loves to keep up with what’s trending and there’s a huge interest in Korean beauty products too. Makeup, of course, has always been a great interest, now that we have so many homegrown brands and international brands coming in.”
Breaking mindless beauty norms and standing out was never easy for popular makeup enthusiast and model, Prathana Jagan. She, who has leucoderma (vitiligo), points out that people who look different from what’s considered ‘normal’ only get picked for ‘inclusive’ campaigns once in a while. “Such an outlook is quite heartbreaking. While I appreciate tons of brands that truly believe in inclusivity, I’m sure others too can do a lot, in terms of accepting a wide range of people. Also, I learned to stick to doing what I truly believe in, even when days are hard. Earlier, I’d be disheartened when a video didn’t get enough views, but I came to realise these don’t wake me up in the morning, my passion and truth do,” she shares.
VBF 2022 marks the ceremony’s third digital event and Megha Kapoor, head of editorial content, Vogue India, says this year has gone a level higher with the coming together of a wider array of talent. “We’ve got everyone from dermatologists to people in the more natural space, celebrities to beauty influencers. If there’s one thing that the pandemic has changed in the perception of beauty, it’s that we’ve become more focussed on wellness. I think the art of ritual and what beauty means to people as part of their self-care has become far more salient. Finding time for yourself, looking after yourself, and feeling beautiful from the inside out is only something we’re going to see more of,” she signs off.