As curators of the latest news and information about cosmetic surgery and aesthetic enhancement, Costhetics is tuned in and turned on by the story of Deepica Mutyala.
This not-so-new kid on the block caught the eye of trend watchers (and trend setters) back in 2015. Since then, she’s turned a viral video into a platform devoted to every shade of beauty.
Millions of people have already embraced Mutyala’s inclusive message. Millions more will be exposed to it via the just-released HBO Max series See Us: Layers of Beauty. Uploaded daily, See Us features conversations with industry-changing influencers, including Mutyala. The topic: the intersection of mainstream beauty and Asian Pacific Islander Americans.
Helping Every Woman Feel Seen…Beautifully
When Deepica Mutyala used red lipstick to help cover under-eye circles in a 2015 YouTube video, some women scratched their heads while other women cheered. The cheering came from women with medium to dark skin tones who weren’t accustomed to seeing beauty hacks aimed at their needs.
The problem is the vast majority of products found in adverts and prominently displayed in makeup aisles are formulated for cool toned individuals. “Eurocentric masculine-driven beauty ideals within cosmetic industries uphold a racial, sexual hierarchy that privileges lighter skin tones over darker ones,” writes the author of From White to Very White to Kinda Brown: Analysis of Racist Practices in the Cosmetic Industry. “The continual exclusion of racially diverse beauty products and advertisements reinforces the idea that women of colour will never have the same place in the beauty hierarchy as white women.”
As views of Mutyala’s video skyrocketed among women of colour, she began building a scrapbook of media appearances on programs including The Today Show and The Doctor Oz Show. “I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to disrupt beauty standards and create a space for people like me – minorities, people of colour, who felt underserved, and ignored in the beauty rhetoric,” Mutyala told Forbes Magazines. “I’ve also known for a long time that I’ve wanted my own beauty brand.” She achieved both goals with the launch of Live Tinted, a digital community where individuals could share personal stories and experiences. She also developed #TintFarm where user input could be used to spark product development.
Campaign Promises & Products Delivered
Mutyala campaigned vigorously for increased minority representation in the beauty industry. She brought her message of inclusion to beauty houses including Coty, Unilever, and the Estée Lauder family of companies. At the same time, she partnered with non-beauty brands such as Mercedes Benz & McDonalds, helping them broaden their depiction of customers in advertising.
The stories of more than half a million TintFarm-ers inspired Mutyala to create her first product. Hue Stick is the ultimate multi-tasker. It can be used to colour eyes, lips, and cheeks, as well as balance out hyper-pigmentation, dark spots, and under-eye circles. It won Elle’s Future of Beauty Award for Innovation. Additional multi-functional products are in the works, as well as an expanded online presence and more engagement tools.
Costhetics salutes Deepica Mutyala for her work making the world a more beautiful place for everyone.