Welcome to On Good looks, a chain the place we take a deep-dive glance into one individual’s courting to good looks, how that courting has remodeled over time, and the way they enjoy being noticed. This week, we are speaking to Raveena, the 27-year-old singer whose experimental, eccentric, otherworldly solution to make-up is some way of creating worlds round her signature emblem of breezy pop and R&B.
Under, she explains how her circle of relatives’s focal point on internal good looks formed her outlook, how she were given the braveness to experiment with make-up, the philosophy at the back of her solution to good looks on her new album Asha’s Awakening, and extra.
Picture: Furmaan Ahmed
Raveena as a kid.
“I grew up round very non secular folks, and it used to be so much about having your innermost good looks be a very powerful factor—being type and having that emanate from you. And I feel that herbal good looks used to be without a doubt emphasised. However in the similar breath, there used to be additionally a conservatism. You recognize, Indian immigrant families are very conservative, they usually’re no longer open to being your maximum sexual and assured and loose self, so it used to be like a double-edged sword.
“Till I used to be 18, I used to be very blameless. I handiest wore a swipe of mascara, and I used to be without a doubt at the introverted aspect with my solution to good looks—it used to be very child-like. I wasn’t rising up too rapid. I additionally had a mother that truly affirmed me and informed me that I used to be gorgeous and that I didn’t wish to do anything else. So, I feel that in reality helped me have a wholesome sense of vainness, which I think truly blessed for. It made me no longer even consider my look that a lot till I used to be 18, then I were given hyper-sexualized and it modified my entire concept of it.
“There used to be truly no person I may just glance as much as in American movie or media that gave the look of me. Perhaps like M.I.A., however that used to be additionally when I used to be older. Bollywood used to be the only position the place I noticed noses that gave the look of mine and a pores and skin tone that gave the look of mine and faces that gave the look of mine. It used to be, and nonetheless is, my manner of being like, ‘I think gorgeous, and taking a look at those folks, I will be able to see myself in them as neatly.’
Raveena as a child.
“I didn’t truly put on make-up till I began turning into an artist professionally, like 3 years in the past. I keep in mind in my first movies I didn’t even wish to put on eyeshadow. The primary time I went all out with good looks used to be within the ‘Temptation’ video—that’s when I used to be beginning to excursion so much. It took me a very long time to get ok with getting my make-up completed. It’s very frightening at first while you don’t agree with folks, however I began to have religion that it would glance cool. So, that’s after I began enjoying with the gem stones at the eyes and colour. I used to be in an instant hooked. It used to be like, ‘I’ve to do that each and every time. There’s no different choice.’
“I’ve an absolutely other way [to beauty] for editorial, level, and video shoots. Clearly, I attempt to do loopy appears each and every time, however the way in which I way make-up may be very other for every medium. However without a doubt, each time I’m outward-facing, and I’m my performer self, it’s all about being a personality. At the moment, I’ve 0 make-up on. I’m normally so low-key and so relax about what I do in actual existence.
“In my non-public existence, I’m very attached to probably the most internal a part of my soul, and I check out to do this up to I will be able to, so make-up is after I’m making this outer frame really feel gorgeous and alive and attractive in one thing very human and a laugh.
“Am I afraid of having older? No. I include it. I truthfully suppose we don’t give sufficient credit score to how gorgeous older ladies glance. To me, they give the impression of being truly stunning, and I’m more or less excited to age gracefully. I like this concept that should you’re truly in song along with your spirit and also you’re meditating and taking good care of your self, you’ll be able to truly have this glow about you that may remaining a life-time. I noticed that with my great-grandmother—she lived till she used to be 95 or 100. She used to be deficient and residing merely in India, she actually owned one comb and two hair clips, however she lived proper subsequent to the Sikh golden temple and she or he would pass there and pray each day. She simply had this glow about her. She didn’t have cash, she didn’t have cosmetic surgery, she didn’t have anything else in any respect. However, she had spirit and that saved her taking a look gorgeous for years.”
Quilt artwork for Asha’s Awakening.
“In Asha’s Awakening in comparison to Lucid, I sought after to simply really feel a little extra assured and womanly in the way in which that I offered myself. A large number of Lucid used to be about connecting to my internal youngster. In Asha’s Awakening, it used to be about awakening into this attractive womanhood.
“Visually, Asha’s Awakening has this kind of outlined and magical global round it. Whilst I sought after to specific this womanhood and sensuality that I used to be getting into—as a result of I’m rising up and exploring a brand new model of my good looks—I additionally sought after to pay homage to Bollywood in numerous techniques. That’s a large a part of the muse. After which, after all, sci-fi. So, I love to have numerous a laugh with good looks. I love to take numerous dangers. I don’t similar to to invite the make-up artist to swipe on a typical wing and a just right contour; I love to truly paintings with artists and create one thing particular and new once we paintings in combination.
“I had numerous reckoning with good looks in this album as a result of I feel that there’s numerous power placed on younger feminine artists—particularly artists of colour—to be this attractive goddess always and feature this truly not possible frame. I without a doubt felt that power at one level. And no longer from someone however myself, simply comparability and taking a look at how intense the power to suit into a undeniable look used to be. However I more or less simply reckoned with it, and the item that has all the time made me gorgeous to folks used to be my spirit and I truthfully needed to let pass of seeing unhealthy footage of myself and considering that can flow into on the net and that’s OK. I simply must are living with that. A large number of feeling gorgeous isn’t worrying the way you glance.”
I truly really feel probably the most gorgeous and satisfied no make-up on , daylight pouring over my pores and skin , hair rainy , in a bikini , someplace within the wooded area
— Raveena (@Raveena)
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“I tweeted this actually the opposite day: I think most pretty when my hair is rainy, I haven’t any make-up on, I’m in a heat wooded area, and I’m in a bikini. And I’ve simply eaten some vegatables and fruits, and I am ingesting water.”
