Beauty queen from movie scenes tells her own story.
The lovely Thandie Newton added much more to her portfolio, more than any movie can do, as she decided to tell her very own story of the lack of diversity she encountered as a child of mixed race growing up in England to Telegraph. Unfortunately, the shortage of diversity did not only refer to her trouble finding decent foundation, cover-up and powder for her darker skin, but also in the absence of understanding when it came to adults she encountered in her youth. “What starts off a girl’s journey in beauty is her imagination, which is linked to the images around her,” she states. “You try to project the images you see around you on to yourself, and there were some people around me who didn’t accept my skin colour or my hair.”
“I remember getting ready for class photos when I was six or seven. My mum braided my hair – for her it was the neatest, prettiest style, the equivalent of having your hair freshly cut and styled. I went to the best school in town, which was run by nuns, and they wouldn’t let me have my photo taken because of my hair. I think they thought it was a bit “ghetto”, though we didn’t really know what that meant. It was absolutely not ‘ghetto.’”
While “layers and layers of low self-esteem attached to these early experiences, and [Newton] continued to have very low self-esteem for years” it would be a trip to London that introduced Newton to more beauty in the world; beauty that was showcased in abundance through diversity.
Allowing her thoughts to move 360 degrees, while thinking back to her ordeals, Newton shows excitement when thinking of her daughter present-day. the experience she gained from her mother and self, allow her to utilize the opportunity she’s presented. “I think now, as a parent, you have a duty to show your children the different ways they can look and make them aware that they have a choice.”
And, as far as her thoughts on the beauty industry,
“I would like the beauty industry to broaden so that it is no longer intolerant of different ideas of beauty. And things are finally changing. It’s to do with people and the demand being there. There are plenty of women with darker skin who want to dress up with make-up, and brands know that if they manufacture the products, women will buy them. As for the brands that don’t, they need to catch up because they’re missing the market. In a way I think we’re doing them a favour by saying, “Hello, we’re around!” This is my world and my children’s world, and I want my children to be able to go into a shop and be represented.”
Beauty knows no bounds.
–Jamaal Fisher (@jamaalfisher)
