Artist and Musician TiKA on Ego, Music and Identity

Five years ago, multidisciplinary artist TiKA began recording a debut full-length album and quickly became a beloved voice in the Canadian music industry, thanks to a series of critically acclaimed R&B singles that she released as fans patiently awaited her album Anywhere But Here. In that time, TiKA snagged a spot in a couple of Sephora campaigns, dazzled her growing fanbase with magnetic live performances, and explored other mediums like filmmaking. But the album never came. Today, TiKA has released Anywhere But Here, her long-awaited, half-a-decade-in-the-making, full-length debut album. Unsurprisingly (for those who have followed her music in the last few years), the record is already garnering praise from critics.

We sat down with TiKA (virtually, of course) for an unfiltered conversation about all things ego, music and identity.

On releasing an album during the pandemic

“It’s super weird. Because of quarantine there’s a different energy and a different vibe. Most of the [promotional] things that I’m doing are via Zoom. I had to do streaming performances and in order to do them, I needed to be near my band, so I came out to Montreal to be here to be with them, so we could perform together. The shows themselves are in a rehearsal or studio space and they’re live-streamed so that feels strange, too. But all in all, I’m grateful that I’m able to release this body of work. It’s been five years in the making and I feel like it’s a time where people need super vulnerable music like this.”

On ego getting in the way of art

“The music itself was completely done in 2019 or 2020. But I went through many different photographers to finalize the artwork, so many pictures and so many different artistic directions. I think that speaks volumes about my ego getting in the way of the art. In hindsight, now that I’m finally putting it out, I feel like my ego really played a larger part than I realized in terms of how long I took to release it. And releasing art should not be about that. You’re just a middle man, you’re a messenger, a conduit. But because of ego, sometimes we want to beautify the gift, or make it different, make it look prettier, wrap it differently. That was my fear and apprehension saying ‘Do I sound good enough? Am I good enough? Do I need to change myself physically?’ I feel like this album is about me unpacking some of my own shit. Montreal changed and inspired me, and gave me permission to slow down. Before, living in Toronto, which is such a fast-paced city, it felt like I was bulldozing through my work and art rather than being meditative and intentional. And the lack of affordability in Toronto is a huge thing, especially if you are a marginalized artist. So Montreal — in terms of affordability, mental awareness, mindfulness, slowing down — played a major role in me being able to see myself. Prior to [coming here] I don’t think I had as much self-awareness as I do now. I eventually realized that this album has very little to do with me. I needed to just release it to the stratosphere and let it live and exist out there. I was sitting with this for five years because it made me feel uncomfortable or it was too vulnerable. I wasn’t able to deconstruct those emotional aspects of myself prior to moving [to Montreal].”

 

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On taking care of her mental health during live performances

“Performance has an element of over-exerting oneself. Even with that spiritual feedback that you get from the audience, you still always end up emotionally and physically depleted. You’re giving more than you are receiving. I was once talking to Daniel Caesar and he asked what performing feels like for me, and I said it feels like I’m about to touch God’s hand. It’s the highest high. If you suffer from chronic illness, all of it leaves your body when you get onstage and for a moment, you’re free. But it always comes rushing back afterward. It’s an out-of-body experience and your physical body pays a toll for it. If you suffer from anxiety, when you get onstage your anxiety is still in your physical body but your spiritual body is gone; you’re floating elsewhere, and when you return back into your body you feel everything. So yeah, it’s exhausting.

In that respect, quarantine has been really good for me because it’s put me in a position where I have to look inwards and I don’t usually do that. Plus, the way we built this project, all the records sound intentionally timeless, so whether someone finds it now or 20 years from now, it won’t combust in like, T-minus 24 hours. If I do get to perform live after the pandemic, great. I think I will have given myself time to heal [from the process].”

On being a Black artist in the music industry

“It’s been a very painful, eye-opening experience to learn what people’s expectations of me are. If you are a Black artist, there’s a level of perfectionism that’s expected of you. You can’t show up and be Black and just be. It’s only in the last few years that folks have started showing up as themselves. For instance, artists like Summer Walker and Ari Lennox have recently been very vocal about their boundaries and their needs for privacy. I think it’s so brave of them to be vulnerable like that. You never would have seen that in the past because we’ve always had to show up poised and perfect. The Beyoncé vibe [was the only option]. But there’s a disconnect between perfectionism and humanity. I’m in the process of learning — and unlearning — those things.”

 

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On Prince as her biggest musical influence

“I was just obsessed from the moment I came across a vinyl of his at my grandparents’ when I was 14, particularly with the song ‘I Would Die 4 U.’ Of course, this was pre-internet days. When the internet was later available to me, I was like ‘I gotta know how these records came to be.’ There was this website for super fans to discover vault records; that’s how I found out that ‘I Would Die 4 U’ was about Prince as a Jehovah’s Witness. He wrote it from the perspective of the holy trinity. It changed my lens of him so deeply. Like how brilliant is it to write a #1 pop hit that’s really from the perspective of God and loving someone so deeply that you would give your life for them? I thought it was so beautiful that he could take something like that and then turn it into a dance-pop song. But I wanted to do a cover of it as a ballad because I didn’t think people were really understanding the depth of the lyrics. The day I got the record back from the engineer was the day Prince died. I was devastated. I wanted him to hear it and shade me or something. You know how shady he was. But that experience definitely changed me in terms of how I write. Now my writing is less structural and a lot more intentional. I really try to draw from a place of honesty and vulnerability.”

On using makeup as a means of self-expression and exploration

“I love makeup and I think it plays such a large part in being able to play a character or be someone else for a day. I’ve always found it interesting how masc or how femme I can look by using — or not using — makeup, so exploring how far I can take beauty is just another element performing for me. I remember seeing Prince perform and it was the first time I had ever seen a man dress like a woman; he had long hair and was wearing heels and furs and becoming very exploratory in terms of this non-binary modality. I’d never seen that before and it just inspired me so deeply. He pushed the boundaries in terms of gender identity onstage. I found, and still find, that so sexy.”

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Billie Eilish Is in a Tug of War With Fame in Her New Documentary

At just 13 years old, Billie Eilish recorded what went on to be her first big hit, “Ocean Eyes,” in her parents’ garage in Los Angeles. That’s where AppleTV+’s Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (out February 26) begins — clips of home video with her now-producer brother Finneas O’Connell right before their worlds exploded.

Award-winning director R.J. Cutler didn’t know much about Eilish before they had their first hour-long meeting. “She’s a very real, very cool kid. That was my first impression meeting her in the backyard of her parents’ home in Highland Park,” he told FASHION in an interview.

“There was never another conversation about what we could or couldn’t shoot, or what we could or couldn’t include in the film,” Cutler shares. “Our process is very organic and thoughtful. You can’t show up one day and say, ‘I’m not getting juicy enough material,’ which is never the case in this film.”

Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find many Gen Z or millennial people who haven’t at least heard her name or can’t identify one of her many multi-platinum hit songs. Eilish is unwaveringlyt real. Her songs can be dark, sad and aggressive — but they reflect feelings that her huge fanbase can relate to.

“What intrigued me about her was the fact that she was clearly this extraordinary artist whose work so deeply touches so many people at such a young age, who is also a young woman coming of age,” Cutler said. “I was very intrigued at the possibility of telling a story that was both of those things at once.”

The two-and-a-half-hour documentary emphasizes the stark contradictions Eilish faces between her normal life with her very involved family, and the glamour and chaos of touring as a major celebrity and recording artist.

“I’m glad that you see that — that Billie is having a struggle with fame — because that’s consistent with what I observed,” he said. “It’s an important aspect of who she is and what she went through.”

Photography courtesy of Apple

Unlike some documentaries following celebrities that can end up watered down, sterilized or overly formulaic, The World’s A Little Blurry feels uncomfortably real. It’s sad watching a young woman burst into such an extreme level of fame while struggling with heartbreak, high expectations and an intense pressure to keep creating.

The film also gives fans a peek into her mental health. In one scene, she shows the pages of her journal from when she was little and struggling with depression and suicidal ideation.

“You can’t make a film about Billie Eilish that is real and honest that doesn’t explore her mental health issues, her mental health journey,” he said. “It’s a big part of the film because it’s a big part of who she is.”

The film wraps up after Eilish takes home five Grammy Awards at only 18 years old. It followed a lengthy world tour during which she struggled with trying to maintain relationships on the road while battling health issues. At times, she seems ready to give up — but light appears on the other side.

A final scene shows the singer driving her dream car, a matte black Dodge Challenger that, for her entire tour, sat unnused in front of her parent’s rustic home. A film that could’ve been simply a critique of young stardom — which it is, in many ways, intentional or not — provides a glimmer of hope that anything is possible.

“It’s a simple scene. Billie’s in the car, reflecting on where her life is. She thinks she’s kind of looking good, and she thinks she’s pretty famous. She’s getting along well with her family,” he explains.

“She thinks that life is good. That is kind of the whole journey of the movie.”

Watch a trailer for the film here:

The World’s A Little Blurry is now playing in select theatres and streaming globally on Apple TV+.

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3 Fashion Week Pros on the Importance of Industry-Wide Textured Hair Education

For the past handful of years, there has been a steady emergence of natural hair on designer runways, red carpets, in campaigns, and on TV — and that’s a very beautiful thing. In a world where, for so long, Eurocentric hairstyles, from straight and sleek to loose, styled curls, dominated the public spotlight, seeing natural hair — which has been a political battleground for decades — as “en vogue” signals that the beauty industry has widened its narrow standards.

But as natural hair becomes more accepted in these high-profile spaces, a glaring dilemma has been exposed behind the scenes: stylists ill-equipped to work with highly-textured hair. The root of the issue? A lack of curl education. The disparity begins in beauty school and then filters up to salons and professional sets, ultimately presenting itself in the form of discriminatory hair practices disguised as ignorance.

Despite the army of hairstylists on deck, backstage during Fashion Month can be a breeding ground for natural hair discrimination. “That’s probably one of the worst and most public areas that you see it, and [one of the ways] racism is showing up in the fashion industry,” notes hairstylist Stacey Ciceron, a textured hair expert and educator.

Ciceron, who has styled for runway shows during New York, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, stresses that insufficient curl knowledge, plus the underrepresentation of Black hairstylists who understand the complexity of afro hair, makes way for traumatizing experiences for models of colour, scenarios that force mouths to be kept shut and heads down. “If you’re a Black model and your hair must be done, you don’t have a choice. There can be three or four people on you at one time just pulling, tightening — trying to do whatever,” describes Ciceron. “Models feel like they can’t even speak up in order to keep their jobs.” And in many cases, it’s not unusual for models with natural hair to be left completely untouched, which feels like a cop-out knowing the variety of styles that can be achieved with afro hair. “That’s the other [end of the] spectrum because [hairstylists] don’t want to deal with it.”

For Canadian model Crystal Rowe, trusting her natural hair to pros on gigs is always a risk, which has led to taking hair matters into her own hands before showing up to work. “It’s actually better that I do my hair myself because it can get damaged on set with hairstylists trying to do something. The products they use are not good for my hair and things like that,” she reveals. “Until I feel like the industry has really changed, I’m going to continue doing it at home.”

Prepping her hair at home pre-job is a norm fellow local model Truth John understands well, too. In fact, the widespread lack of textured-hair knowledge even led John to chemically straightening her afro strands. “I was relaxing and texturizing my hair because it was easier for hairstylists to deal with,” she admits. “Once you’re in the industry, you realize that not a lot of people know how to deal with your hair.”

To fix this problem, Ciceron underlines that industry decision-makers, from fashion designers to beauty brands, need to support more hairstylists of colour behind the scenes. But it’s not solely about ethnic diversity; it’s about diversity in skill. It’s every hair professional’s job to learn to style Black hair. “I’m not saying they need to specialize in highly-textured hair. They need to learn how to do it — the same way they learn how to do everything else,” she expresses. “Let’s do our part [as hairstylists] to make sure that everything is better moving forward.”

Missed our last Texture Talk column? Click here.

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Becca Cosmetics Is Closing Thanks To COVID-19 Losses

Becca Cosmetics, the brand responsible for see-them-from-space highlighted cheekbones, is the latest company to be hit hard by COVID-19. On February 24, the influential beauty brand announced it would be closing come September 2021.

With a statement shared on Instagram and its website titled “Glowing with Gratitude,” the brand lamented the devastating impact the pandemic has had “on everyone around the world on many levels,” and encouraged Becca lovers to continued to “keep illuminating your true selves.”

“At Becca, an accumulation of challenges, together with the global impact of COVID-19, has sadly been more than our business can withstand, and we have had to make the heartbreaking decision to close down the Becca brand at the end of September 2021,” the statement reads. “We believe in you, and we believe that the beauty inside you is the light you share with the world. We are confident that the spirit of Becca will continue to live on through all of you.”

 

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“Please keep illuminating your true selves. Light your own paths and push your limits. Share positivity and light the way for others as you make an impact on this world. Own your light on your own terms.”

Fans are heartbroken over the news, taking to Instagram to voice their undying love for the brand.

Makeup artist Allan Avendaño commented: “Thank you always for the support you’ve given to all the artists. You will be missed. I can’t imagine my kit without you so I refuse to let that happen.”

Another fan wrote: “But you guys invented highlight. The end of an era. #champagnepopforever.”

The end of an era, indeed.

Becca Cosmetics, founded in 2001 in Australia, was one of the first brands to leverage the power of social media influencer marketing. Its complexion-inclusive, cruelty-free products appealed to the new age of natural, lit-from-within beauty; a major shift from heavy looks that dominated the better part of the 2000s.

The brand saw considerable growth in 2015 when popular makeup YouTuber Jaclyn Hill started talking about it on her channel shortly before the launch of Becca’s hugely successful Champagne Pop Collection. Champagne Pop, a highlighter in the collection, sold 25,000 units within just 20 minutes of going online. Hill went on to release her own line with the brand the following year. Their campaign was launched entirely on social media.

Acquired by Estée Lauder Companies — which also owns big-industry brands like Smashbox, M.A.C and Dr. Jart+ — for $200 million in 2016, Becca maintained strong relationships with influential people, like Hill and actor Barbie Ferreira, and collaborated with its own customers to make a name for itself as a trusted brand with beloved products.

But last year, Estée Lauder Companies announced a huge reduction in their workforce worldwide, effectively laying off about three percent and closing from 10 to 15 percent of their stores.

Although Champagne Pop will become a makeup artifact with collector’s-item status by the end of this year, the brand has had an incredible impact and spearheaded the natural beauty trend that will definitely live on past the pandemic.

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Put Your Best Foot Forward With These Shoe Launches

Ready to get a leg up on your look? February has presented a wealth of new footwear options from the first sneaker offering by Toronto-based brand Zvelle to Native’s “algae-infused” shoes. Plus, you can currently pre-order the Fall 2021 boot collaboration between Anna Sui and Vancouver’s John Fluevog. There’s never been a better time to get your kicks!

Zvelle introduced a new sneaker called Rayna

Photography courtesy of Zvelle

Coming hot off the heels of several other launches in the last year, Toronto-based footwear and accessory brand Zvelle has dropped its first sneaker, which comes in eight colourways from metallic to monochromatic and more. The Rayna’s look is a mix between a charming ballet flat and a soft sporty ’70s running shoe — an ideal combo for anyone whose on-the-go look needs a lift these days. The handcrafted-in-Italy styles are limited run (pardon the pun), so make your move fast.

A capsule offering from Sporty & Rich and Clarks Originals is now available

Photography courtesy of Sporty & Rich

For its first footwear collaboration, Sporty & Rich — the athleisure label launched by Canadian creative Emily Oberg — has teamed up with British brand Clarks Originals. Three versions of Clarks’s classic Wallabee shoe are offered up in shades of merlot, cream and pastel blue; hues sure to put a spring in your step. The styles are made by a German tannery that works with the reforestation-focused organization, the Kikonda Forest Project, and feature a rubber sole made from a renewable source.

“To me, the Wallabee embodies the sort of genderless image that I always try to incorporate into Sporty & Rich’s aesthetic,” Oberg said in a press release about the launch. “It perfectly ties together elegance and casual styles — not a dress shoe, but not quite a sneaker either. And the history of the shoe within ’90s culture has also made it a versatile icon to all different groups of people.”

Cougar debuted a range of pieces boasting a design by Jill Malek

Photography courtesy of Cougar

Home décor designer Jill Malek has lent her artful, minimalistic style to an array of Cougar’s popular Kensington Chelsea rain boots. The pattern uses reflective details meant to capture the essence of “rain catching the light,” transforming the boot’s utilitarian vibe into something playfully elevated. “Consistently inspired by moving forms in nature, it is my mission to create pieces that promote a sense of calm and fluidity in our hectic world,” Malek said in a statement about the collaboration. “Partnering with Cougar has enabled me to bring the story of translucent rain to their amazing rain boot, while also allowing me to experiment with their new and innovative materials.”

The Fall 2021 Anna Sui x John Fluevog collab is available for pre-order

Photography courtesy of John Fluevog

If you caught the digital launch of Anna Sui’s Fall 2021 collection during NYFW last week, you may have noticed she’s continuing her work with Canadian brand John Fluevog. And for the first time, fans of the fantastical synergy between Fluevog and Sui are able to pre-order select pieces from the collection. In this case, the Odlum brogued Chelsea boot — a slip-on style that comes in two colours of a charming berry and floral motif. Pick your pair now for expected delivery in May (who doesn’t love something to look forward to these days?), and get the extra satisfaction of knowing 10% of sales will go to The Bowery Mission, an organization close to Sui’s heart.

Native Shoes dropped more styles made with repurposed algae

Photography courtesy of Native Shoes

Speaking to its “goal of giving 100% of shoes an end of life solution by 2023,” Vancouver’s Native Shoes just relaunched its selection of Jefferson Bloom Archive pieces in ocean-inspired colours. Fitting, as they’re made with material that uses Rise by Bloom technology; according to a press release, the process removes toxic algae from waterways and this harvested matter is then “fused” into the upper of the shoes.

Vans and Opening Ceremony have partnered on their first global collection

Photography courtesy of Vans

For their new capsule collection with Vans, Opening Ceremony founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have created interpretations of the streetwear brand’s iconic checkerboard motif. You’ll find a tactile take in the offering’s two quilted sneakers in addition to leopard and snake-print styles. The collection also includes apparel and accessories, so indulge in wearing a head-to-toe look if you dare.

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Tyrone Edwards On Mental Health, Being Un-Muted and Caring for the Underserved

“We’re on the verge of something big, massive, huge. We have the opportunity to be a part of one of the most transformative times in history, a moment in time that can be remembered in history books as people who truly fought for change,” said etalk co-anchor Tyrone Edwards in a virtual TEDx talk that streamed live late last year. Called “My Trauma is Not a Trend,” the fifteen-minute video shows the Canadian television personality, whose career began in 2011 as a host for MuchMusic and progressed to E! then etalk, speaking candidly about the world finally seeming to wake up to anti-Black racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody in May 2020.

“I never thought I’d see this chance for change in my lifetime. In fact, I spent many years building up a wall around me to protect me. Building up a tolerance to mistreatment and harassment just to get me through. So as much as this excites me, it also terrifies me — because my trauma just cannot be a trend,” he goes on to say, opening up about his worries that the momentum of the collective outcry, which erupted through protests and black squares dominating social media, will fizzle as many wait for life to return to some sort of pre-pandemic normalcy.

This isn’t Edwards’ first time speaking out publicly. The powerful TEDx talk, which sees the broadcaster dive into some of his daily realities and struggles as a Black man in society, came after the pop culture reporter’s incredibly emotional and viral moment on The Social mere days after Floyd’s death during a segment on men’s mental health and the pandemic. While being interviewed, a tearful Edwards expressed his pain and outrage over the systemic racism and violence Black people continue to experience, and his boiling frustration that those outside of the Black community around him don’t seem to express the same level of anger when injustices occur. Since that raw moment on national television, Edwards’ clout has been on a much-needed rise within the entertainment industry, and we’re all here for it.

Below, FASHION caught up with Edwards to talk about his latest co-anchor role, breaking free from fear to pursue his dreams and what’s on his horizon.

On his role at etalk…
“I’ve taken this seat as the co-anchor of etalk and the timing is just impeccable. Yes, we’re an entertainment show, but now that I’m un-muted, I can bring so much more to the table and talk about things that matter: anti-Black racism, mental health, mandated masculinity and what that looks like today versus what it did before. I love that my journey as an individual, my journey as a man, has prepared me for this very moment that I’m in right now.”

On his career journey and learning to never stop dreaming…
“Initially, I had a very particular, very niche dream: I wanted to host RapCity on MuchMusic. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I did that. I was literally living the dream almost to the point of it being so exciting that I felt guilty because the older you get, when you look around, you realize how many people aren’t. I also come from very humble means and my mother and my aunt taught me how to be satisfied and not want for everything. When you don’t have much, you have to learn how to make do with what you have and be grateful. So when I got the RapCity job, I felt guilty to want for more, to dream for more. But time on the job led to more access (bigger celebrities, bigger experiences), and eventually what ended up happening was I built up the nerve to dream again by doing some personal work to become a better version of myself and to realize why I was thinking the way I was. A lot of it had to do with me just thinking like a survivor. But I realized, ‘Hold on. I’m not just surviving anymore. Now it’s time to thrive. Now it’s time to build. Now it’s time to think about dreaming again.’ So I did, which has helped me grow in front of the camera over the last couple of years. It’s also made me a better reporter and host in general.”

On what’s next…
“I’m a community guy and one of my legacy pieces is going to be free walk-in mental health clinics for youth. Right now, I’m an ambassador for the Yorktown Family Services Mental Health Walk-In Clinic near where I grew up and the numbers are unreal in terms of the need for mental health services, how they’re being received and the positive impact that they’re creating. But I know that getting mental health support is not something that is easily accessible — or even a reality — in a lot of neighbourhoods like the one that I grew up in. And what that really comes down to is neighbourhoods being underserved. Like the neighbourhood that I grew up in: There’s nothing wrong with it; it’s just underserved.

“So I want the walk-in clinic to be replicated throughout the city where it’s needed: In all other underserved neighbourhoods that are lower income or have a lot of single-income homes. I’m no doctor, but I truly believe that mental health is linked to rising crime rates and people going in and out of jail. A lot of times, these are people who have issues that have never been diagnosed. People that could really use some support but never get it.

“It wasn’t until my twenties before I started to realize that it wasn’t weird or weak to speak to someone. That I didn’t have to feel ashamed or lesser than. I didn’t think like that when I was 17. I even remember my first [therapy] session and getting into my car afterwards and driving away. I was like, ‘What the hell? That’s a luxury! No wonder rich people do that stuff. I wish I could afford to do that every two weeks.’ Because it is a luxury to be able to talk so someone and have them work through things with you professionally and without biases. And it’s not about just about going when you’re at your worst. It can be preventative. Your mental health is the most important thing.”

Missed our last My Story column? Click here.

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Willlow and Jaden Smith Have Teamed up With Their Parents on a Personal Care Brand

The Smith family is making their way to the beauty aisle. Power couple Will and Jada have teamed up with their kids, Jaden and Willow, to launch an eco-friendly personal care brand called Hey Humans, WWD reported today.

The Smiths have collaborated with beauty-brand incubator Maesa (which has also partnered with celebs like Taraji P. Henson and Priyanka Chopra Jonas for their own lines) for the project. According to Maesa, Hey Humans is 99 percent plastic-free, packaging their vegan formulas in aluminum and paper containers. The name speaks to the family’s overall mission, a call-to-action to treat both our bodies and planet well.

“For me, personal care is a practice that represents self-love,” Pinkett Smith, who is also the brand’s creative director, told WWD. “COVID-19 has made us all, myself included, pause and think about our daily routine, the values we live by and the ingredients in the products we use. From self-care rituals to natural, nuanced beauty, we’re all seeking ways to enhance our lives and incorporate a more holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle from the comfort of our homes.”

 

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Hey Humans is launching with four products: a foaming body wash enriched with moisturizing jojoba seed oil; a lightweight body lotion formulated with soothing aloe leaf juice and Vitamin E; a natural deodorant that contains sweat-absorbing arrowroot powder; and a minty fluoride toothpaste. Each of the body products also come in multiple, gender-neutral scents, like calming lavender vanilla, and use upcycled fragrance ingredients.

The Smiths are no strangers to working together. In 2015, Will and Jada helped Jaden launch Just Water, a sustainably sourced spring water brand housed in plant-derived cartons.

The brand is now available exclusively at Target, and nothing costs more than $6 (USD). There’s no word yet on when Hey Humans will be available in Canada, but we’ll update this post with the latest info.

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Nidhi Sunil, L’Oréal Paris’s New Spokesperson, Speaks Out About Colourism

“I wasn’t trying to be a colourism advocate,” says Nidhi Sunil over a Zoom call. “But once I started modelling, I was faced with so many professional roadblocks that I had to combat it and stand up for myself.” The model, actress and philanthropist, who grew up in South India and went to school in Bombay, has just been announced as L’Oréal Paris’ new Global Ambassador. Sunil worked in environmental law before signing with Elite Model Management in Bombay at age 22. In the last 10 years, she has graced the pages of international magazines, appeared in films, and starred and fashion and beauty campaigns. Today, she becomes the first Indian model to be signed as a Global Ambassador for L’Oréal Paris.

“In India, it’s a huge deal to be a L’Oréal spokesperson,” says Sunil. “One the first Indian L’Oréal spokespeople was Aishwarya Rai [actress and the winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant]. I remember her advertisement being blasted all over when I was a kid.” Sunil hopes that her new role with the beauty brand will “open the gates for other girls who […] aren’t fair-skinned and have green eyes,” which is the ideal beauty standard in India, she says.

 

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“Mainstream aspirational beauty in India is very fair — very white — and considering it’s a country full of brown people, it’s kind of a colonial hangover,” says Sunil. “You have a self-loathing for your own skin colour. I had to fight to create space for myself in the modelling industry, even in India, because we actually had a lot of models [working in Bombay] from England, South Africa, Russia, and I had to push my management agency to make space for Indian girls [like me] — in an Indian market! That’s why I feel like this collaboration is pivotal, because I didn’t grow up seeing someone like me on billboards and in mainstream advertisements, even in India, my own country.”

Sunil’s hope is that her partnership with L’Oréal Paris will speak to young boys and girls who, like her, grew up feeling “unrepresented, unseen and collectively barred from feeling beautiful. [Now I’m] in a position to talk about a large and collective shared experience as a dark-skinned Indian person.”

 

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In her 10 years in the modelling industry, Sunil has witnessed the evolution of social media and the way that models, and anyone in the public eye, can use it to take control of their own stories. She has tried to leverage the power of social media to change the messaging around beauty standards. “Before the internet and social media, whatever you saw on TV was truth,” she says. “So if a brand was advertising that something was true, then [we assumed] it must have been true. There was a collective brainwashing. Today, it’s up to us to reach out to our communities and share what we feel, what we believe, and to shape our own collective narratives instead of giving someone else the power to brand your own perceptions in their favour.”

The first L’Oréal Paris campaign that Sunil will appear in will be under the shampoo category. “My relationship with hair is so deep,” she says. “I grew up with my mom shoving coconut oil onto my head and making me sleep with it against my will so I’d have long beautiful when I grew up. Hair is such a huge part of my identity.” Because of her emotional ties to her long hair, Sunil jokes that “at this point, because it’s such a huge part of my identity, I would cut it off just to see what it’s like. That’s what 2020 has done to me. After this past year it’s like, ‘Oh, you want me to destroy my identity and come out the other side? Fine.’”

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You Already Know CARYS’s Song from TikTok

Aviva Mongillo, a.k.a. CARYS, had been acting in projects like CBC’s Workin’ Moms, Long Shot with Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, and Family Channel’s popular TV series Backstage, and working on her solo music career for several years when, in 2019, she planned on overhauling her image as a musician and creating a new stage identity.

That plan was thwarted when the Markham, Ont. native’s 2017 song “Princesses Don’t Cry” suddenly went viral on TikTok, two years after its initial release. (It has since racked up a mind-blowing 71 million-plus spins, and counting, and peaked at #2 on Spotfiy’s Global Viral Chart.) This unexpected exposure forced CARYS to embrace who she was instead of trying to create a character for herself.

In the JUNO Awards latest installment in its Rising Presented by TD series, a series of mini-documentaries profiling up-and-coming Canadian talent, the 22-year-old To Anyone Like Me musician talks about relinquishing control, embracing her identity and learning to no longer seek external validation. Here, CARYS dives deeper into her personal journey to self-acceptance — and the joys of TikTok.

In the Rising Presented by TD video, you talk about choosing between breakthrough and setback. How have you learned to get out of your own way?

Very slowly, haha. I think it’s a process. I don’t think I’m 100% out of my own way yet. With each new experience or opportunity I challenge myself to do the most loving thing I can do and be as loving as I can. Sometimes my fear of possible outcomes stops me from just going for it in the moment but I try to cheer myself on for every time I do choose to push through.

How did you react when the sudden TikTok success around “Princesses Don’t Cry” threw a wrench in your plan to recreate your identity? How did you deal with that lack of control? 

When anything doesn’t go to plan for me I kind of freak out, even if it’s something as small as not doing my laundry at the time I said I was going to do my laundry. So on this much larger scale, I was scared to let go of my plan. It’s been super vulnerable for me because I wasn’t aware that I was trying to play a character until I didn’t want the character to go away, but this experience has taught me a lot about letting go and trusting the process. I was trying to write music for a character and now I’m continuously discovering parts of who I truly am through writing music and I find that much more fulfilling.

You talk about feeling like sharing your work is like opening up your diary to the world. What advice do you have for people putting themselves out there in similar ways? 

I always ask myself, “When I’m old and grey and I’m looking back at this time, what do I want the story to be? That I let my fear stop me from going after what I wanted or that I took that leap of faith?” And the answer for me is always obvious, but it’s never easy!

@itsari.aleisePOV: you’re my younger sibling and you are scared for your first ball but I got your back❤️♬ Princesses Don’t Cry – CARYS

How do you feel today when you hear “Princesses Don’t Cry” on TikTok — does the excitement ever wear off?

I feel like I get more and more excited as time goes on. In a generation where it only takes 15 seconds to move on to the next trend, I feel overwhelmingly grateful that so many people are still supporting and loving that song! I’ll never get sick of it.

What’s your favourite thing about TikTok? 

TikTok makes me feel less alone and makes me laugh so much. I love seeing people share their stories; it’s made me feel more confident to do the same. I find myself going “Other people feel this too?! Thank GOODNESS” a lot. And I love stealing recipes from TikTok. I learned how to make fettuccine alfredo in quarantine and it was restaurant quality.

What was the experience of being in a bigger Hollywood movie production like Long Shot compared to a TV production like Workin’ Moms? 

I have always been a big Seth Rogen fan so the idea of being on set with him intimidated and excited me! Once I was there, it was super calm and fun and I just remember running my lines 600 times trying to be as prepared as possible, obviously wanting to make a good impression. I channeled my nerves into the work all day and as soon as I wrapped I had a “holy crap” moment where I just fan-girled to myself.

Is not seeking external validation something you still have to work through at times? If so, how do you deal with that urge?

Yes, of course. I think it’s human nature to want validation from other humans. I deal with it by giving it to myself! I realized that I can be someone who needs validation and someone who can validate me at the same time.

Finally, what’s your all-time favourite karaoke song? 

I don’t have an all-time favourite but I almost always choose a One Direction song.

 

Watch the full Rising Presented by TD mini-doc about CARYS here: 

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Monday Haircare Has Landed in Canada + Other Beauty News This Week

Sparitual launches a nail wellness kit

 

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Los Angeles-based nail and body care brand Sparitual launched a new Nail Wellness Collection on February 15, featuring an all-star lineup that includes a cuticle remover and oil, a nail strengthening treatment and a topcoat. The products are all vegan and reflect the beauty industry’s shift toward hand care, health and hygiene. Featuring nourishing ingredients like bamboo extract, bamboo oil and argan oil, there’s never been a better time to give your hands and nails some serious TLC.

Monday haircare makes its Canadian debut

 

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Launching a new haircare collection right before an unsettling global lockdown that upended every aspect of life sounds stressful, but for New Zealand entrepreneur Jaimee Lupton, the timing last March seemed to reiterate the messaging behind her brand, Monday. “Beauty shouldn’t have to cost an arm and a leg,” says Lupton. “We set out to make luxury accessible; given the times, I think that that was very important for people.” Priced at $10 and under, the pastel-pink SLS- and paraben-free line of four in-shower cleansing and conditioning duos sold out within days when it first hit New Zealand and Australian drugstore shelves and has now officially landed at mass-market retailers across Canada. With nourishing and strengthening ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin E and rice protein, the offerings include Gentle for fine and fragile hair, Volume for limp, Smooth for coarse and Moisture for dry. “All our ingredients are fair trade and sustainable; those are huge pillars of our brand and are very important to us,” says Lupton.

Cheekbone Beauty enters the eye category

 

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Canadian Indigenous cosmetics brand Cheekbone Beauty has made a splash with their first eye product launch following the success of the brand’s vegan lipsticks which are made and hand-poured in Canada with sustainably sourced ingredients and housed in biodegradable packaging. On February 19, the brand launched Sustain Eyes, a collection of vegan and gluten-free eyeliner pencils in five shades (black, brown, plum, green and blue). The liners are housed in wood that comes from PEFC Certified protected forests and packaged in plantable seed paper. “Staying connected to our Indigenous roots, Sustain Eyes takes us one step closer to creating beautiful makeup products founded in the pillar of sustainability, bringing awareness to how our actions today will impact the next generations,” says founder Jennifer Harper. “Once you have sharpened the pencil all the way, it’s gone and leaves no trace.”

Tower 28 adds new shades to its cult fave BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm offerings

 

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Beauty brand Tower 28 has become a favourite among clean beauty enthusiasts thanks to its gentle formulations, versatile shade offerings and compliance with the National Eczema Association’s ingredient guidelines, ensuring no potential allergens and irritants make their way into the product formulas. This week the brand added three new shade offerings to its BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm that can be used on lips, eyes and cheeks. The new shades, After Hours, Rush Hour and Power Hour, were inspired by the colours of the Santa Monica sunset. “These new shade extensions are crowdsourced from our amazing community,” said founder Amy Liu in a statement. “I’m proud to have a highly engaged community and we make a practice of regularly asking them what is missing. They spoke and we listened!”

Benefit’s new They’re Real! Magnet Extreme Mascara is here

 

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Benefit’s biggest launch of the year has arrived and it’s an addition to the brand’s impressive portfolio of mascaras offerings. They’re Real! Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara features a brush with a revolutionary magnetically charged core that pulls the magnetic, mineral-enriched formula up and out, beyond the tips of lashes. Its custom-designed zig-zag bristles are strategically positioned to fan out, separate and define lashes. “Beyond the technology and the results, it was still important that we developed a mascara for everyday wear,” says Annie Ford Danielson, Chief Beauty Ambassador of Benefit Cosmetics. “We went through extremely rigorous testing standards for every part of the formulation and went through 78 iterations of the formula. Our biggest claim is that this mascara results in 40% longer lashes.”

Bite Beauty dropped a new liquid liner

 

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A black liquid eyeliner is a beauty bag staple, but trying to find one that’s made from high-quality, clean ingredients is a challenge. Enter: Bite Beauty. Known for its non-toxic, vegan and cruelty-free formulas, Bite’s first-ever liner, Upswing Extreme Longwear Liquid Eyeliner, is made with nourishing passionflower extract and a fruit-derived thickening agent that delivers smooth-glide colour. What’s more: The felt-tip dip applicator is something even eyeliner amateurs can master to swish and flick their way to a flawless cat-eye. Bonus: the pitch-black pigment doesn’t budge once it dries.

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