The Body Shop is here!
A brand she’s known for a long time: Jacqueline Fernandez at the Body Shop launch last week. Right – the range available in Colombo
Globally popular personal-care brand, The Body Shop officially arrived in Sri Lanka last week. The days when the eco-friendly, vegetarian beauty products survived long flights in luggage before reaching local users came to an end last Monday as their newest outlet was launched at The Fairline Building (No.425), Galle Road, Colombo 3.
Stocked with a range of skin care, bath products and make-up including promisingly darker tan foundation, possibly marking the end to the eternal struggle of finding a convincing shade for tropical skin, Sri Lanka is the latest among 60 other countries to welcome this organic brand. From its inception in 1976, The Body Shop has championed the idea of ethically and sustainably sourcing ingredients from around the globe. Director of The Body Shop Sri Lanka, Trevor Rajaratnam announced that the local branch will keep to the franchise’s global commitment to achieve “14 CSR Goals by 2020, under the ‘Enrich Not Exploit’ initiative.”
The face of Body Shop in India, Jacqueline Fernandez who entered Bollywood with her role as princess Jasmine in the 2009 film Aladdin is “happy to be representing” the brand at home. Much like her familiarity since girlhood with the Disney version of the Middle-Eastern princess, her connection to these products stretches long before her appointment as brand ambassador. “When I was growing-up in Bahrain,” pocket money meant returning to the enticing Body Shop store hoping to buy “just one cream.”
She’s working on a “Superhero film” at the moment, in which her character is “quirkier and funnier, but it’s giving me a lot of memories of playing Jasmine,” she smiles. There is however a type of role Jacqueline would like to land. “I’m a real sucker for costumes and grandeur in cinema,” she says, aspiring to one day be a part of a historical piece, or perhaps even a biographic feature.
Pix by Ranjith Perera
A keen fan would notice that all of the former Miss Universe, Sri Lanka-turned actress’s screen appearances are immensely diverse. “It’s very much on purpose,” we’re told. “I very rarely will go with a role I feel like I’ve played before,” to stay clear of being stereotyped.
Looking run-way ready is a big part of the job for Jacqueline, who says confidence exuding body positivity often involves a step most easily miss. “It might take some investing” in terms of time and research but understanding specific beauty needs she shares, is well worth the trouble “This is why,” she says a skin consultation, which the Colombo store is equipped to deliver “is so important.” Particularly in South Asia for instance, the climatic effect on the body she feels is too easily overlooked. There’s much benefit for complexions in staying hydrated and avoiding “heaty food that we like to indulge in.”
“I guess you’re expected to look more groomed” she says, about being constantly in the public-eye both on and off-screen. This expectation, perhaps not to the same degree is a shared pressure on male celebrities as well she notes, but “someone who is comfortable in their own skin,” inevitably “shines the brightest.”