Can a Beauty Founder Afford to Look 'Unbeautiful'?

The irony of being in beauty is that you stop feeling beautiful the moment people start expecting you to be.

- Diipa Büller-Khosla

I still remember walking the red carpet at Cannes one year with my face completely swollen from an allergic reaction.

I was walking for one of the biggest beauty brands in the world, and my team had tried everything (ice, concealer, prayers), but there was no hiding it. Cameras flashed, interviews happened, and all I could think was: “What will the comments say?” It wasn't the first time I'd felt that pressure, but the first time I realised how easily it had become a part of my job description.

And that's the thing about being in the business of beauty. When you are the face of a brand, you're not just selling a product... you are living proof it works. When I started indē wild, I was pregnant. My body was changing faster than my business plans, and I was learning to build a brand while also growing a tiny human inside me. When we shot one of the first campaigns, I had this huge belly and swollen feet, and I remember thinking: This is either going to be the most real thing I've ever done, or the most hypocritical.