The word multi-hyphenate has never suited anyone more than it suits Masaba Gupta, who, from the looks of it, leads many lives in one.
So much that we're a little discombobulated about how to address her – designer? Actor? Influencer? Entrepreneur? What does one call a person who is an inspiring mishmash of everything? But above all else, Masaba is a relatable Everywoman who has first-hand experienced the wrath of an unrelenting society, learned to not only weather the storm but also thrive in it, and then translated her findings into ways with which she can better the lives of women who look up to her. After spearheading a body-positive approach in everyday fashion with her clothing line, Masaba, the entrepreneur, is bringing her slant of inclusivity to beauty with her cosmo-wellness brand, LoveChild, designed to not only suit our Indian skin but also make us feel better in it.
Formulated to bridge the gap between skincare and makeup, LoveChild offers lipsticks, nail paints, face mists, intimate wipes and calming oils, made using headline-making ingredients of the global beauty world that are still Indian in their appeal. With price-points that start at as little as INR 100, it’s also inclusive in terms of who the brand caters to, which, if you ask us, is what makes it a winner already.
In an attempt to demystify the force called Masaba, who is also moonlighting as our digital cover star, we get into a free-wheeling conversation with her, and hopefully come up with something incredible ourselves.
Masaba as a designer is, of course, authentic but also very focused on maintaining a golden mean between the creative and commercial aspects of design. She is in this balancing act of trying to fulfil the creative and commercial needs of both the brand and her. On the other side, there’s Masaba — the entrepreneur, who is a chameleon. She is always adapting and changing to situations and people around her. I also think she is a lot less emotional than Masaba the designer, you know? As a designer, she is much more emotional, but as an entrepreneur, she is practical when making decisions. Then there’s Masaba the actress, who is completely at peace, has nothing to prove, no validation that needs to come from there. It is just joy and happiness of being in front of the camera and on the set that is a meditative experience which leads her to become a better designer and a better entrepreneur.
As a woman of colour, coming from two different ethnicities, and dealing with acne and sensitive skin. For over 15 years, I grew up loving all my mum’s makeup but disliking what it did to my skin! With LoveChild, I wanted to create something that did not bind women with preconceived notions of beauty and skincare. Honesty, inclusivity, and efficacy have always been my priority while launching LoveChild.
LoveChild, as a term, had been weaved into my destiny since I was born, and now, it was time to incorporate it into my brand. For years, I’ve looked at this term critically. So I thought it was time to turn it into a positive feeling with a brand that would resonate with individuals who are labelled this all their lives, too.
With LoveChild, we aim to reduce the barriers and social hesitations that come with approaching beauty and wellness for first-time enthusiasts. The packaging is honest, embracive, and playfully vibrant. The brand is made with empathy at its core, enabling a unique expression of self-love. The makeup products are inclusive and diverse, catering to all Indian skin tones.
LoveChild was born to bridge the gap between makeup & skincare. The products are formulated as skin-vestments. The products are not only highly pigmented and high on performance and quality but also clean, vegan, gluten, and cruelty-free. The aim, especially with the shades of the lipstick, was to make colours that suit Indian skin tones — that there is an everyday colour for every woman that doesn’t feel like it is stripping their natural skin colour away.
My must-have product from the line is the Calm The Rocking Chair - Lavender Anti-Anxiety Essential Oil because it helps me calm my nerves. When I wear it on a flight, I feel like I have switched off from the world and have a moment with a beautiful scent that is also helping me calm down. The second would be the bullet lipstick in the shade ‘Barfi', a warm chocolate brown shade that I think goes very well on my cheeks and the top of my eyelids. It has become a multi-use product which is always in my bag. The third is the brightening face mist. It tightens my pores, instantly brightens my skin and is very refreshing. It is a great 3-in-1 product.
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