Priyanka Ganjoo Of Kulfi Beauty Talks South Asian Representation In The Industry

Where did your love of makeup come from?

Priyanka: I actually didn’t even wear makeup until my late 20s, and it was because I never felt that there was a safe space for me to play with makeup. I just didn’t feel like I was one of the pretty girls who was allowed to play with makeup in my community. Growing up in India, makeup was seen as something you did to attract men or to make your skin look lighter, so there was a lot of judgment coming with it. So, I actually didn’t fall in love with it until my late 20s, and that was because I started working in the beauty industry on the business side. I was working at Estée Lauder and then at Ipsy, which is a beauty subscription service. In my time in these companies, I was surrounded by people who love beauty, brands, and innovation. Through that experience, I started putting on products like glitter shadow and highlighter on my face, and realized how fun it can be. That rediscovery process is really when I truly fell in love with makeup. And then, even though I had all this access from being in the space, I still struggled to find products that really complemented my undertones, and struggled to find brands that felt relatable and approachable in the way that they represented South Asian stories in particular. That’s kind of what led me to starting Kulfi.