Latest news with #ShubhanginiPrakash
Yahoo
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
I'm 39 and never wear makeup. I want to be accepted the way I naturally look.
Shubhangini Prakash is a 39-year-old whose mother never encouraged her to wear makeup. She dabbled with eyeliner and eye shadow in college, but has chosen not to wear makeup anymore. She thinks that going makeup-free makes her feel like her real self all the time. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shubhangini Prakash, founder and CEO of skincare line Feather and Bone. When I was around 6, my mom told me lipstick would stain my lips. I had asked her to help me put some on for the school play, and she refused. Instead, I asked my neighbor's mom to do it for me. The next morning, I looked in the mirror and remembered thinking my lips had changed color. I'm not sure whether they had, but it confirmed that my mom had been right. I never wore makeup again until I left the UK to start college in the US. In the UK, I felt confident without makeup, but not in the States. To fit in at college, I started wearing eye shadow and eyeliner. It felt like I was becoming a different character, not myself. I also found the products irritated my eyes. Since then, I've rarely worn makeup, including for my two weddings. When I entered the workforce at 22, I stopped wearing makeup unless I was messing around and being silly with my friends. I wore nothing except a little lip gloss at work, out socializing, or on dates. I wanted to be accepted and respected for who I was, not because of the makeup put on my skin. On nights at bars with my friends, I didn't get the same attention as other women with dolled-up faces. I couldn't compete, but I would not wear makeup — I didn't feel 100% like myself with it on. I wanted to find a romantic partner who liked me, not some made-up version of me. If men don't have to wear makeup to attract a woman, why should a woman spend hours on her makeup for a man? I wanted to be seen as equal to a man, and not wearing makeup has become a way to channel that desire for equality. At 30, I was getting ready to launch my business, and a makeup artist offered to provide me with a full makeover for a commercial I was working on. I'd never had a full face of makeup in my life. Walking around afterward, with concealer, foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, I got all the looks from people I passed. It confirmed what I knew to be true — that makeup could get me noticed. Rather than making me want to wear it more, the makeover made me want to wear makeup even less. That boost of confidence I had from a face full of makeup was the confidence I wanted with my natural face. Shortly after, I met the man who would become my husband at a rave. He was attracted to me without makeup and liked me for who I really was. I was the first woman he dated who didn't wear makeup. He never gave me slack for it, even though he was occasionally surprised that I didn't wear it when we were going out. At our Christian wedding, I barely wore any makeup, and even at my traditional Indian wedding, I kept telling the person doing my makeup it was all too much. I wanted to look in the mirror and see myself on one of the most important days of my life. As I get older, I know I won't change my mind about makeup. Antiaging culture takes away the beauty of aging, even though it is just a normal process of life. I am wiser now. I know more. I make better decisions. I am proof of a life lived, and my skin shows that. I don't have to accept what media and society tell me growing old looks like. My skin will sag and become wrinkly, and that's OK. We're not immortal. I now have two sons, but if I ever have a daughter, I want to pass on what I inherited from my mom — a confidence and acceptance of my own, raw self, makeup-free. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- Business Insider
I'm 39 and never wear makeup. I want to be accepted the way I naturally look.
Shubhangini Prakash is a 39-year-old whose mother never encouraged her to wear makeup. She dabbled with eyeliner and eye shadow in college, but has chosen not to wear makeup anymore. She thinks that going makeup-free makes her feel like her real self all the time. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shubhangini Prakash, founder and CEO of skincare line Feather and Bone. When I was around 6, my mom told me lipstick would stain my lips. I had asked her to help me put some on for the school play, and she refused. Instead, I asked my neighbor's mom to do it for me. The next morning, I looked in the mirror and remembered thinking my lips had changed color. I'm not sure whether they had, but it confirmed that my mom had been right. I never wore makeup again until I left the UK to start college in the US. In the UK, I felt confident without makeup, but not in the States. To fit in at college, I started wearing eye shadow and eyeliner. It felt like I was becoming a different character, not myself. I also found the products irritated my eyes. Since then, I've rarely worn makeup, including for my two weddings. I didn't get much attention when going to bars When I entered the workforce at 22, I stopped wearing makeup unless I was messing around and being silly with my friends. I wore nothing except a little lip gloss at work, out socializing, or on dates. I wanted to be accepted and respected for who I was, not because of the makeup put on my skin. On nights at bars with my friends, I didn't get the same attention as other women with dolled-up faces. I couldn't compete, but I would not wear makeup — I didn't feel 100% like myself with it on. I wanted to find a romantic partner who liked me, not some made-up version of me. If men don't have to wear makeup to attract a woman, why should a woman spend hours on her makeup for a man? I wanted to be seen as equal to a man, and not wearing makeup has become a way to channel that desire for equality. My now-husband never gave me a hard time about not wearing makeup At 30, I was getting ready to launch my business, and a makeup artist offered to provide me with a full makeover for a commercial I was working on. I'd never had a full face of makeup in my life. Walking around afterward, with concealer, foundation, blush, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, I got all the looks from people I passed. It confirmed what I knew to be true — that makeup could get me noticed. Rather than making me want to wear it more, the makeover made me want to wear makeup even less. That boost of confidence I had from a face full of makeup was the confidence I wanted with my natural face. Shortly after, I met the man who would become my husband at a rave. He was attracted to me without makeup and liked me for who I really was. I was the first woman he dated who didn't wear makeup. He never gave me slack for it, even though he was occasionally surprised that I didn't wear it when we were going out. At our Christian wedding, I barely wore any makeup, and even at my traditional Indian wedding, I kept telling the person doing my makeup it was all too much. I wanted to look in the mirror and see myself on one of the most important days of my life. I'm OK with aging As I get older, I know I won't change my mind about makeup. Antiaging culture takes away the beauty of aging, even though it is just a normal process of life. I am wiser now. I know more. I make better decisions. I am proof of a life lived, and my skin shows that. I don't have to accept what media and society tell me growing old looks like. My skin will sag and become wrinkly, and that's OK. We're not immortal. I now have two sons, but if I ever have a daughter, I want to pass on what I inherited from my mom — a confidence and acceptance of my own, raw self, makeup-free.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Feather & Bone founder Shubhangini Prakash on the efficiency of motherhood
The night that Shubhangini Prakash went into labor with her second child was the same night she learned about her acceptance into the prestigious Target accelerator — and it started right away. This meant that the owner of the waterless and nontoxic skincare brand Feather & Bone, the products for which she designs and formulates herself, was hard at work from her hospital bed, a brand new baby in her arms. Now 39, Prakash was inspired to start her skincare line after battling a bad reaction to a product when she was just 12 years old, drawing on her family's Indian heritage and natural ingredients, always with an eye toward sustainability. 'Our products are inspired by Indian traditions but backed by science,' she says. And while the business has been in the works for decades, it wasn't until she became a mother that things really took off. Moms are often celebrated for being able to 'do it all.' And while the multitasking of motherhood knows no bounds, there's so much more to the story of building a business while raising kids at the same time. We caught up with Shubhangini Prakash over email about all things motherhood and business. Tell us a little bit about you and your family My name is Shubhangini aka Shubs. I am a mom of two little boys and we live in Jersey City. I am Indian but grew up in Dubai and went to boarding school in England. My husband is Polish so our house is always filled with a mix of Bollywood and Polish music. We are big music people. What is the 'origin story' of your business? When I was 12 years old, I had a bad skincare reaction to a face wash product I had used many times before. Nothing was calming it down — burning, itching, redness — and going to school with this reaction was terrifying. I was too scared to try other products, especially after what a doctor gave me made the reaction worse. My mum, who is super into clean skincare, introduced me to Indian sandalwood. She said this will help with the burning, and it did instantly. I started wondering about the skin and what we need, especially natural plant ingredients. I started to make all kinds of mixes and masks at home, and soon that led to formulating my first product, now known as the Face Gems. During business school, I was taking a mix of pricing and product development classes, which all led to an a-ha moment of evolving this formula into a tablet/bead. I sat in our chemistry lab at school and hand-pressed a bunch of tablets. Everyone around me thought this was a crazy idea. Why would anyone want this? But I felt there was something [there], so I took this bunch of hand-pressed tablets, a mockup of the packaging, and went to a Whole Foods trade show. I got an order for 30 stores…and so the journey began. Feather & Bone owner Shubhangini Prakash Credit: Photo courtesy of Shubhangini Prakash What is the secret sauce to scaling a business while also juggling motherhood? For me it is being patient and kind with myself. It hasn't been easy, but it has been important to go through the ups and downs of the business and raising kids. As women we want to do it all and be great at it all but I have realized that it can be hard. Some days if your kiddo is sick and you have been up all night you might be too tired to work. And that is OK. Or if you are at a conference and your kids miss you and you have mom guilt like no tomorrow, that is also OK. Allowing myself to take a day off or make mistakes has been huge. I also involve my kids with my work, not just in online content but taking them with me to the post office or helping me fill packages, etc. I get to hang out with them, teach them things. So I don't always have to pick one or the other. Sometimes it can be together. And a lot of this has come from being patient and kind with myself. I've been able to create spaces where the two can live together. Is there anything about being a mom that has helped you with your career? Or vice versa? Personally one of the best things I have found with being crunched on time, my efficiency has improved dramatically. There are always hundreds of things to do, but I have learned to figure out quickly what is the most important task. I have learned the importance of grace and kindness to myself. I realized if I want my kids to learn it — I have to do it, too! So in my madness, I carve out my 20 minutes of me time, my meditative time, and if things don't go as planned it is OK! Also the importance of being positive, leading by example, and thinking outside of the box: All of these have shown up in motherhood and career, but in different ways, which then opened up my thinking. Feather & Bone owner Shubhangini Prakash with her children. Credit: Photo courtesy of Shubhangini Prakash Prakash learned that she was accepted into the Target accelerator program the night she went into labor. Credit: Photo courtesy of Shubhangini Prakash When it comes to the content you create online under the account, what is your "personal brand" — what are you hoping people will get from your content? Be you. I am all about embracing your inner weird and not worrying about anyone judging you. I think my hope is that people watching feel inspired to also embrace their inner weird and let themselves be themselves. It is so easy on social media to fall into a trap of thinking you're not enough or doing enough, so my hope is that people watching our content recognize that they are doing enough and are enough. If I want my kids to be confident in who they are and stay positive, I have to show it, too, and live it, too. Top 3 things you can't live without as a mom (could be products, apps, even childcare — interpret as you wish!) My friends and family's support: Whether that is to vent about the tough days or help when we need it or just to have a laugh about the silly moments of momhood. This also extends into the support from my son's school and the local mommy WhatsApp groups. Disney+: Definitely helps when you need to get something done or even just a quiet moment! Jersey City Recreation desk: Kids need all kinds of entertainment and classes can get super expensive. As a resident of Jersey City, we have access to extremely affordable (sometimes even free) sports, arts, and music classes. It has been amazing to teach the kids all kinds of activities. Top 3 things you can't live without in your professional role My people support system: From advisors to entrepreneur friends to my husband who all help me navigate the craziness of running a business, always keeping me grounded and reminding me why I am doing this when things get tough. My to-do notebook: I am a big list maker, so having a notebook where I list all the things I need to do helps me be super organized. Practicing resilience and reflection: Whether that is reading about others who practice it or doing it myself, it has helped me be rooted, creative, and a better problem solver. What do you wish more people knew/understood about working moms? That we are essentially doing two jobs. Being a mom is a job. Yes I love my kids, but raising kids is a full-time job. What advice do you have for other moms looking to launch their own business? The juggle is not easy, it's not perfect. I remember after my second son was born it took over a year plus to figure out my routine. It was always just so hard to figure out the balance and the timing. I would end up not working at all or overworking and would just be exhausted all the time. So with that, have a clear understanding of what your goals are and the timeframe in which you want to achieve [them]. Because what you are thinking and the reality [of it] can be far apart. Understand your support system from professional to personal — especially with your partner. You both need to understand how you launching a business will change things and evolve roles, especially if you are going from a stay-at-home mom to a working mom. And again, always be kind, patient, and loving to yourself. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
