So I’ve been really interested in colourism, especially cause I’m from Sri Lanka. Where colourism play a huge role in finding a partner, to promotions, to beauty to everything. In Sri Lanka or in the whole of South Asia we are obsessed with being fair skinned. Many women use a multitude of products to make themselves fairer, from whitening creams, to pills to lighter foundation and even to the extent of getting whitening injections that stop the production of melanin. I find that if you look at in a global sense, it quite the funny phenomenon, cause in the west people want to look tanner. Its considered more attractive and of course you seem richer like you have the money to go on holiday and tan in some Caribbean island. Where as its the opposite in Asia, where fairer skin is glorified and considered the epitome of beauty and also the richer you are the fairer you are cause you will have a higher end job that doesn’t require you to do any work outdoors. It’s hilarious to be honest for me. When I look at it in a beauty bloggers perspective its just sad cause “grass is greener on the other side”- Its true isn’t it.
I get so many questions from Sri Lankan girls about what whitening products I use, cause in Sri Lanka I am considered fair. And unfortunately that is also why if anyone considers me beautiful, its 80% because I’m considered fairer than average. But for me this hardly matters. I think that people are beautiful regardless of their skin tone. I think one must embrace their skin colour and that confidence is beauty for me. But its such a cultural phenomenon that it will take more articles like this and more movements making people aware that colourim is something that needs to end.
I travel a lot and when I’m in the States I’m always considered beautiful cause they love my tan brown skin. lol. So the opposite of in Sri Lanka. I’m considered darker and therefore more beautiful. So its just non-sense.
Then on the other hand I’m feeling not so pretty in East-Asia. Yes! So I’ve been living in Bangkok for the last year and here I’m considered dark! And they don’t particularly find me attractive cause they like fairer skinned girls. It’s so funny how colourism is everywhere! I use to think its just in south Asia, but don’t get me wrong its pretty bad in countries such as India, I’m not discrediting that. But in East Asia too women use whitening creams to be pasty white, honestly as white as paper! Basically they want to be westerners, and if they really thought about it Westerners are always wanting to look tanner. All this means is that its just nonsensical - at least that’s how I see it.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article where I will go in to depth about problem women face in Sri Lankan and South Asia with regard to being darker skinned.
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