L'Oreal Paris Features a Hijab-wearing Model in Its Latest Haircare Campaign

From launching inclusive shade ranges, casting diverse faces in beauty campaigns, and tailoring innovative garments like the Pro Hijab, brands have started to change the way they speak to a new generation of consumers. While their efforts are widely lauded for getting representation right, some of us have questioned the actual motivation behind this diversification, since it’s rather easy to capitalise on the success of “The Fenty Effect”.
L’Oreal Paris’ latest ad, however, truly nails it.

A game changing new campaign!!! 👏🏽❤️ So… lately I’ve had a complex relationship with my hair feeling lacklustre. When I take off my scarf, I want my hair to be more radiant – don’t we all? 🙆🏽‍♀️✨ I’m so excited and incredibly proud to announce that I‘m part of the new L’Oreal Paris Elvive World of Care Campaign which showcases Elvive’s breadth of products catering to a wide range of demanding hair types. I’m The Pink One which has been specially formulated for dull hair to boost shine. @lorealhair #WORLDOFCARE #ELVIVEXRANKIN #ALLWORTHIT #AD

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) on Jan 14, 2018 at 3:04am PST

 
For its new Elvive campaign, the haircare brand brought on Amena Khan as one of its new faces. Having donned a headscarf in public since her 20s, the Muslim beauty blogger never imagined she’d be featured in a mainstream haircare campaign. But when a brand as major as L’Oreal Paris knocked on her door and invited her to join a diverse league of men and women, she couldn’t turn it down – taking part would make a huge statement.

I arrived to a set that was beyond anything I could imagine. With several open studio areas spread across a giant building, the first thing that hit me was the scale of the project. There were colourful sets assembled with multiple people behind the cameras. Amongst the buzzing of constant activity, the crew & @lorealhair team would often smile & say hello, always welcoming. Shoots like this are invariably stressful somewhere along the line, but I didn’t detect a hint of that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In the makeup room, I couldn’t contain my excitement about the project. @karindarnell regaled us with stories about the celeb world (being Riri’s MUA), all the while swiftly working her magic with makeup. We exchanged stories of working & of motherhood. @neelamkg joined us. Being an internationally successful model, I’m always struck by how “real” & humble she is. All 3 of us chatted away about life, triumph & sacrifice. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Lunch was great – lots of Vegan options so I was happy. The atmosphere was energised, especially as @ling.kt was on my table. She uplifts everyone around her. I ate quickly as we had some outdoor photography to do. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Our beloved weather did the predictable… as we stood at the main door, it started to drizzle. But before I knew it, someone had slipped a robe & slippers on me. There I was, in a van with 5 other people from the team, driving down to the canal in the area. It was surreal but exhilarating. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Back at the studio, super friendly @francescajordan did touch ups as it grew closer to my turn. The photographer was the legendary genius, @rankinarchive. A quiet, down to earth man, he was deliberate & thoughtful in every shot. I felt confident, unexpectedly calm & filled with gratitude. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Then came the interview. Lisa, the interviewer, put me at ease quickly. She has the kind of vibe that makes it easy to speak with honesty – to just be yourself. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀When the long day finished & I was back on the train home, I reflected… not on how awesome this campaign (obviously) is, but more on the kindness I was privileged to have encountered that day (in so many more ways), & the beauty in connection between human beings <3

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) on Jan 17, 2018 at 10:13am PST

 
Though she doesn’t leave home without her hijab, Amena actually spends much of her day at home or around loved ones without it. With this game-changing campaign, she makes a strong case for the importance of haircare, visible or not. “You have to wonder – why is it presumed that women that don’t show their hair don’t look after it?” she asked Vogue UK. “The opposite of that would be that everyone that does show their hair only looks after it for the sake of showing it to others. And that mindset strips us of our autonomy and our sense of independence. Hair is a big part of self-care.”
 

 
The UK-based Muslim beauty blogger isn’t just the co-founder of Ardere Cosmetics, she’s also the founder of a hijab company called Pearl Daisy. And since she starred in L’Oreal’s True Match campaign back in 2016, featuring her in a game-changing one like this is indeed a no-brainer. Promoting the act of self-care to overcome decades of inadequate representation with this campaign, L’Oreal is certainly setting the standard for beauty campaigns to come.
 
Header image: @amenaofficial