ELLE India : Editor's Note For The Big Beauty Issue

“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.” — Diane Von Furstenberg.

There’s something poetic about beauty in India right now. Once seen through a borrowed lens – lighter, brighter, never quite ours – it’s finally finding its own reflection. The world is no longer defining Indian beauty; it’s discovering it. From skin tones that glow deeper than gold to rituals rooted in haldi and hibiscus, beauty born here is now being sought everywhere.

For many of us, beauty began simply. A bottle of moisturiser that was shared by everyone in the house, a lipstick borrowed for a cousin’s wedding, a haldi face pack reserved for Sundays, or the familiar scent of coconut oil warming on the stove. We didn’t have fifteen-step routines; we had rituals, community, and curiosity. 

Today, as homegrown beauty brands rise with confidence and care, it feels like we’re coming full circle. We’re returning to what we always knew: that beauty is instinctive, emotional, and deeply personal. This issue celebrates that evolution. On one of our covers, global beauty entrepreneur Huda Kattan – whose empire has redefined glamour for a generation – talks about power, perception, and staying grounded in an image-driven world. On the other, Nidhi Sunil, model and activist, embodies the modern Indian woman: self-aware, spirited, and striking in her truth.

As the ELLE Beauty Awards mark their 19th year, we continue to champion innovation, inclusivity and intention. The products that have made the cut this year aren’t just great formulas. They’re symbols of progress. Proof that beauty, when rooted in authenticity, has the power to connect us all.

At ELLE, we’ve always believed beauty is more than what you put on your skin — it’s what radiates from within, when you’re busy being yourself. India has always known that truth. The world is only just catching up.

Find ELLE’s latest issue on stands or download your digital copy here.