Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is known for many things. She is an award-winning author, a celebrated feminist speaker and is recognized for delivering powerful TED talks which have been popularized even further after being sampled by Beyoncé and featured on T-shirts in Dior’s S/S17 runway show.
Most recently, Boots appointed Adichie as the new face of their beauty brand No7, and we seriously couldn’t think of a better spokesperson for the job.
The campaign, which was launched on October 21st, presents Adichie speaking about her personal relationship with makeup and self-embracement. She recounts her previous fears of being taken less seriously because of her love for makeup and high heels but addresses how she later came to embrace these characteristics as tools that could be used to enhance and create her own identity.
Speaking to Vogue about her involvement with the new campaign Adichie said, “I think much of beauty advertising relies on a false premise – that women need to be treated in an infantile way, given a ‘fantasy’ to aspire to… Real women are already inspired by other real women, so perhaps beauty advertising needs to get on board.”
In a statement, Adichie revealed, “I love make-up and its wonderful possibilities for temporary transformation. And I also love my face after I wash it all off”. She added, “There is something exquisitely enjoyable about seeing yourself with a self-made new look. And for me that look is deeply personal. It isn’t about what is in fashion or what the rules are supposed to be. It’s about what I like…What makes me comfortable.”
The campaign challenges cultural and societal notions which typically illustrate makeup as a tool used by women to cover their flaws in order to subscribe to a particular form of beauty. Instead, Adichie advocates the reality of many makeup-wearers who love the various benefits of wearing makeup but equally love their faces without it.
We love Boots for selecting a spokeswoman for their beauty brand who is so much more than just a pretty face. Her new presence in the beauty industry is a reminder of the fact that being intelligent and loving makeup is not mutually exclusive.
What do you make of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest involvement in this beauty campaign?
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