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Tag: Zeenia Bastani

  • L’oréal Professionnel sets guinness record with ‘India’s biggest hair colour moment’

    L’oréal Professionnel sets guinness record with ‘India’s biggest hair colour moment’

    MUMBAI: L’oréal Professionnel has literally coloured outside the lines, bringing together 422 hairstylists and 422 models to set a ‘Guinness world records’ title for “Most people colouring hair” in India. The event, Hair Color Coders 2025, turned a Mumbai hall into the country’s biggest salon, celebrating the artistry, creativity, and skill of India’s professional hairdressing community.

    Global Color ambassador Min Kim and actress Kritika Kamra were at the heart of the record-breaking day, demonstrating advanced hair colour techniques while showcasing ‘Iconic browns,’ the brand’s trend of the year. From glossing to balayage and tonal layering, hairdressers proved their prowess, blending education with a dazzling live showcase.

    The event spanned a massive one lakh square feet space at Nesco, featuring 60 backwashes and over 5,000 hair colour tubes. It created a buzz online too, generating over 1,000 social mentions in a single day, highlighting the hairstylists’ skill and creativity while giving them a platform to inspire peers and clients alike.

    “Hair Color Coders 2025 showcases our ability to set global benchmarks while celebrating India’s hairstyling talent,” said L’oréal India, director, professional products division, Zeenia Bastani. “It was a mega masterclass in creativity, skill, and sheer passion for hairdressing.”

    In the months leading up to the event, participants honed their craft through intensive masterclasses, ensuring every transformation reflected precision, artistry, and innovation. L’oréal professionnel India, head of education, Priya Kasthuri Rangan added, “This platform allowed hairstylists to upskill, showcase expertise, and embrace a community built on passion and commitment.”

    The day ended with a show-stopping makeover for Kritika Kamra, her hair emerging vibrant, glossy, and perfectly styled in iconic browns. With Hair Color Coders 2025, L’oréal professionnel not only celebrated a record but reinforced its mission: to elevate professional hairdressing in India, combining education, creativity, and innovation in one unforgettable moment.

     

  • Colour me record L’oréal inks Guinness title with 422 stylists in action

    Colour me record L’oréal inks Guinness title with 422 stylists in action

    MUMBAI: When 422 hairdressers pick up their brushes in unison, history gets a new shade. On 17 September 2025, L’Oréal Professionnel turned Mumbai’s NESCO into the nation’s largest ever salon, setting a Guinness World Records title for ‘Most people colouring hair’ in one go.

    The grand spectacle, dubbed Hair Color Coders 2025, saw 422 hairstylists and 422 models take over a 1 lakh sq ft space, powered by 60 backwashes and more than 5,000 tubes of colour. The palette of the day? Iconic Browns, the brand’s colour trend of the year versatile tones designed to capture India’s evolving love affair with understated glamour.

    But this was more than just a numbers game. With L’Oréal Professionnel Artistic Ambassadors and Indian Hairdressing Award winners leading the charge, the event spotlighted the rise of the hairdresser-as-creator. Stylists weren’t just colouring hair they were shaping digital stories, creating over 1,000 social mentions in a single day, and claiming their place as influencers in India’s booming beauty ecosystem.

    “What we achieved today showcases our ability to set global benchmarks,” said Zeenia Bastani, Director, Professional Products Division, L’Oréal India. “From Min Kim’s mega masterclass to 422 Iconic Brown makeovers under one roof, it was a celebration of artistry, entrepreneurship, and an overwhelming love for hairdressing.”

    The day was anchored by Min Kim, L’Oréal Professionnel’s Global Color Ambassador, who demonstrated cutting-edge techniques like face-framing and tonal layering. To prove the power of browns, she delivered a live makeover for actress Kritika Kamra, transforming her locks into a glossy, dimensional brunette showstopper that set Instagram buzzing.

    Mathilde Barthélemy-Vigier, General Manager, L’Oréal Professionnel India, called the event a “pivotal step for the professional hairdressing industry”. She underlined how premium salon services like hair colour are now driving unprecedented growth, with salons morphing into destinations for personalised, elevated experiences.

    The record-breaking showcase was the culmination of four intensive pre-event masterclasses where hairdressers were trained in not just cut, colour and style but also social savviness ensuring their artistry resonates both in salons and online feeds. “Education has been the backbone of our brand,” said Priya Kasthuri Rangan, Head of Education, L’Oréal Professionnel India. “Hair Color Coders wasn’t only about setting a record, it was about equipping stylists with the skills and confidence to shine as creators.”

    For the hairstylists, the event was both a celebration and a career-defining stage. Glossing, balayage, and gloss-layering techniques were redefined at scale, proving that Indian hairdressing can match and even set global trends.

    As Min Kim summed it up: “This moment reflects the power of sharing knowledge and elevating hair artistry internationally. Browns are being reimagined globally and India just coloured itself onto that map in a record-setting way.”

    From 5,000 tubes of Inoa, Majirel and Dia Color to 422 synchronised transformations, Hair Color Coders 2025 wasn’t just about dyeing hair, it was about dyeing history.
     

  • “Maybelline New York is a brand that embodies diversity in everything it does”: Maybelline New York & NYX Professional Makeup’s Zeenia Bastani

    “Maybelline New York is a brand that embodies diversity in everything it does”: Maybelline New York & NYX Professional Makeup’s Zeenia Bastani

    Mumbai: Virtual reality (VR) is becoming all-pervasive and is making inroads into almost every aspect of our lives, in every possible way. Off late, it has become the choice of make-up and cosmetic brands too. Most recently, Maybelline New York (MNY), one of the world’s leading cosmetics brands, announced a collaboration with Microsoft that offers a new way to get ready for video calls with virtual makeup in Microsoft Teams.

    As per statistics, the size of the global beauty and personal care market amounts to $579 billion in the current year globally and is expected to grow annually by 3.53 per cent (CAGR 2023-2028) (Source: statista.com). In India, the market is estimated to be $16.8 billion in the present year and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11 per cent (Source: livemint.com). And innovations like virtual make-up are seeming to expand this market.

    The Maybelline Beauty App in Microsoft Teams allows users to adjust their personal style quickly and easily from directly within a Teams meeting. The virtual makeup looks provide a low-barrier way to try out different styles with the goal of democratizing makeup and empowering people with self-confidence- especially at work. With this integration, Maybelline has taken its latest step into the digital makeup world.

    Powered by Modiface AI and developed in collaboration with the Geena Davis Institute, Maybelline has implemented the Virtual Makeup filters. Maybelline aims to provide users with a range of looks to best suit their meetings, while allowing them to explore different makeup looks they might not have otherwise tried out. Whether someone is working in-person or virtually, they should be able to feel good about themselves and put their best foot forward.

    It’s a ‘virtual makeup bag’, equipped with all the must-have digital makeup products for our increasingly digital world. With a simple click, users can choose from 12 makeup looks to complement their own natural look and effortlessly feel their best. This is a first for one of the brands in the L’Oreal Group. The virtual makeup looks are available as an option in Teams video calls to those with a Microsoft Teams enterprise license.

    In an email interaction, Indiantelevision.com spoke to Maybelline New York & NYX Professional Makeup general manager Zeenia Bastani about her tryst with the cosmetics mammoth for 14 years – the evolution and journey of the brand, the Maybelline Beauty App in Microsoft Teams, the vision behind this collaboration, the advertising and marketing strategy for Maybelline New York, and more.

    Edited excerpts:

    On being associated with the brand Maybelline New York for over 14 years, and your view on the brand’s evolution and journey

    With the onset of digitization and a shift in consumer demand, the brand has evolved tremendously over the years. While Maybelline is always at the forefront when it comes to product innovation, the brand is now also strongly leveraging technology with the introduction of virtual makeup filters on Microsoft Teams. In partnership with Modiface, Maybelline has launched a set of 12 curated makeup ‘looks’ that allow consumers to Get ready in a click!

    On the MS Team Virtual Makeup – the vision and thought that instigated this collaboration by the brand

    In the post-pandemic world, where working remotely has become more prevalent, we found an opportunity to provide our consumers with a unique and innovative way to boost their self-confidence and experiment with different makeup looks, in just a few clicks. Powered by Modiface AI and developed in collaboration with the Geena Davis Institute, Maybelline aims to provide users with a range of looks to best suit their meetings, while allowing them to explore different makeup looks they might not have otherwise tried out. With this, we want to help consumers confidently present themselves in a professional, polished manner during video calls.

    On the way tech-based innovations are changing the way beauty and make-up are perceived, purchased, and utilized

    The makeup space, like other counterparts in the industry, is undergoing a massive transformation owing to technology, with brands constantly innovating, in order to offer their consumers a unique experience. As brands continue to refine their offerings to allow the consumers to have a more personalized experience, there has been a shift in the consumers’ perception and expectation. Customers are more inclined towards making purchases that they believe are customized for them. Moreover, virtual Try Ons have now made shopping for beauty products a seamless experience wherein customers don’t have to try multiple shades physically before making a purchase decision. The virtual makeup filters by Maybelline, powered by Modiface is one such example of the many technological innovations that help to seamlessly incorporate virtual try-on experiences in the lives of consumers.

    On reaching out to young audiences and even slightly older audiences through the latest innovations

    At Maybelline, we are passionate about creating innovative and inclusive beauty experiences for all our customers. While our focus has always been on a younger target group, we firmly believe that beauty has no age limit. We aspire to celebrate the beauty of all target groups, regardless of their age. Our commitment to reaching out to young audiences is unwavering, and we’re constantly exploring the latest trends and technologies to ensure that we offer them exciting and relevant products and experiences. They can expect a dynamic range of products that cater to their ever-evolving beauty needs. We are dedicated to staying ahead of the curve by leveraging the latest innovations in the beauty industry, be it groundbreaking formulations, cutting-edge packaging, or immersive digital experiences. From vibrant and trend-setting makeup collections to “makeup in a click” with our Virtual Makeup on MS Teams, we aim to be the go-to brand for the youth of today. Our approach is all about inclusivity, ensuring that everyone can find products that make them feel confident and beautiful.

    On the advertising and marketing strategy for Maybelline New York in India

    Our advertising and marketing strategy for Maybelline New York in India is seamlessly integrated across both online and offline channels. We leverage our strong online presence through engaging content on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, alongside e-commerce integration for convenient product access. Simultaneously, we prioritize offline engagement by partnering with retail outlets and offering in-store experiences. Our approach combines these efforts into cohesive 360-degree campaigns, including innovative digital initiatives like AR try-ons and interactive beauty tools, to create a comprehensive and captivating brand experience for our audience. Incorporating influencer engagement into our strategy significantly enhances our ability to connect with the youth. Influencers are our integral partners that are effectively bridging the gap between our brand and the younger audience. Their creative content resonates with the youth’s aspirations, making our message more relatable and engaging. This approach not only captures their interest but also encourages active participation, creating a two-way conversation that cultivates a strong and lasting relationship with the youth demographic. Furthermore, our strategy emphasizes personalization, utilizing data-driven individual preferences. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also strengthens our brand loyalty in the long run.

    On onboarding Suhana Khan, Ananya Birla, and Eksha Subba as faces of the brand

    Maybelline New York is a brand that embodies diversity in everything it does – from makeup for every look, style, skin tone; all the way to the people we choose to collaborate with. We are proud to have on our ‘squad’, a diverse bunch of women who are talent powerhouses in each of their fields – from film to sports to music!

    The Maybelline squad consists of bold, powerful, inspiring women who are also approachable and relatable. With this new squad, we expect to be able to build a stronger connect with and increased relevance for the Gen Z consumer in India.

    Introducing the four new faces on the brand:

    1.       PV Sindhu : Two-Time Olympic Badminton champion, PV Sindhu is one of India’s most successful sportspersons and is also the face of the Maybelline brand purpose Brave Together

    2.       Suhana Khan : A second-generation actor from the Khan family, Suhana is a graduate in film studies from NYU and is slated to make her on-screen debut later this year

    3.       Ananya Birla :  Singer, songwriter, entrepreneur- Ananya is multi-faceted. Juggling both business and music, Ananya has lent her voice to multiple albums and also advocates strongly for mental health

    4.       Eksha Subba : Model, Boxer, Police Officer; Eksha dons many hats and is a source of inspiration to young women across the country

    On the trends and innovations that are expected to disrupt the beauty and make-up industry in India

    Anticipated trends in the Indian beauty and makeup industry include increased focus on clean and sustainable products, augmented reality-driven virtual try-ons, personalized beauty solutions, and diverse representation in beauty campaigns. These innovations will reshape consumer preferences and experiences.

    On your vision and way forward for Maybelline New York India

    Our vision for Maybelline New York in India is to continue being a trailblazing force in the makeup space, offering innovative products that cater to diverse needs. Our forward path involves deepening online and offline accessibility, encouraging more conversations around mental health, embracing technology-driven experiences, and empowering self-expression through makeup for all.

  • Garnier survey showed 90% Indians want to be more sustainable: Zeenia Bastani

    Garnier survey showed 90% Indians want to be more sustainable: Zeenia Bastani

    MUMBAI: With the world waking up to new realities amid the onslaught of the pandemic, the year gone by seems to have accelerated the agenda for a greener and cleaner Earth. Sustainable living and environment-friendly actions are top of the agenda for brands and consumers alike across the globe. A Garnier commissioned international survey found that a substantial proportion of global consumers expect brands to facilitate this.

    Recently, the global beauty brand launched its transformative Green Beauty initiative set to radically reduce its carbon footprints and global environmental impact, while also declaring that all its products are now officially cruelty free. In the wake of the announcement, Garnier India General Manager Zeenia Bastani spoke to IndianTelevision.com’s Anupama Sajeet, where she revealed what inspired the brand to go all-out green, the company’s growing investment in the digital space and takeaways from the past year that it would like to build on in the future.

    Edited excerpts:

    On what the brand hopes to achieve through the Green Beauty initiative.

    Covid2019 has accelerated interest in sustainability conversations and urged consumers for a sustainable transition. While Garnier as a brand has been committed to sustainability for years; producing more natural formulas, using sustainable and fair-trade ingredients, even being the first to bring certified organic products to the mass skincare market, with the launch of its sustainability program Garnier Green Beauty, we want to go further, to shift the way the beauty industry operates and lead the change for all of us.

    The Green Beauty initiative is a complete end-to-end approach to sustainability and through it we aim to achieve the following goals:

    ·         Plastic & Packaging:

    –       By 2025, Garnier will aim to use Zero Virgin Plastic in packaging, saving 37,000 tonnes of plastic every year. 

    –       By 2025 all packaging will also be either reusable, recyclable or compostable.

    ·         Product & Formula:

    –       By 2022, all plant-based and renewable ingredients will be sustainably sourced.

    –       By 2025, 100 per cent of Garnier’s new products will have an improved environmental profile.

    ·         Factories & Manufacturing:

    –       100 per cent carbon neutral industrial sites by 2025, using renewable energy.

    –       The CO2 emissions of industrial sites have already been reduced by 72 per cent.

    ·         Solidarity Sourcing:

    –          By 2025 Garnier will have empowered 800 communities worldwide as part of our solidarity sourcing programme.

    We are also delighted to receive the stamp of approval from the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny programme, the leading organisation working to end animal testing and the cruelty free gold standard.

    On the findings of the Garnier commissioned international survey on global consumers.

    Garnier’s One Green Step Report showed how much consumer mindset is progressing when it comes to sustainability. The findings indicated that 2020 was a significant wakeup call for many for the need to take further green steps to protect our planet. While the research looks at eight countries, across four continents, referring to the India statistics – we saw over 90 per cent of those surveyed want to be more sustainable in 2021 whereas 77 per cent cited a reduction in their use of plastic products as their number one green priority in 2021. In addition to this, over 53 per cent feel differently about their actions and behaviours because of this year's pandemic and 51 per cent of those surveyed in India said that Covid2019 had made them re-evaluate their priorities.

    On Garnier’s marketing strategy during and post-Covid.

    Our strategy has always been consumer focused, and that is what we continued to do during the pandemic; paying attention to what the consumer needed and wanted.

    For example, the pandemic has resulted in increased washing of hands, leading to dryness issues, which is why we responded with a hand cream. During the lockdown, since salons were closed, people needed their self-care solutions at home, which is where we emphasized DIY hair colour solutions and sheet masks for a facial like glow in the safety of their homes. With increased screen time and video calls, we understood the need for more attention to eye care and launched our eye masks.

    On the key learnings from the past year.

    However challenging 2020 was, it also taught us a lot. The interlinked trends we see that will continue to deeply influence business in the future are –

    – Digitisation and e-commerce: As we have all witnessed, the need for a low touch economy saw the boom of digitisation and ecommerce. This digital and e-commerce revolution is bringing with it an awareness of global beauty brands and trends. Today, a young India has access to global brands, bypassing the hurdles of traditional distribution.  Online purchasing habits are evolving, presenting new opportunities for brands. 18 per cent of people bought personal care or beauty products online for the first time during this crisis.  

    -BeautyTech: With the fast adoption of digital and tech, came the awareness and development of BeautyTech – beauty augmented by technology. As a beauty tech company committed to digital transformation, we have been focused on deploying new technologies to enhance our products and customer experiences. For example, Garnier ColorMatch is a virtual try-on tool that allows our consumers to virtually try on different hair colour shades to enable her to choose her hair colour.

    -Consumer behaviour/awareness: The last year saw an acceleration in consumer awareness and behaviour, be it for a better brand experience via BeautyTech, more socially and environmentally responsible products, brands with a real purpose or more representation of what beauty stands for.

    Young Indian consumers have made a significant shift to digital media in the last few years. Digital has always been an integral part of our media plans even pre-Covid and will continue to be so.

  • Garnier goes green: Will ditch virgin plastic, lower carbon emissions

    Garnier goes green: Will ditch virgin plastic, lower carbon emissions

    MUMBAI: The Covid2019 pandemic seems to have accelerated the agenda for a greener and cleaner Earth. Sustainable living and environment-friendly actions are top of the agenda for consumers across the globe in 2021. An international survey commissioned by global beauty brand Garnier found that 81 per cent of global consumers want to be more sustainable in 2021, and 44 per cent respondents expect brands to facilitate this, thus proving the importance of green beauty offerings.

    With these findings in mind, Garnier has launched its #GreenerWithGarnier initiative which aims to stop using virgin plastic for all packaging by 2025. The company plans to use either reusable, recyclable or compostable materials in all packaging under its sustainability programme, thereby cutting down on 37,000 tonnes of plastic productions every year. Moreover, it has already reduced its CO2 emissions at its factories and manufacturing sites by 72 per cent, it said.

    The cosmetic brand further aims to achieve  an improved environmental profile for all its new products, transforming all its industrial sites into 100 per cent carbon neutral locations by adopting renewable energy.

    Calling 2020 ‘the wakeup call to protect our planet’ Garnier global brand president Adrien Koskas pledged in a statement to lessen the company’s impact on the planet and innovate for a sustainable future. “It will take time, but Green Beauty will transform Garnier, and we hope the beauty industry as a whole," he added. Moreover, from 2022, all plant-based and renewable ingredients used by the company for its products will be sustainably sourced, it noted.

    The cosmetics company hopes to usher a huge shift in the way that the beauty industry operates with the launch of the Garnier Green Beauty campaign. A complete end-to-end approach to sustainability, the campaign aims to transform every stage of Garnier’s value chain, thereby reducing its environmental impact in the following ways: greener and cleaner formulas, more recycled and recyclable packaging, more renewable energies; also more actions to fight plastic pollution, by having more empowered communities worldwide as part of its solidarity sourcing programme.

    Garnier India general manager Zeenia Bastani said that under the initiative, the company is also working with its suppliers and marginalised community. It has partnered with Plastics For Change to help with the social impact of plastic pollution. "Through this association, Garnier will support the holistic development of waste picker communities in India," it said. Plastics for Change supports education for children, healthcare, nutrition, financial literacy and empowerment of girls and women. By 2025, Garnier will empower 800 communities worldwide as part of its solidarity sourcing programme, she added.

    As Garnier India’s brand ambassador, Bollywood actor John Abraham also endorsed his commitment towards the cosmetic brand’s green initiatives. 

    “With the continuous depletion of our environmental resources over the years, we firmly believe that individual contributions leading to a larger united front will help achieve the set goals,” said Abraham. “Through the Garnier Green Beauty initiative, we are offering an opportunity to all young ambitious Indians to come forward and join us in making small changes in your life today, contributing to a sustainable tomorrow and a greener future.”

    The Green Beauty initiative also presents an annual global Sustainability Progress Report, offering complete transparency on Garnier’s commitments. The report can be tracked publicly via the Garnier website and states where Garnier stands today, mapping out the process of how the brand will reach its ambitious 2025 targets.