How can we do away with the beauty standards enforced by society and focus on the essence of beauty that comes from within? Jaclyn Cayetano of Y.O.U Beauty shares inspiring takes on this topic.
To this day, I still remember the moment I had my rude awakening of body insecurities. In grade school, my friends and I were comparing body types. It could’ve been a casual talk on how we’re all “built differently,” but one comparison led to another, and it went too far. I was outright rejected by friends I’d wanted to have just because I didn’t fit their beauty preferences. On the way home, I paid close attention to the billboards along the highway, asking myself, “Why are these the people that get famous—the slim and fair-skinned ones?” Even turning on late-night TV soaps showed the same standards people lean towards.
At that moment, I realized that beauty was more than just personal preference; there exists a construct that needs to be shattered. If the world can’t change in a snap, we can advocate for inclusivity and accessible beauty products that join in the same mission of beauty beyond aesthetics. This is the motive of Y.O.U Beauty, an international beauty brand that celebrates Filipinos’ individuality. Jaclyn Cayetano carries this mission loud and proud as the brand’s spokesperson and a beauty aficionado. In tackling the concerns of social norms in the beauty industry, she had a lot of valuable statements to share.
No Filter
“I have always known beauty to be a personal concept. If you fail to see your own beauty, then you will have difficulty seeing beauty in others,” shared Cayetano. It’s a mutual topic when it comes to treating yourself, but the practices and insights that reside within the industry aren’t so mutual when it comes to inclusivity. From type-casting to outright discrimination, there’s a dark side to all the spotlights.
“As society progresses and the [current] generation is more proactive, the beauty industry should drop the labels and the agenda, remove itself from identity and gender politics, and not participate in the toxic ‘cancel culture’ and divisive woke culture that is insidiously destroying the psyche of humans. Beauty is for all.”
The Best in You
At the heart of Cayetano’s pursuit for inclusivity is a simple message: “We are conditioned to limit the concept of beauty as only about aesthetics but beauty is beyond that. Beauty is a feeling. Beauty is expressing your truest essence without forcing it on others.” It’s a sort of freedom that one can choose to instill in their lives. This connection, however, has been lost in today’s landscape of beauty products. As more entities strive for aspiration, the innovative Y.O.U Beauty has always been centered around relatability. “We desire to strengthen the confidence of every individual, and everything we do is intended to inspire people to cultivate their unique and long-lasting beauty from within,” Cayetano emphasized.
“Beauty brands should not dictate what beauty should be. They should support the beauty that every human already has!”
Jaclyn Cayetano on the importance of beauty brands to celebrate individuality
It’s Time to Own It!
Since August 2021, Y.O.U Beauty has been lauded by Filipinos as the next breakthrough beauty brand. We’ve raved about their accolades before, but even before they landed on local grounds, Y.O.U Beauty has been inspiring women to commit to long-lasting beauty. With their range of makeup, skincare, body care, and cosmetics accessories, the brand provides for the truly modern woman with an ever-changing lifestyle a standard of grace and quality.
“All of Y.O.U Beauty’s products were created to cater to every human in mind, because every human is individual… Y.O.U Beauty products are the makeup tools for the creative child in you and it is your functional skincare partner,” shared Cayetano. The brand also touts its extensive consumer insight and provides beauty-lovers across all their markets with localized innovations that are tailored to these specific needs. This humanizes the practice of self-care and beauty-boosting—not an act to attain some fictional level of stardom society agrees on, but a routine to complement and enhance your best features.
“Be free to be Y.O.U !” This is the final battle cry of Jaclyn Cayetano as we end our conversation. While it’s true that our society has come a long way in terms of opening ourselves to the colorful assortment of skin tones or body shapes, we still have to remain proactive in spreading the message that beauty is beyond aesthetics.
Visit Y.O.U Beauty on Shopee and Lazada to achieve your own long-lasting beauty.
