Rowi Singh Reimagines Disney Princess Makeup on Instagram
Excuse Us While We Swoon Over This Punjabi-Inspired Disney Princess Makeup
Rowi Singh is an Australia-based content creator, makeup artist, and influencer who caught our attention recently when she posted her Disney Princesses Reimagined series to her 125K Instagram followers. In the posts, Singh transforms herself into her favourite Disney princesses, representing them with a stunning South Asian twist, telling POPSUGAR that "as a WOC (Woman of Colour) content creator, I feel it is my job to spread diversity and positivity the best I can".
Singh is known equally for her beautiful, pastel-rainbow makeup looks as she is for being a proud Punjabi woman, regularly speaking out against cultural appropriation and representation of cultural diversity in the media. "Diversity in Disney movies is important because it shapes how minorities are perceived not only by others, but . . . themselves as well. Seeing ourselves on screen . . . says that women of colour are equally as capable of having something so whimsical and fantastical happen to them. It says that this 'Cinderella experience' is not selective," Singh said.
Inspired by nostalgia and passion for her traditional culture, Singh combined this with a modern aesthetic to "reimagine those [sic] that were traditionally Caucasian as melanin-infused Desi princesses", she told POPSUGAR. "Disney was always so fantastical and exciting to me as a child, but there was always something missing — none of them looked like me". So, she took matters into her own hands, starting with Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, then Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and finally Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Next, she'd like to tackle a Snow White-inspired look. "I would love to re-create an alternative background story for her that embodies the modern woman of colour," Singh said.
In her Instagram posts, Singh also highlights the often-overlooked strength of each Disney princess because she believes each princess is "a lot stronger than they are perceived". Cinderella is "a victim of abuse who chose kindness and optimism to fight her situation", while Belle is "individualistic and didn't follow the herd mentality of the town. She was on her own flow and knew her worth", Singh wrote in her captions.
Keep reading to see all of Singh's Disney-princess-inspired makeup looks.
