Bhumi Pednekar named MAC Cosmetics India's first brand ambassador

Bhumi Pednekar has been named MAC Cosmetics India’s first brand ambassador

When she decided to be an actor, Bhumi Pednekar wanted it all—films, awards, performances, clothes, makeup. As a child, she was obsessed with dressing up and doing her makeup. It seems only fitting then that the 32-year-old has been named MAC Cosmetics India’s first brand ambassador. 

“It’s rather emotional for me,” Pednekar tells Forbes India about the association. “I feel like my life has come a full circle with MAC. From being that teenager who waited for the first MAC store to open in India and bought its products with my pocket money to being the face of the brand in India is a huge honour.” 

MAC (Make-up Art Cosmetics) is part of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Since its creation in Toronto, Canada, over 30 years ago, the brand’s popularity has grown so much that it is now sold in over 100 countries/territories worldwide.  

“It’s a brand that I am proud of. I resonate completely with everything that MAC stands for—diversity, inclusivity, equality, celebrating beauty in different ways and disrupting beauty standards,” adds Pednekar. “I believe in the concept of beauty because I feel it is empowerment. Beauty is supposed to make you strong, it’s supposed to provoke the right kind of thinking within people. It’s comforting. I find a lot of solace in beauty. And it can’t get bigger than MAC.” 

In 2005, MAC opened its first store in India. Having Pednekar as its brand ambassador is a strategic decision in strengthening its presence in the country and wooing different customers, including millennials, says Karen Thompson, brand manager, MAC Cosmetics India. “Bhumi is a disruptor in the best possible way. At MAC, we are disruptors as well. One of the big things that attracted us to her was that she actually adores makeup. She has such a strong opinion about it. She gives us so many reasons to believe that she is the perfect match for MAC. We’re excited to have found a talent who can partake this journey of growth and success with us,” she says.  

Pednekar expects the partnership to change and redefine the world of beauty. “Beauty is supposed to be diverse and inclusive… it’s supposed to make you feel secure. Beauty is about celebrating who you are, the unique person that you are. It’s not about concealing your flaws. Beauty is about celebrating your flaws, and owning them and embracing them. That’s what MAC is all about,” she says. 

Starting September, the actor will be the face behind MAC campaigns, launches, collections and innovative programmes in India. On the career front, the Dum Laga Ke Haisha star has an interesting lineup of films, including Badhaai Do and Raksha Bandhan with Akshay Kumar. “It’s a busy time… and may be one of the best years for me,” says Pednekar.