32-year-old entrepreneur Deepica Mutyala was chosen as TIME’s Next Generation Leaders. She is selected to create better cosmetics for people of different complexions. TIME’s annual list chooses young minds from around the globe who are working to create a better world.
Mutyala’s beauty brand collaborated with Mattel to inaugurate the first-ever South Asian CEO Barbie doll. Mutyala wanted to ensure authenticity in the doll’s creation, and consequently, it was made in Mutyala’s image. The doll pairs up a pantsuit of “power red” in addition to bangles and jhumkas. According to TIME, the bold brows and the dusky skin make people feel more seen.
Mutyala became famous in 2015 when she went viral with a YouTube video exhibiting the use of red lipstick for color correcting hyperpigmentation on darker skin tones. The video scored nearly 11 million views and called attention to the fact that beauty products aren’t developed, keeping different complexions in mind. Since then, Mutyala has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, The Today Show, and several other media outlets.
