Ruby Dhillon Reignites The Light This Diwali With Sephora

Sephora Canada has unveiled its second Diwali campaign in celebration of the Diwali Festival of Lights in November. Reignite the light this year as you get ready for the Festival of Lights, with the perfect assortment of products to achieve bright and bold Diwali looks. Featured looks include Supercharged Glam, Dramatic Eyes, Power Pout and Cast a Glow, all brought to life with a range of products available at Sephora, and with the help of four new local Canadian collaborators in distinctive Diwali beauty looks. We chatted with them all, including Ruby Dhillon, to find out about their favourite Diwali traditions and describe what the holiday means to them. —Noa Nichol

Hi! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

My name is Ruby Dhillon, CEO and Founder of Pink Attitude Evolution. Founded in 2015, Pink Attitude Evolution is the first not-for-profit organization of its kind in Canada where women of South Asian origin are empowered to achieve their full potential in their chosen endeavours. During the day, I work for a fintech company as a Director of Customer Success and Business Development. When I have free time (which is not often) I love traveling, reading and random adventures with friends.

How did you hook up with Sephora Canada for its 2021 Diwali/Festival of Lights campaign? What about the partnership made it a perfect/poignant fit?

Sephora Canada and Pink Attitude Evolution joined hands late last year and we are so incredibly grateful to partner with a company that is truly dedicated to supporting diversity and uplifting people from all backgrounds. They reached out to showcase Gurleen Gill, Durka Murugananthan, Ramie Veerappan and myself in a campaign to celebrate this year’s Diwali, glamming us all up with products found at Sephora. I normally prefer to be behind the scenes, but this was an amazing opportunity to spread the word on our collaboration all over Canada and India. We both share similar goals of empowering BIPOC women to reach their highest potential, and putting in the work to support communities. I admire Sephora’s drive and passion to help grassroots organizations like ours, specifically their support in our National Study; a nation-wide research report we’ve organized in partnership with CulturaliQ to see how we can unlock the untapped potential of a growing South Asian womens’ labour force.

For those who don’t know, what is Diwali a celebration of? What does it mean to you, personally? Any special/fun traditions that happen annually at your home?

For those that may not know, Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated by many religions around the world. This festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. As a Sikh, this holiday commemorates the day our 6^th guru, Guru Hargobind Singh, who found a positive way out of an otherwise very dark situation by leading the release of 52 innocent prisoners without a battle. On this auspicious occasion, we decorate our home with divas: a clay candle and lights, dress up and sit together as my mom performs a small prayer. After this, we enjoy a large feast accompanied by lots of sweets.

The past year, in particular, has had a focus on diversity and acceptance. As we near the end of 2021, how do you use your platform to impact those who follow you when it comes to these topics?

Pink Attitude Evolution is driven by a cross section of passionate professionals who share a common vision and commitment to make a difference in the lives of South Asian women. We have made significant strides through our various initiatives and are now focused on making a  broader impact through our National Study. This study uncovered that South Asian women, despite being highly educated, are one of the highest unemployed groups in Canada. We are currently in the process of gathering data that will help us uncover why this is happening. As businesses across many industries are facing increasing labour shortages, topped with a declining population in the coming years ahead, it is economically imperative to address this issue now. In the months ahead, we’re looking to work with our sponsors and the federal government to come up with a progressive action plan to elicit change. Everyone needs to take responsibility to create a more equitable future for all.

Back to Diwali, what do you do to get glammed up for the holiday? What are some of your favourite Sephora-sourced products to use this time of year?

My makeup routine on a regular basis is very simple, but Diwali is one of those seasons where I definitely glam up… red lips and winged eyeliner are a must. My go-to Sephora products are NARS Soft Matte Complete Foundation, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer by FENTY BEAUTY in colour Bajan Gyal , Always On Longwear Matte Liquid Lipstick by Smashbox in colour Bawse and an ink liner. 

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