Hijab-Wearing Model Made History By Featuring In A Major Hair Campaign

As one of the Muslim beauty influencers whom you can hardly see her hair on display due to some religious reasons, Amena Khan would be the least expected when it comes to featuring in a mainstream hair campaign. The British beauty blogger stars alongside other women in the latest L’Oreal Paris Elvive World of Care campaign, marking the first time a major hair-care brand is casting an hijab-wearing woman as an ambassador.

“How many brands are doing things like this? Not many,” she said while speaking with Vogue UK. “They’re literally putting a girl in a headscarf — whose hair you can’t see — in a hair campaign. Because what they’re really valuing through the campaign is the voices that we have.”

 L’Oréal Paris Elvive is a line that repair damaged hair and Khan believes that “whether or not your hair is on display, it doesn’t affect how much you care about it.”  She is currently boasting over 392,000 subscribers on her Youtube channel for connecting with other women through beauty tutorials, and according to the model who started wearing hijab in her early 20s, she wants her hair to look sheen at any-time she takes off her scarf. “A game changing new campaign!!! 👏🏽❤️ So… lately I’ve had a complex relationship with my hair feeling lackluster. When I take off my scarf, I want my hair to be more radiant – don’t we all?”

A game changing new campaign!!! 👏🏽❤️ So… lately I’ve had a complex relationship with my hair feeling lacklustre. When I take off my scarf, I want my hair to be more radiant – don’t we all? 🙆🏽‍♀️✨ I’m so excited and incredibly proud to announce that I‘m part of the new L’Oreal Paris Elvive World of Care Campaign which showcases Elvive’s breadth of products catering to a wide range of demanding hair types. I’m The Pink One which has been specially formulated for dull hair to boost shine. @lorealhair #WORLDOFCARE #ELVIVEXRANKIN #ALLWORTHIT #AD

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) on Jan 14, 2018 at 3:04am PST

Khan also cited that most people always presumed that women who don’t show their hair don’t care for it which is invalid “You have to wonder — why is it presumed that women [who] don’t show their hair don’t look after it?” she asked Vogue UK. “The opposite of that would be that everyone that does show their hair only looks after it for the sake of showing it to others. And that mindset strips us of our autonomy and our sense of independence. Hair is a big part of self-care.”

I arrived to a set that was beyond anything I could imagine. With several open studio areas spread across a giant building, the first thing that hit me was the scale of the project. There were colourful sets assembled with multiple people behind the cameras. Amongst the buzzing of constant activity, the crew & @lorealhair team would often smile & say hello, always welcoming. Shoots like this are invariably stressful somewhere along the line, but I didn’t detect a hint of that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In the makeup room, I couldn’t contain my excitement about the project. @karindarnell regaled us with stories about the celeb world (being Riri’s MUA), all the while swiftly working her magic with makeup. We exchanged stories of working & of motherhood. @neelamkg joined us. Being an internationally successful model, I’m always struck by how “real” & humble she is. All 3 of us chatted away about life, triumph & sacrifice. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Lunch was great – lots of Vegan options so I was happy. The atmosphere was energised, especially as @ling.kt was on my table. She uplifts everyone around her. I ate quickly as we had some outdoor photography to do. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Our beloved weather did the predictable… as we stood at the main door, it started to drizzle. But before I knew it, someone had slipped a robe & slippers on me. There I was, in a van with 5 other people from the team, driving down to the canal in the area. It was surreal but exhilarating. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Back at the studio, super friendly @francescajordan did touch ups as it grew closer to my turn. The photographer was the legendary genius, @rankinarchive. A quiet, down to earth man, he was deliberate & thoughtful in every shot. I felt confident, unexpectedly calm & filled with gratitude. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Then came the interview. @lillycon, the interviewer, put me at ease quickly. She has the kind of vibe that makes it easy to speak with honesty – to just be yourself. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀When the long day finished & I was back on the train home, I reflected… not on how awesome this campaign (obviously) is, but more on the kindness I was privileged to have encountered that day (in so many more ways), & the beauty in connection between human beings <3

A post shared by Amena (@amenaofficial) on Jan 17, 2018 at 10:13am PST

The new L’Oreal Paris Elvive offers a wide range of products for different hair types and like the hijab-wearing model said, she’s really into the ‘The Pink One’ which is perfect to revitalize a dull hair.