I like any beginner to makeup know the struggles that come with the precisions of that cat eye, getting that perfect gradient of eyeshadow or even putting the basic mascara on without getting it in my eye. 2019, however, offers a new and simpler trend. The dab-on dewy, glowing makeup look or as some might call it the natural no-makeup makeup look. The list goes on. So, what’s the secret behind the “I just got of the shower” light reflecting foundation or Kylie Jenner’s new eye shadow palette. The answer is, Mica, a well sought-after mineral that gives products their shimmer and shine. India holds around 60% of the global mica production (Francesca Willow, 2018). But there’s a sad story behind the shimmer and the shine of our makeup that’s been kept quiet for long enough. I want you all to imagine that you are an 11-year-old child working tirelessly for hours on end in a hot, claustrophobic, windowless tunnel, not knowing when the next debris will give way, crushing and killing you. Or whether it’ll be the other child working next to you. All you know is that you have no other option, because you, you are the only source of income for your family. Earning those few cents could mean the difference between food or starvation. This life, that’s a reality for many children in India. In fact, it’s the reality of an 11 -year-old girl named Pooja Bhurla, who has been a victim of child labour since she was only eight. Child Labour is an issue that is not only a Third World problem. It’s not just India’s problem.
Child Labour is a violation of the basic human rights and therefore is a problem that affects us all (stop child labour school is the best place to work, 2019). As Diane Von Furstenberg once said, “when you have a voice, you have an obligation to use that voice to empower others”. I too also believe this, and that Is why I am standing here In front of you now, because we need your help. These children need your help. It’s stories like Puja’s that are invisible in a sad and terrifying way. Their stories are not untold stories they’re just not being told. It’s as if they’re invisible in plain sight. Every single time you touch your makeup products you are essentially touching what they have touched, but these victims remain invisible to us. When we think of youth we think of playing outside with friends, kicking soccer balls or staying up late to finish the maths homework you forgot because you were busy playing with your friends.