Starring Canadian influencers Ankita Bhardwaj and Thanuska Subramaniam.

Every year in November, Diwali, the five-day Hindu religious festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, takes place – and this year, Sephora Canada is celebrating the event with its first dedicated Diwali campaign.

The Diwali campaign is the latest in Sephora Canada’s ‘We Belong To Something Beautiful’ campaign series, first launched in 2019 to honour “the inclusion of all communities shaping Canada.” Through the series, Sephora Canada says it “strives to create a space where diversity is celebrated, self-expression is honoured and all Canadians feel a sense of belonging.” For this campaign, the brand has tapped Canadian influencers Ankita Bhardwaj and Thanuska Subramaniam.

On how beauty and Diwali go hand-in-hand, Bhardwaj told FASHION, “Before officially being allowed to wear makeup, Diwali was one of those rare times that I would get a chance to test out my skills. The beginning of my makeup journey consisted of gold eyeshadows and red lips which quickly became a Diwali tradition, reflecting the dazzling display of bright lights and colours.” She adds, “To be able to share and celebrate our communities’ beautiful tradition through the SEPHORA Canada Diwali campaign is an opportunity I am extremely grateful and proud of.”

For Subramaniam, the campaign signals more than just an image. “As a South Asian dark-skinned woman who grew up not seeing many faces that looked like mine in this industry, it makes me really proud that SEPHORA Canada is celebrating Diwali and sharing creators’ stories of our culture and traditions,” she tells FASHION.

The campaign will also include ‘Get The Look’ imagery to help others recreate the stunning looks at home. There will also be an additional ‘Get The Look’ visual featuring Neru Yasokumar, a beauty advisor at Sephora’s Bramalea location.

“We are humbled to launch our first-ever Diwali campaign as it marks another step we are taking to deliver on our commitment to diversity and inclusion,” Deborah Neff, the vice president of marketing, said in a release. “We’re proud to continue to work with local Canadian collaborators and champion representation of the many demographics that make up our diverse country and Canadian clientele. We hope this campaign inspires our clients to celebrate new beginnings.”