The history of Mestizaje is rooted in oppression and colonization, but to be Mestiza also comes with privileges that cannot be ignored, and this is especially the case if you have light or fair skin.

Celebrating natural beauty, creativity, and empowerment, Mestiza, the country’s leading all-natural skincare brand, hosted its much-anticipated ‘Mestizas in Bloomvinos’ event on March 9 ...

I was 9 when I received my first skin-lightening product. Deep-rooted colorism still fuels this part of the Asian beauty market today.

This doesn’t seem to apply to this country of Malays, though. Our idea of beauty has been fixed on the mestiza standard since the 16th century: that a woman has to have fair skin to be beautiful.