MODEL, ACTIVIST AND ENTREPRENEUR PRITIKA SWARUP TAKES US BEHIND THE SCENES OF HER LIFE AND INTRODUCES US TO THE POWERS OF AYURVEDIC BEAUTY THROUGH HER LINE, PRAKTI BEAUTY.

Dior top and shorts, dior.com; Tiffany & Co. earrings and bracelet, tiffany.com. Styled by Charlie Rincon-Rodriguez Assistant stylist: Fernanda Villarreall Hair by Leah Caso Makeup by Daniela Gozlan Shot on site at 3080 Munroe Drive, Miami, listed for $48 million, represented by Elena C. Bluntzer, the Bluntzer Group with One Sotheby’s International Realty, 305.992.7987, [email protected] PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

It's one of those Miami days that makes you grateful that you live in one of the greatest cities in the world—crystal-clear blue skies, light winds and endless still blue waters surround the beauty of the jaw-dropping home we have the pleasure of shooting at today. Dubbed “Villa Positano,” the palatial Coconut Grove manse is made all the more perfect by its blooming pink flowers, lush greenery and budding orchids that make for the ideal backdrop of our beauty issue. And completing it all is our glowing cover star, Pritika Swarup (@pritikaswarup).

On the heels of a quick 36-hour jaunt to Miami in between Milan and Paris fashion weeks, Swarup arrives to the set with suitcases in hand, ready to go.

“I’m so excited to be here,” she greets everyone warmly as we get to work prepping the model for the day ahead. With her are the essentials from her ayurvedic beauty line, Prakti Beauty, which launched in 2021.

Dolce & Gabanna top, skirt and gloves, dolcegabbanacom; David Yurman earrings, davidyurman.com. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

She introduces us to the products, which range from its first launch PritiPolish Instant Glow Exfoliator, to the latest serum debut, SundaSkin; DeviDetox Purifying Face Cleanser; and MahaMask Pampering Moisture Treatment. Together, Swarup explains, they address all of her skin concerns and complement one another. Upon application, it’s easy to see what she means—her skin is glowing from across the room.

“When I first launched Prakti, I decided to implement a strategy in which we launch a new product every few months because I didn’t want to overwhelm my audience with an entire product lineup—I wanted to give each product enough space to be able to tell its story and highlight unique Ayurvedic ingredients that are new to our audience,” Swarup shares on the impetus behind the beauty brand.

Full Chanel look, chanel.com PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

“At the core, they’re high performance, efficacious formulas, but then we are also providing a sensorial experience because it’s about both the skin and the soul. The most important thing for me is not only helping women reach their skincare and beauty goals, but also helping them feel the best they can about themselves and help them achieve their goals and passions.”

What makes Prakti Beauty stand out from others is its modern concept that fuses the cultural richness and spirituality of India with contemporary energies and technologies. This is carried throughout the entire brand—at the product level, it’s the combination of ayurvedic ingredients with science-backed innovation. Swarup is proud of her Indian heritage and thoughtfully incorporated it to share her fresh, global-first approach to Indian beauty. To supplement the products, Swarup recently launched Ayurveda for All to introduce her audience to the concept in an easier and more digestible way.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

“We’ve understood just how intimidating ayurveda can be to someone that’s not familiar with it that hasn’t grown up with it,” she shares. “We launched Ayurveda For All to simplify this trusted wellness system through education, so everyone can benefit. We highlight different ingredients, breathing techniques—it’s everything that you can do to incorporate these easy ayurvedic rituals into your daily routine and make it fun and accessible. I think a lot of people think ayurveda is a strict wellness system where you have to go all in, so we’ve tried to break that down to show people that they can take bits and pieces of it and incorporate it into their daily lives.”

Ayurveda for All can be found under “The Priti Edit” through the Prakti Beauty site. Led by Swarup, Ayurveda for All includes blog posts, newsletters, social media and videos showcasing various techniques, and soon they’ll be looking to take the practice in person at events and pop-ups over the summer.

Gucci dress and tights, gucci.com; Tiffany & Co. earrings and ring, tiffany.com. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

“Ayurveda for All was important for me to launch with Prakti Beauty because improving overall health and beauty is guided by holistic wellness—so we’re not just addressing surface-level beauty, but also how you care for yourself from the inside,” Swarup explains.

Equally important to Swarup is giving back, which is why Prakti Beauty has partnered with Operation Smile as the brand’s giveback partner. As a Global Ambassador of Operation Smile, Swarup represents the organization through media outlets, leading global fundraising initiatives and actively participating in medical missions across India, South Africa and Mozambique.

Full Chanel look, chanel.com PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

“I’ve been working with Operation Smile since I was in middle school, so it’s important to me to keep the organization involved in everything I do and give back in any way I can,” asserts Swarup.

Aside from running her business and giving back, Swarup remains busy with her modeling and fashion career as well. Between attending New York, Milan and Paris fashion shows this year, Swarup’s love for the industry is even more strengthened and has kept her on the go.

“When you’re there, you’re running from fitting to fitting, you’re getting all your looks together, and with every look, there’s so many different components like the hair and the makeup and the styling—it’s a lot more than people expect and you just have to go with the flow. You have the shows and presentations, and everyone in the industry is in one place, so I always try to maximize my time,” she recalls. “Every show and every meeting opens up my eyes to more of the industry. At the end of the day, you have a little time to reflect and it’s extremely exciting and inspiring to be a part of.”

Dolce & Gabbana top, dolcegabbana.com; David Yurman earrings, davidyurman.com. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

Channeling this inspiration, Swarup recently collaborated with Italian footwear brand Ilio Smeraldo to design a capsule collection that comes out this month. Getting to design the collection from start to finish was both exhilarating and informative for Swarup, who relishes any opportunity she can get to expand her horizons and knowledge and learn from others in the industry, as well as express her own creative vision.

“We started designing the collection around this time last year. I met with the brand when we were in Paris, and I got to learn more about their global mindset and how they love to collaborate with different fashion insiders that have different backgrounds and style aesthetics, and I thought that was really cool to highlight various stories. It was definitely new for me because it was my first venture into the design world, so I learned a lot,” she shares. “They let me do everything from scratch. I put together a few mood boards to determine the overall aesthetic, colors and design direction. I also gained insight from Ilio’s market research, learning the expected color trends and the technical elements needed to be achieved for my vision to come to life. It was a surprising experience that I valued a lot and made me appreciate fashion even more.”

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

As Swarup reflects, she feels she has found the balance to include all of her passions into one. As a Columbia University graduate with a strong finance background, she was able to tap into her entrepreneurial side with the launch of Prakti Beauty, and by entering the beauty industry, she tied her love of fashion and creativity together to create the product. With the incorporation of Indian culture and Ayurveda into the brand, she shares her heritage with others, pioneering inclusivity within the beauty industry and serving as a first-of-its-kind brand paving the way for others to follow.

With a mission of inspiring women to “fearlessly pursue multidimensional, fulfilling lives,” Swarup is indeed bringing her #FindYourFearless mantra to life, inspiring women all over the world to be just as fearless as her, and make their dreams a reality.