Meera Estrada

For Asian Heritage Month, beauty and culture commentator Meera Solanki Estrada discusses overcoming beauty standards and the power of representation.

As an on-air culture commentator, I often get to watch films and TV shows before they’re released to the public. Admittedly, I’m a little choosy with what I spend my time watching. But when a preview for season two of Netflix’s Bridgerton became available, I cleared my schedule and binged all eight episodes in two days flat. I had seen the trail...

Mother's Day gift guide -- beauty edition.

Beauty expert Meera Estrada details the top trending viral beauty hacks including, ‘slugging’ and using lip balm to apply eyeshadow.

Five years ago, at a playdate with one of my oldest girlfriends and our babies, I asked her about her experience with using a surrogate in India. We’re both Indian-Canadian living in Toronto, and I had read that lower-caste surrogates were being paid nearly $2,000 less than higher-caste women at the clinic she used in Gujarat. She confirmed it was true and then said something that hit me like a punch in the gut: “I wouldn’t use a lower-caste surrogate. I wouldn’t want my kid to be stupid.”

Wh...

It’s a new year, which means there’s lots of new content to stream. Pop culture expert Meera Estrada joined Mike Arsenault to discuss some of the top streaming options to kick off 2022.

For young people like (left to right) Meera Estrada, Suprakash Majumdar and Srishty Ranjan, the personal is truly political as they navigate the power – and price – of their caste identity. Photos provided by the subjects.
“It triggered hate on a scale I’d never imagined. On Instagram, the hate in the form of slurs and abuses was so much I had to deactivate my account for a week.”
Nearly eight years ago, a young PhD student from India made a startling declaration about his identity right befo...

Looking to streamline your beauty products for 2022? Meera Estrada shared her ten-minute makeup routine for a fresh and natural look you can bring to your next zoom call—including her tips on how to prep the face to protect the skin. Try these low-stress, no-fuss beauty products to revive and moisturize the skin.

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Are you ready to get kultur'D? This pop culture show discusses hot topics on everything from film & television, art, music to fashion & beauty with a lens on diversity of people and perspectives. Produced and hosted by Meera Estrada, every episode features guests to be part of the lively conversation.
Different ages and stages, each host brings a unique view to the weekly topics.
With kultur'D putting an emphasis on diversity of people and thought, the show also addresses themes that may some...

The Social - Holiday beauty gifts that give back.

Celebrating gender fluid beauty brands and why they matter.

Beauty expert Meera Estrada rounds up her top beauty picks that work double duty for half the counter space.

Real Life Stories
At first, my whole life revolved around seizures, worrying when the next one would strike. But over time, I learned how to manage my triggers and live without fear.
Isn’t she so lucky? I used to be that girl who’d flip through magazines in awe of the picture-perfect lives. Mind you, at the time my life was pretty charmed. I had an exciting career as a television advertising exec, a bubbling social life and a charming boyfriend who made laugh until my belly ached—I didn’t kno...

Exploring new beauty products is one of our favourite things to do! When you find products that support communities, though, it can be much more rewarding. Today, that's exactly what we're doing with the help of beauty and culture expert Meera Estrada. She highlighted some incredible products from Indigenous beauty brands to know, support and try!

Find Meera's picks below, and don't forget to watch the video above for more information about the brands and their amazing products.

Indian beauty philosophy runs more than skin deep. It's about achieving beauty from the inside out, with much of it rooted in Ayurvedic ingredients, like those found in many native plants—such as neem, saffron, moringa, and turmeric—that are said to have major skin benefits. It's all about a 360-degree approach to beauty, it's not just in the way you look, but your mental health too. Beauty expert Meera Estrada shared four of her favourite Indian beauty brands you need on your shelf.

It has been less than a week since we watched Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, fall to the Taliban.
With U.S.-led international forces planning a Sept. 11 withdrawal, this wasn’t unforeseeable, but the speed with which the Taliban gripped control over the region came as a hellish surprise.
The outlook for the country looks grim, but for the nearly 19 million women living there, it is particularly dire.
As news stories flooded in, I immediately thought of the makeup artist I work with, Sadaf.