27 ZEENAT WILKINSON Welcoming differentness and vulnerability.
Her online platform welcomes candour, differentness and vulnerability.
“Sharing your vulnerability once in a while is pretty important to do.”
When Zeenat Wilkinson established her communitybased online platform, Sauce in 2017, she was leading by example with her inclusive approach to beauty content. Although she stood out from the pack, to Wilkinson it seemed only natural that all women should be represented. “With my experience from the time that I’ve spent in Mumbai and London, I just thought it was normal to celebrate women from around the globe,” she says.
Having grown up and lived in these major cities, Wilkinson was struck by the lack of diversity in local media when she moved to New Zealand. “I noticed there wasn’t enough representation of women who look like me or my friends,” she says. “Sauce was born from finding a lack of that kind of representation.” Rather than focusing on flawlessness, Wilkinson has always been drawn to the interesting and unique qualities that make a person special, which is the kind of beauty that she wanted to celebrate with Sauce. “I am all for democratising it and celebrating unconventional beauty. I have always felt really strongly about embracing our uniqueness.”
“NINETY PER CENT OF ADVERTISING THAT COMES THROUGH, WE SAY ‘NO’ TO.”
If stakeholders were going to be put off by this perspective, that was okay – Sauce was established with readers in mind over commercial interests. “We don’t even take on much advertising – 90 per cent of advertising that comes through we say ‘no’ to, because we want it to be a special space and a space that women could just feel like their voices are heard,” Wilkinson explains. “And they can take on some advice for beauty, but also come and just relax, have a cup of tea and enjoy reading the content that we produce.”
Sauce has since pivoted to include a wider range of lifestyle content, but honesty remains at the core of the platform. And as far as beauty goes, Wilkinson says candour is essential to have a meaningful influence in the space. “We all have ups and downs, and really being honest about it and sharing your vulnerability once in a while is pretty important to do,” she says. “And it’s really important to share and engage with our community with those conversations as well.”
Wilkinson firmly believes beauty and self-care are interlinked; that beauty is an extension of our personal style and the self-discovery that comes with it is “a special process”. Caring for one’s appearance is too often equated with empty vanity, but Wilkinson disagrees. “Taking the time to look after your skin, hair and putting on a bold lipstick is more to do with self-love and how you choose to present yourself,” she explains. “Society is starting to become more open to the idea but you still sometimes find really confident and successful women who shy away from it. Things are changing, but we still have a lot of work to do here.”