In a thought-provoking session at Maadhyam 2025, Priya Katariya, the visionary founder of Forest Salon, offered powerful insights into the evolving landscape of the beauty industry. Drawing from her personal journey, including her academic years in New York, she spoke about discovering her passion for makeup and hairstyling, which eventually led her to conceptualize a salon that would go beyond superficial aesthetics. Forest Salon was born from a vision to bridge creativity, sustainability, and inclusivity, ushering in a new era of conscious beauty practices. During the session, she highlighted how the salon was built on the belief that nature and mankind can coexist, and that beauty services should be accessible and welcoming to all, regardless of age, gender, or background. Addressing the influence of celebrity-driven social media marketing, she critically unpacked how it often distorts beauty expectations and impacts self-esteem, especially among the youth. She stressed the importan
