Cosmo ME promised to give you the *best* El Gouna Film Festival content and here we are with an all-new one.
We recently sat down with Mariam El Khosht at El Gouna to interview the renowned Egyptian actress. Being a strong advocate for going cruelty-free, here’s all you need to know about the back story of her decision to lead a pescatarian lifestyle, her fav cruelty-free products, and more.
Scroll down to read our interview with Mariam…
Cosmo ME: When did you decide to become cruelty-free?
Mariam El Khosht: Back in 2014, I had a really important event, and I was looking at makeup artists to work with, but it was really expensive at that time, so I decided to teach myself and do my own makeup. And I came across a couple of videos that talked about cruelty-free products and it just grabbed my attention because I didn’t understand what that meant.
I’m the kind of person who likes to research, so I started reading up on it and I realized that there was such a thing as animal testing and it wasn’t just about the medical community, it was also in the cosmetic industry and that didn’t make sense to me.
When I started watching videos and seeing what happened, it was just awful. The idea that a living thing would go through so much pain and so much torture just for me to put on lipstick or foundation didn’t sit right with me.
C: As a celebrity who works with multiple makeup artists, how do you make sure the products you use are cruelty-free?
M: It’s very difficult to make sure that your makeup is cruelty-free all the time.
So, I try to make my peace with the fact that I’m not spending my money to purchase these products. I try extremely hard but sometimes it is not possible. I also try to use my own products whenever I can.
C: What are some of your favorite cruelty-free brands?
M: I use The Body Shop all the time because they’re not just cruelty-free, they’re a hundred percent vegan and they contribute to saving forests. They also have so many causes, which I think is brilliant.
A lot of companies who claim to be cruelty-free are not, because they outsource other companies to do it for them. Maybe you in your labs you don’t test on animals, but you get other companies to do it for you. So, I started learning how to read the loopholes and the contracts.
C: How has your life changed after being a pescatarian?
M: My life has changed in a lot of ways. On the ethical side of things, I just feel better. After all, this time, when I walk into a supermarket and there’s a fridge and you can see poultry, it feels like corpses to me. It really feels wrong.
But from a physical aspect of things, it has changed the way I feel when I eat. With meat, there’s a certain kind of full, like you can’t breathe. But when you’re vegetarian, I’ve noticed that I generally feel lighter.
C: Have you ever considered creating your own cruelty-free brand?
M: Not really because that requires a different level of commitment. And with what I’m doing, I’m lucky enough to have a platform to be able to bring awareness to this. I feel like I can probably make more difference talking about it than just opening my little brand. I do eventually want to start a friendly farm and have affiliations with schools where kids can play and deal with the farm animals to see how it works, how you get products from them.
C: Do you think the approach towards veganism and cruelty-free products is changing?
M: Yes. People are becoming more aware. We have to be honest, capitalism is everywhere and you can talk about whatever you want but it will not change anything unless the businesses are being affected. So when people started boycotting animal-tested products, or when they started demanding more vegetarian or vegan meals in restaurants, the industry is changing, and then the buzz happened. So yes, it is happening.
C: How does being cruelty-free affect your relationships because not everyone has the same mindset as you do?
M: Some of my friends try to be sensitive, but I don’t feel like they are bad people for eating meat; I just feel like they don’t know what I know. But I have a problem with people who refuse to learn. Some people tell me, ‘please don’t tell us, don’t ruin meat for us’, and I feel like if you don’t want to know, that’s because you’re aware that if you find out, you will have a problem, and that means you’re literally running away from your responsibility towards things that live with you.
C: Was your transition from being a non-vegetarian to a vegetarian difficult?
M: In the beginning, yes it was. And my mind started playing tricks on me. Like my brain would tell me that I need meat and that something is wrong with my blood pressure. But then I would watch awful videos and it worked. And then every time I miss meat, I remember certain things and it just feels like, okay, you, you can’t be okay with something going through this kind of suffering because you miss the meat.
Check out the actress’ stunning transformation that we filmed at El Gouna:
@cosmopolitanme Red-carpet ready with @mariam.el.khosht 🔥♥️ ##elgounafilmfestival ##gff21 ##mariamelkhosht ##fyp
Watch this space for more El Gouna Film Festival updates.
Interview and transcription by Yasmin Reda and Twinkle Stanly.