Rooted with Arshia Moorjani

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Our latest profile features Arshia Moorjani: beauty creator, founder of Meri Stori, and mother of two who reflects on growing up in India, moving to the U.S. at eight years old, learning to embrace the features and culture she once tried to hide, and now passing those traditions on to her children and weaving them into the beauty brand she is building.

Can you tell us a little bit about your heritage? Where are you from and where are your roots?

I was born in India and came to the U.S. when I was eight. Even though I was young, I still have so many memories of India. Hindi is my first language, and I still speak it fluently.

I haven't been back as much as I would like because most of our family is here now, but India is incredible. The people, the food, the music, the weddings, the fashion, the beauty - everything is so beautiful.

What does being “rooted” mean to you right now at this phase in your life?

For me, as a mom, it's really about passing our culture on to my kids and seeing how they adapt it for themselves - how they blend their Indian heritage with being American as well. There's so much beauty in that.

It's also something I'm doing through my beauty brand, Meri Stori. I want to share the stories of others through beauty, feature unique faces, and celebrate people's different cultures and backgrounds.

I feel really privileged to be at a place in my life where I can help other people feel seen. Not just people from an Indian background, but anyone who relates to me or sees themselves in what we're creating.

Have there been moments where you felt disconnected from your roots? If so, what helped you find your way back?

Growing up, I was actually so ashamed of my culture. I didn't want my friends to come over because I thought my house smelled like Indian food and spices. I remember being 10 or 12 years old and wondering why my eyes were so big, why I had dark hair, and why I couldn't look like everybody else.

Beauty was actually a huge part of finding my way back. I started doing beauty tutorials and learning how to embrace my features, and that made me fall in love with the way I looked and appreciate that these features are part of being Indian.

As I've gotten older, I've also started appreciating all the little parts of my culture more. Now, as a mom, I make Indian food for my kids all the time. I teach them little traditions I grew up with and try to make sure they understand where they come from.

How much have your roots influenced your beauty company, Meri Stori?

Honestly, everything.

The name Meri Stori means “my story,” and I really wanted a Hindi word in the name. My roots influence everything from the models we work with to the ingredients in our products, the inspiration behind how they're made, and even the product names.

We're also working on products that go even deeper into ingredients I grew up with in Indian beauty. My mom still uses these very DIY beauty rituals with things like turmeric and different oils, and she'll even use certain oils on my kids now that I grew up using myself.

It's such a big part of what Meri Stori is all about. It was really important to me to have my culture woven into the brand.

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What are some of the traditions from your culture that you're passing down to your children?

Food is a big one. I make Indian food for my kids all the time. Their favorite is dal chawal, which is lentils and rice. It's such a basic meal, but it's my favorite food too. It's comfort food — it just brings you back home.

We also have a small practice we do every morning that's essentially about saying thank you to God and being grateful for everything we have. My kids know it now and participate in it. It's those little things that feel really special to pass down.

Is there an Indian saying you grew up with that you wish everyone knew?

My mom always says this to me, and now I get it as a mom: “Instead of doing it tomorrow, do it today. Instead of doing it today, do it now.”

She says it all the time. It's really about not putting things off and just doing them now.