Mumbai, March 25 (IANS): Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone was on Saturday officially announced as a newly appointed global ambassador of beauty brand LOréal Paris, joining the likes of Jane Fonda, Blake Lively, Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

"I've always believed that feeling beautiful begins with feeling confident about yourself and L'Oréal Paris with its powerful message 'Because we're worth it', has always encouraged women to do that," Deepika said in a statement, adding that she finds it a privilege to represent the brand.

Deepika's Hindi film journey began with "Om Shanti Om" in 2007, and she has been on a roll ever since, showcasing her versatility as an actor suitable for content-driven movies like "Piku", "Finding Fanny", "Tamasha" as well as for mainstream entertainers like "Bajirao Mastani" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani". She even made her Hollywood debut with the Vin Diesel starrer "xXx: Return of Xander Cage".

Alongside her acting career, Deepika is vocal about issues close to her heart and has founded ‘The Live, Love, Laugh Foundation', to create awareness about mental health issues in India.

Deepika's "beauty, confidence and grace" coupled with how she is "intelligent, sensitive and self-made", have been described as reasons why she has been roped in as an ambassador for the brand, L'Oréal Paris officials said.

At an event here on Friday night, Deepika was asked if she will walk the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival as a representative of the brand. She said "no", and added that all her energies are currently focussed on her new project "Padmavati".