Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
South Korea is a fast growing influence in the music and fashion industries. Such growth generates the interest of consumers around the globe. Lately, there has been a lot of Korean beauty products in regular makeup stores like Ulta and Sephora. There is also a huge boom in interest from beauty enthusiasts. Looking at how beauty standards are expressed is an interesting way of exploring the subtleties of different cultures.
Most women in the U.S. are already familiar with the popular ways to make up their faces in terms of westernized cultures. "Full glam" is a term anyone interested in beauty has probably heard, and it sums up the Western/American style very nicely. Full coverage foundation, blush, bronzer, and highlight to rival the sun itself. To westerners, the bigger the impression, the better. Makeup is seen as an art and a sort of self-expression.
Korean beauty standards, on the other hand, are nearly the polar opposites to those of the Western world. Even thouhg core focus of makeup is practically the same, "youth is beauty", Koreans view that in a different way. In the West, youth is vibrant, but in Korea, youth is innocent.
Koreans value a natural, healthy glow, so they use only a little concealer and usually a tinted moisturizer. They keep their brows straight, rather than with a high arch, to emulate youth. A healthy, light pink or coral blush high on the cheek bones and a diffused lip tint to keep their look from getting too intense.
YouTube now has a huge community of up-and-coming makeup artists and influencers. Some even have millions of followers, which means there is an enormous audience watching when these men and women talk about different styles of makeup. There has been a trend going around comparing Western and Korean styles of makeup side-by-side.
Watch a beauty YouTuber compare Western and Korean styles here.
Most women in the U.S. are already familiar with the popular ways to make up their faces in terms of westernized cultures. "Full glam" is a term anyone interested in beauty has probably heard, and it sums up the Western/American style very nicely. Full coverage foundation, blush, bronzer, and highlight to rival the sun itself. To westerners, the bigger the impression, the better. Makeup is seen as an art and a sort of self-expression.
Korean beauty standards, on the other hand, are nearly the polar opposites to those of the Western world. Even thouhg core focus of makeup is practically the same, "youth is beauty", Koreans view that in a different way. In the West, youth is vibrant, but in Korea, youth is innocent.
Koreans value a natural, healthy glow, so they use only a little concealer and usually a tinted moisturizer. They keep their brows straight, rather than with a high arch, to emulate youth. A healthy, light pink or coral blush high on the cheek bones and a diffused lip tint to keep their look from getting too intense.
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| My favorite brand of Korean lip tint: Peripera |
Watch a beauty YouTuber compare Western and Korean styles here.
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