Skin Lightening

There has been much controversy around products advertised in Asia that are advertised to whiten skin. For example, there is a skin cream sold in India called “White Beauty” which allows people with darker skin to achieve a “pinkish white glow.”

Much of the controversy surrounds how these products are advertised. One commercial (link below) features a woman who has been ditched by her boyfriend for a woman with a pale complexion and she wishes to win him back. The woman with the darker complexion uses “White Beauty” and wins back the man. Other problematic ads show impoverished darker-skinned women who, after using the skin lightening cream, are able to better their circumstances and land their dream jobs. These advertisements are the perfect example of images in the media that influence young women and girls for the rest of their lives and put pressure on them to look a certain way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgx6xrc0gBs

White Beauty is made by Ponds but L’Oreal, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Avon and Garnier are among the many other companies who produce similar skin lightening products. According to research from L’Oreal India, “about two-thirds, or 60 percent, of Indian women use these creams daily.” And this is not only happening in India, similar findings have been observed in Korea, China and the Philippines. According to one Internet survey about 30 percent of Chinese and 18 percent of Japanese respondents reported using skin whiteners either daily or weekly.

These creams are also marketed and sold in America and are not only sold for Asian Americans. Many creams also feature African Americans with before and after photos. We see a larger message here, not only that Asian looks are not beautiful, but rather anyone who is not white enough is not considered beautiful and therefore will not get the man and will not land her dream job. This is hugely problematic!! This again is all linked back to the media and popular culture. It is the media that defines the standards of beauty in this world.

Another problematic aspect of these creams is that they can be harmful to skin. The side effects of the creams depend on their ingredients and not all creams have the same ingredients. There are a plethora of studies which are currently trying to determine the exact effects of these creams. According to the British Skin Foundation some of these creams can cause permanent skin bleaching, skin thinning, blue-black discoloration or redness and/or intense irritation. This issue now becomes a health concern. How far are women willing to go to achieve ideals of western beauty?

Shimo, Alexandra. “The Quest For A Lighter Shade Of Pale.” Maclean’s 121.46 (2008): 150-152. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 July 2013.

photo: http://rebeccaslewis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/ashlorealwhite1.jpg

YouTube Makeup Tutorials

The YouTube beauty community has become an extremely successful and popular industry. With millions of viewers subscribing and watching their videos, thousands of YouTube beauty gurus are uploading videos on a day-to-day basis.

Make up tutorials are one of the most watched and most requested type of YouTube videos in the beauty community. Here, beauty gurus walk through a make up “look” by applying all the cosmetics and make up products in front of the camera, while simultaneously reciting step-by-step instructions. The point here is to help those who are new to make up achieve the look they are aiming for.

Michelle Phan – Angelina Jolie Make Up Tutorial

Michelle Phan – How To Look Like Miranda Kerr

Michelle Phan, a very well-known Asian American beauty guru, once held the spot for the most subscribed account on YouTube. Phan uploads a wide variety of beauty videos that inspires young women to use makeup as a way to enhance their natural beauty features. Phan has also uploaded celebrity transformation videos, such as “How To Look Like Miranda Kerr” and “Angelina Jolie Makeup Tutorial.” In these videos, she uses make up to mimic the facial features of Miranda Kerr and Angelina Jolie. To start, Phan uses a lighter foundation to mimic the lighter skin tones of these white actresses/models. She also uses bronzer and highlighter to contour and sculpt her cheeks, nose and jawline, making those features sharper and more prominent like that of Miranda Kerr, Angelina Jolie and the white female facial structure. For the Miranda Kerr video, Phan blends brown eyeliner on her cheek to replicate Miranda Kerr’s signature dimples. For the Angelina Jolie video, Phan traces lip pencil outside of her natural lip shape to duplicate Jolie’s full, luscious pout. In both tutorials, Phan wears blue or gray contacts in order to fully transform herself to Miranda Kerr or Angelina Jolie.

These make up tutorials prove that make up is an art form and that these make up artists are extremely talented. However, these types of videos are extremely problematic when it comes to the standards of beauty. Michelle Phan and other Asian American beauty gurus are continuously uploading videos of their transformation into a famous white woman, who are popularized for her beauty. However, this exchange of make up advice only works one way. There has never been an instance where white beauty gurus upload videos such as, “How To Look Like Lucy Liu.” These make up tutorials perpetuates the idea that white features are the ideal type of beauty in America. For women of color, the pressures of conforming to white ideals of beauty lead to not accepting one’s own beauty and instead, masking it with make up.

Below, are some additional examples of Asian American women transforming themselves to white actresses.

Eyelid Tape and Glue

More and more Asian and Asian American women are resorting to an easier, more affordable and definitely safer alternative to getting eyelid plastic surgery (blepharoplasty) – eyelid tape or eyelid glue. Sold on Asian cosmetics websites, such as www.prettyandcute.com, and Asian convenience stores in the United States and in Asia, these eyelid tapes and glue (sometimes called eye putty) are gaining a widespread popularity on Asian women looking to alter their eyelids.

Between the two methods, eyelid tape is the more preferred option because it “lasts longer and creates a stronger crease than eyelid glue.” When bought, these eyelid tapes are pre-cut for the buyer’s convenience. An eyelid fork, tongs or prongs are also included in the eyelid tape package. To use, one measures the eyelid tape to fit her eye shape while trimming excess tape if needed. After applying the eyelid tape onto her eyelid, she would use the eyelid prongs to press the tape into place while forming and creating a definite crease. Once applied, the user can apply light eye makeup and continue on with her day. The eyelid tape usually stays on until the user decides to remove it. Michelle Phan, a prominent Asian American YouTube beauty guru and makeup enthusiast reveals in her video,  “How To Even Out Your Eyelid Without Surgery,” that she used tape in order to alter her eyelids. She recommends that the user wear the tape on her eyes for 22 hours for three-month straight in order to see permanent results. The eyelid tapes are sold in a variety of styles: single-sided, double-sided, clear, medical-graded and colored (to use with darker, makeup.)

Additionally, some bloggers have created a how-to/do-it-yourself tutorials on creating your own eyelid tape at home.

The other alternative, eyelid putty, is sometimes preferred because it achieves a more natural look. A package of eyelid putty comes with a bottle of the glue plus a pair of eyelid fork, tongs or prongs. To use, the user applies the putty to areas on her eye where she wants the crease to form. Applying glue higher and more towards the eyebrow creates a bigger and more visible crease. Regular makeup can be applied onto the eye after the glue has dried and set. However, the glue is considered a bigger hassle to users, as it requires a reapplication every few hours.

However, problems do arise from using these methods to alter one’s eyelids. Users have revealed on beauty forums that using eyelid tape or putty have created a completely different result than expected. Instead of creating a double-eyelid that makes the eye appear bigger and more awake, some users have revealed that the tape/putty has instead made their eyes droopy and saggy, which is the complete opposite. By not properly removing the tape and glue, users pull onto the skin around the delicate eye area- making the eyes appear droopy, sleepy and essentially creating premature wrinkles. Additionally, some users reveal that using the wrong type of tape (non-medical graded) caused irritation and allergic reactions around their eye areas. These eyelid remedies may seem attractive, affordable and accessible at first but may be doing more harm than good. Users of such may have to resort to eyelid surgery in the long run to fix the permanent damages done to their eye area.

http://forums.soompi.com/discussion/288261/eyelid-tape-gave-me-stretched-eyelid

http://michellephan.com/blog/post/michelle-phan-even-out-your-eyelids-without-surgery-michelle-phan-2012

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQVyajbpZNFDuxHqvyaM8uOb6Y_H2C5IpcnBVKMX4o9WV3d-kvhmg

https://s3.amazonaws.com/luuux-original-files/bookmarklet_uploaded/how-to-use-d-up-wonder-eyelid-tape.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31rAl4s5MvL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

http://www.ez-styles.com/images/Makeup%20-%20Korea%20EYECHARM%20Double%20Eyelid%20Tape%20(3).JPG

http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/2008/03/how-to-cut-your-own-eyelid-tape.html

Eyelid Surgery

An increasingly popular phenomenon among both Asians as well as Asian Americans is having plastic surgery in order to create a “double eyelid.” The medical term for eyelid surgery is blepharoplasty. A medical paper from 2009 by Nguyen, Hsu and Dinh reports that, “approximately 50% of Asians do not have an upper eyelid crease.” Blepharoplasty is more common among Asians than among Asian Americans. The same paper reports that blepharoplasty is the most commonly requested procedure in Asia and the third most requested procedure by Asian Americans. Blepharoplasty is most common among wealthy Asians.

This phenomenon is usually explained by the pressures and desire to conform to western ideals of beauty. In a 2011 interview by CNN with Dr. Kim Byung-gun, a prominent plastic surgeon in Seoul, South Korea, he expresses his experience with the motives of his patients: “‘The Chinese and Korean patients tell me that they want to have faces like Americans. The idea of beauty is more westernized recently. That means the Asian people want to have a little less Asian, more westernized appearance.’” This motivation for the surgery is problematic and brings up the issue of assimilation versus acculturation. The changing of one’s physical appearance to look like the dominant culture is a form of assimilation because that person is try to shed their ties to their Asian heritage instead of acculturation in which they would not totally to replace one culture with the other. We must ask ourselves, what kinds of messages we are sending to young women in the media. Because the majority of the ones we are sending now promote changing oneself to look like an ideal of feminine beauty instead of embracing who you are and where you and/or your ancestors have come from.

Because of the popularity of the procedure among Asians and Asian Americans, plastic surgeons will often specialize in “Asian blepharoplasty” or advertise to target Asians and/or Asian Americans. And advertise the fact that they can create a “natural looking result.” These patients want the result to look like that is how they were born. Other plastic surgeons often promote the procedure by pointing out the “disadvantages” of the single eyelid. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons explains blepharoplasty as a surgery that “improves the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both.” This of course is not specifically speaking about Asians or Asian Americans, however when this definition is thought of in the case of this specific group we begin to see that it is problematic. They are “improving the appearance of their eyelids.” But who says that the “single eyelid” needs to be improved?

photo: http://asianeyelid.com/beforeafterphotos.html

http://asianeyelid.com/

Marilyn, Nguyen. “Asian Blepharoplasty.” Seminars In Plastic Surgery 23.3 (2009): 185-197. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 July 2013.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/19/korea.beauty/index.html

http://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/eyelid-surgery.html

Asian vs. Asian American: What is beauty?

When you hear the word “beauty”, what do you think about? Generally, your mind tends to create an image of what you consider beautiful, or someone who you aspire to look like.

But what if an entire country strives to look like the same type of person? That seems to be the issue in many Asian countries. A lot of people try to follow the imagery of Korean pop stars, or KPop. These stars take some Western ideology and apply it to their looks, without actually taking the complete idea. It is also extremely common for these stars to get surgery to have a “V” shaped face. It seems that to become a Korean pop star, you not only have to have talent, but also be attractive.

Women are not the only people who get plastic surgery. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Asian men who get these types of surgeries done. Many people, especially in Korea, see plastic surgery as a way to show status, and it is not common for up to three generations of women in one family to get and accept plastic surgery. Parents often times will ask not if their daughters will get plastic surgery, but when they decide to do so. Even though Korea is the Asian country with the highest number of plastic surgeries, that does not mean that Asians in other countries ignore plastic surgery. For example, in Thailand, cosmetic surgery is so popular that there are surgery clinics located in malls. All throughout Asia, people believe that plastic surgery is a need, and that they have to get it done eventually.

The goal to look a certain way is pushed so much in Asia, that there are even game shows making fun of girls who haven’t put makeup on, or fake eyelashes. This link shows a video of two Taiwanese girls who are transformed live on a television show. The girls only do one half of their face to show the drastic change from before their transformation, to after. This almost in a way tells other young Asian girls that looking a certain way is unacceptable, and that they need tons of makeup to look beautiful.

It’s not only Asians who live in Asia who have the goal of going under the knife. Asian Americans also often believe that they have to undergo plastic surgery to keep up with Western trends. With role models from Hollywood, and the constant pressure to look like them, many Asian Americans also get plastic surgery. It is more common for Asian Americans to get more plastic surgery done than just eyelid surgery. The pressure to look more Westernized also often leads to nose and breast augmentations.

Whether it be an Asian from Asia, or an Asian in America, it seems certain that plastic surgery and makeup are needed in order to look beautiful. Although they strive to look like different role models, the result still requires them to go through the same types of procedures.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/04/10/150359558/everybody-wants-to-be-a-k-pop-singer

http://www.alternet.org/story/10557/in_the_eye_of_the_beholder%3A_eyelid_surgery_and_young_asian-american_women

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/the-k-pop-plastic-surgery-obsession/276215/

http://www.asianweek.com/2009/08/17/asian-men-lead-in-cosmetic-surgery-increase/

girl group picture from: http://janice-agatha.blogspot.com/2012/07/best-k-pop-girl-group-in-category.html

boy group picture from:  http://saphirya.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/infinite-kpop-ba-as-a-result-band-rose-to-win-when-name-is-385274.jpg

The “All-look-same” Phenomenon

Looking at the image flashing above, many people think that the pictures are of the same girl, just with different hairstyles, jewelry, and outfits. Some may think it’s part of a fashion blog showing a girl’s style changes over the course of 20 days. However, both of those are far from what the flashing image really is.

The above pictures show the 20 young competitors in the Miss Korea 2013 pageant. That’s correct. 20 different individuals. When I first learned about this, I couldn’t believe it. I was completely shocked.

The following YouTube video explains more about the pageant, and has an argument whether they really do look the same or not. It also has images of them without makeup, which shows how different they all look in real life.

Looking more into how it was possible that they all looked nearly identical, I was extremely saddened to learn that South Korea has the highest plastic surgery rate in the world. It almost seems as though to them, you are only beautiful if you look a certain way. Some of the more popular procedures they go through are eyelid surgery to make their eyelids wider, and even go as far as to have their jaws modified to have a more “V” shape. It’s gotten to the point where the surgeons follow the same procedure for all of their patients, giving them all the same look.

However, it is not just the South Koreans who are being mistaken as all looking the same. It is a majority of different types of Asians. Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, and many others are all being confused for being each other. But why are they all confused as each other? Could it be because of the common similarities they all possess that helps other races categorize them? Many Asians have the same skin complexion, smaller eyes, are petite, and tend to be shorter. However, most people do not look past this to see the differences that they all possess that show that they are not the same.

To see the individual cards of the Miss Korea pageant girls, and a picture of all 20 of them next to each other, click this link!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/amyodell/has-plastic-surgery-made-these-20-korean-beauty-pageant-cont

To see if you can tell the difference between different types of Asians, click this link!

http://asianlookalikes.com

picture from: http://gawker.com/plastic-surgery-blamed-for-making-all-miss-korea-contes-480907455

http://www.koreabang.com/2013/stories/miss-korea-2013-contestants-before-after-photos-amuse-netizens.html

Welcome to Beautificasian!

Beautificasian is a critical blog that centers on the standards of beauty in America and Asia and how Asian American and Asian women are undergoing body modifications in order to adhere to the pressures of acculturation and/or assimilation. For the purposes of this blog we will define body modifications as any measures taken to alter one’s appearance which can include things such as plastic surgery, cosmetics, and eyelid tape. Our main focus questions why Asian American and Asian women find the need to alter their bodies simply to “fit in” and what means are they taking to do so. These days, societal expectations pressures Asian American and Asian women to conform to the “white” ideals of beauty (big eyes, double eyelids, high cheek bones, etc). This, in turn, causes many Asian American and Asian women to endure rigorous processes, such as applying a plethora amount of makeup, placing scotch tape on their eyelids and even submitting to plastic surgery, in order to achieve the hegemonic idea that “white” is beautiful.

Our blog as three authors, (see “about” section) all from different cultural backgrounds, this therefore consists of varying opinions and personal experiences from three different female perspectives. For example, a member of our group is guilty of attempting these “body modifications” and has even thought about getting plastic surgery to achieve this “ideal beauty.” As female Americans, we have all experienced the pressures of beautifying oneself in order to live up to society’s expectations. Thus, each of us can relate to this issue and contribute our own personal inputs.