This New Japanese Beauty Trend Will Have You Going WTF
Beauty standards are always changing and even from country to country, they can vary pretty wildly. Here in the US, we admire a bronze-y tan (though we all know by now SPF is a must), while elsewhere, people avoid the sun at all costs. The Taiwanese think that the ideal head size is a ninth the size of your body. Koreans think bags under the eyes look youthful and adorable. We say — to each her own even if the latest trend from Japan has us scratching our heads a little bit.
The newest look that is en vogue in the Harajuku and Lolita cosplay community in Japan is… looking a little ill. Here’s Harajuku girl RinRin modeling the look. The look is dubbed “me no shita chiiku,” which means undereye blush, and is achieved by doing just that — applying pink blush beneath their eyes to give off the appearance of looking flushed with fever.
This look was first popularized by Japanese mag and Harajuku girl bible Ranzuki, and is known as a “byojaku,” which means “sickly face.” The idea behind this trend it is that makes one seem more like a delicate flower or baby doll that needs tender loving care. Interesting.
But perhaps this look isn’t unprecedented after all. This trend looks like might have deeper cultural roots, tapping into Japan’s traditional geisha makeup.
Whichever way you look at it, “beautiful” means different things to different people. #effyourbeautystandards, amirite?
What do you think of this new beauty trend? Tell us in the comments below.
(h/t Huffington Post, photos @rinrindoll + Koichi Kamoshida/Getty + Ranzuki)
