Koreatown, Los Angeles.
It’s become a hotspot for young, working
professionals and a foodie mecca.
But, I’m here in search of something else;
An intimate look at beauty.
Growing up in Los Angeles, it’s hard to
imagine that any other part of the world
can be as obsessed with beauty and youth as we
are.
Enter South Korea, where the emphasis on good
looks is at the epicenter of society.
I’m about to discover three very different
approaches to Korean beauty.
[Allison] Hi!
It’s so nice to finally meet you!
[Diana] Nice to meet you too.
[Allison] Diana Ryu is a Korean American whose
love of skincare brought her back to her Korean roots
[Diana] When I went to Korea I was so blown
away just on a personal and philosophical
level of this is my culture and I like really fell
in love with it that
I started exploring more and in that was
introduced to the beauty.
[Diana] With Korean culture being so popular,
there’s a lot of Korean brands that have
set up shop here
[Yeah] [Diana] And so, it’s almost like, you know,
getting a little taste of Korea in America
without having to fly you know [totally] across the world.
[Allison] The popularity of Korean products
in the U.S. has skyrocketed over the past
few years, and for good reason.
Korea has one of the most technologically
advanced beauty industries in the world.
Okay, I can’t help but notice this guy.
[Diana] Yes.
[Allison] This is the Vtox.
[Diana] The Vtox.
[Allison] I mean, it sounds dirty.
[laughs]
[Diana] The V line in Korea is super attractive.
That’s when your face kind of goes to a
point like that.
So, if you see a lot of people in pictures
in Korea, they have their hands like that.
[Allison] Yeah, I’ve seen that.
[Diana] And that’s not because they like
peace or the peace sign, it’s because
they want to make their face have that V line.
[Allison] That’s fascinating.
So, this mask is supposed to help get you
there.
[Diana] It’s supposed to help.
I don’t know if it actually does help.
[Allison] I think that might be genetics at
the end of the day.
The technology boom is relatively new, but
the idea behind taking care of yourself in
order to look good goes back generations.
[Allison] I’m about to meet Diana’s mother
who has a more traditional and holistic approach
to beauty.
Is this mom?
[Diana] This is my mom.
[Allison] Hi, nice to meet you!
What’s your name?
[Haeyeun] Haeyeun
[Allison] Haeyeun
I should take off my shoes, huh.
[Diana] Yes, please!
[Allison] Is that a Korean thing?
[Diana] This is a Korean household yeah
[Allison] What is your mom’s like biggest beauty
tip to you?
[Haeyeun] Eat healthy, and exercise, and peaceful mind.
[Diana] My mom’s very like...she lives a very active lifestyle
[Haeyeun] I like…(in Korean) I really enjoy
going to nature.
[Diana] Yeah
[Allison] Like is there a big difference between
back when you were in Korea, [Yeah] like beauty practices?
How is it different today?
[Diana] I think before it was more about taking
care of your health so that you look beautiful
on the outside, when now you have all of these products that you can slap on your face [Totally] to
try to mimic that.
[Diana] A lot of people in the U.S. don’t
think about spending fifteen to twenty minutes
on their skincare every single day, which
is a total normal thing to do for a Korean
woman.
[Allison] It’s also totally normal for Korean
women to use as many as ten to fifteen skincare
products a day.
But, for some it’s less about skincare and
more about enhancement.
[Cathy] How are you?
[Allison] How are you? I’m good.
Cathy Kim spent her childhood in Seoul, Korea
and move to the states as a teenager.
Okay, I’ve seen these on the internet.
[laughs] These are double sided tape for your eyes.
[Cathy] Yes.
[Allison] Do you use this little tool to,
like-
[Cathy] Yes.
[Jab it in?] So, you have to apply in the inner corner
and make it stay.
Feels really weird.
I’ve tried it a couple times because I’ve
always wanted a double eyelid.
[Allison] Korea has one of the highest rates
of double eyelid surgery in the world.
In fact, one in five women living in Korea
have had the procedure.
How do you feel about the double eyelid surgery?
Is that something you would ever like even consider
doing?
[Cathy] I’ve always wanted to do it and
I think my mind hasn’t changed on it.
I would be…
[Allison] You would do it?
[Cathy] ...yeah, I would do it.
[Allison] While Cathy hasn’t had surgery,
she’s come up with her own way to achieve
the look.
[Cathy] You know how contouring was really
in your face?
I was like, “okay, why can’t I contour
my eyes in a way?”
So, I kind of experimented it, kind of did like
over the eyelid and then a little bit close
to my eyes.
And I kind of found where it looks better.
[Cathy] When I was younger, my parents and
I had a different view.
They basically said I don’t look Korean,
so I look more American.
I didn’t like that.
It’s just more comfortable for me.
I feel like it’s me even though it’s drawn but
[Allison] Yeah, you feel like you.
[Yeah]
While Cathy’s parents may see her love of makeup
as American...
the look that she and her friends
are inspired by is distinctly Korean.
[Allison] K-pop, Korean pop music, has had
a huge influence on culture and beauty in Korea
So, what do you think is like a very signature
K-Pop beauty look?
I think I do have like the K-Pop kind
of makeup on.
Circle lenses.
Circle lenses
[Allison] You’re wearing them right?
I think we all wear it.
[All speaking together]
[Allison] And do you like feel more beautiful when
you have them in?
We look, like, more… I don't know more girly?
It’s more girly, more
dolly… [and cute] more innocent yeah
And very thick eyebrows. [Oh yeah]
[Allison] Okay, tell me about the eyebrows.
You know in America we do
the slanted McDonald’s eyebrows?
[Allison] Oh my god, McDonald’s eyebrows!
[McDonald's eyebrows]
In Korea the thick ones
are in.
Very straight.
I have a lot of steps that I do, from makeup
to eyebrows, to hair.
Curling hair.
[Allison] You look like you have no makeup
on.
Really?
That’s the point.
[All: Ohhhhh] [laughs]
[Allison] Cathy has an especially intimate
connection with the industry.
She writes and produces K-Pop songs like this
one.
[Cathy] (Singing)
[Singing]
[Allison] Looking around Cathy and her friends, I can see how connected they are to Korean
culture, right here in Los Angeles.
[Cathy’s Friends] Cheers!
[Allison] So, whether it’s pushing boundaries
with makeup trends inspired by K-Pop, or embracing
traditional skincare with new products
For these women, attention to beauty is more than
a desire to look and feel good, it’s an
expression of their Korean identity.
