Asian Makeover Essential Tools (Cont’d)

As promised, this post introduces how asian girls cover up their unwanted “flaws” via various makeup tools and technique, namely tackling these:

* Small iris
* Light eyebrows
* Flat nose
* Large cheek bones

*Circle contact lens (widen the circumference of the iris, hence enhance the size of the eyes, comes with different sizes, colors, and patterns)

*Eyebrow gel/powder (darken and shape the light brows)  

*Nose shadow powder (produce the effect of a higher and narrower nose)

 

* V Shape face serum and bronzer (smaller cheekbones and ultimately achieve face with the shape of ‘V’)

Do you think these makeup tools and tutorials are an alternative to plastic surgery? To what extend do we determine someone with excessive makeup? The amount of cosmetic products used? The time spent on applying makeup? From my point of view, the fine line that separates normal makeup wearing and BDD is the level of obsessiveness and impairment from the dissatisfaction of one’s body.

If “excessive makeup” is accompanied with the following symptoms, chances are high that it is related to BDD:

• obsessively checking your appearance in mirrors or avoiding them completely
• picking your skin to make it smooth
• unnecessary worries of the body
• seeking cosmetic surgery

For severe cases:

• recurrent feelings of shame and guilt
• depression/anxiety
• misuse of alcohol or other drugs
• self-destructive behavior
• suicidal thoughts

Asian Makeover Essential Tools

After addressing the makeup trend in Taiwan, this post features some of the most popular “camouflage” skills in Asia. Generally, girls who are not pleased with their faces name the following oriental “flaws” that they’d like to hide:

* Tiny eyes
* Single eyelid
* Small pupils
* Light eyebrows
* Flat nose
* Large cheek bones

And what are the makeup solutions to these “flaws”?

* Fake eyelashes (comes in different length and density, girls in video piled up 3-4 pairs of lashes to achieve the “big eye effect”)

* Double eyelid glue/sticker (popular in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea)

To be continued … Stay tuned for more essential tools and related BDD cases in the upcoming posts!

Secrets behind Taiwanese Makeup Culture

As my blog covered a lengthy portion of the relationship between BDD and cosmetic surgery, I would like to introduce a milder symptom that is highly common, especially with females, than undergoing the surgical knife – excessive makeup.

Some says that putting on makeup is a way to show one’s manners, especially under the corporate setting. However, what about those who apply makeup so excessively, just to camouflage and hide their imagined “flaws”? How much do we know about the related tools and inventions that put the girls to such obsessive level?

According to the research “The study of body image in people of Taiwan – an exploration of body dysmorphic disorder”(2009), Taiwanese ladies are more prone to have BDD than the gents, as the Chinese culture somewhat values the female with their physical attractiveness and feminine features. The pressure from the society seems to be the strong force behind the growing plastic surgical and makeup trend in Taiwan.

Various Taiwanese variety shows invited girls to compete with their makeup skills. The before/after comparisons are astonishing. Take a look below a slice captured from one of the shows *(Diamond Club):

References:

Wang, Y. H., & Liao, H. C. (2009). The study of body image in people of Taiwan an exploration of body dysmorphic disorder. International Journal of Chinese Culture and Management, 2(1), 73-82.