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.