Interesting Korean Beauty Trends

Koreans like to look younger than they actually are. They are always striving for the "dong-an" baby face. That doesn't sound uncommon, right...aiming for a more fresh-faced appearance?  Well, Koreans take that goal to another level by playing up their "aegyo-sal", which loosely translates into "cute baby eye fat" and "eye smiles." I prefer the term that I saw in one article: "under eye bulge". 

I guess enhancing your aegyo-sal is supposed to make you look cuter? 

Here is a picture without and with aegyo-sal.  Can you tell the difference?

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Even beauty blogger Sumi Bunny got into the trend.

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Now, just so you know, there is a difference between aegyo-sal and just...eye bags. Confusing since those terms often seem to be used interchangeably.  Don't be accentuating those eye bags, girl!

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Blogger Elle Jess has a crazy easy makeup tutorial in her post here.

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YouTube makeup guru Michelle Phan uses powder in this video tutorial. 

There's also an aegyo-sal tape you can use to lift up your under eye fat.

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And of course, surgery is also an option.  Women get fillers under the eyes to create aegyo-sal.

Hey, don't forget to visit the K-Pop Eye Bag Appreciation Club! Yes, this exists.

Besides having "baby eye fat", another trend contributing to the cutesy look is wearing circle lenses.

Circle lenses are non-corrective, cosmetic lenses that make the appearance of your irises bigger. It results in having eyes that look like they belong to a doe or anime character.

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You have probably seen these lenses on people. However, you probably just thought there was something off about their eyes, and you couldn't quite put your finger on it. 

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Here is a guide to where to shop for these lenses. 

Instead of cat eyes, a Korean trend is to do "puppy eyes".  You line the eyes downward instead of an upward flick to lengthen the eyes for a more wholesome look.  The droopiness effect on the eyes is also supposed to mimic the cute, forlorn expression of a puppy.

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The other day when I went to a concert in NYC, my friend was taking pictures of me.  With the humidity, sweating, and my poor shine-stopping regimen that day, my face looked like an oily mess in the photos.  Then my friend goes, "Well, shiny skin is a trend in Korea! That's good!"

Sure enough, "mul-gwang" is a desired look that involves a dewey, almost wet finish to your face.

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What do you think? Would you try any of these Korean/Asian beauty trends?

I'm sure you guys don't mind me going into the 2012 Japanese silicone bagel head craze. 

That...was a weird one.  You can read more about it here.

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