High Expectations and the Pursuit of Attainability
Every country has unique beauty and body standards, so let’s look at a country with a globally known cosmetics industry. Although Japan has high beauty and body standards the country itself is trying very hard to make it achievable.
The Challenge of Achieving Japan’s Ideal of Pale, Flawless Skin
Starting with beauty standards, Japanese girls and women are facing complicated challenges, as beauty standards and expectations from girls are high. For example, paler skin is the most popular beauty standard with girls of all ages, unlike in Europe where pale skin usually signals sickness or lack of vitamins, in Japan paler skin is considered clean.
The Japanese Trend of Eyelid Stickers, Colored Lenses, and Glitter
Another beauty standard is making the eyes bigger with the help of an eyelid sticker. On top of that Japanese girls add colorful lenses which make their eyes extraordinary and unique. They also put a lot of sparkly eyeshadows that make it cuter and prettier.
The Perfect Balance of Natural and Cute in Japanese Beauty
The lips should look natural with a bigger lower lip and inconspicuous upper lip, but at the same time, both have to be eye-catching and cute. The beauty standards are not just about the face, although they are very much focused on it.
The Role of Bangs and Hair Color in Japanese Beauty
Hair is also part of these standards, as they are the same as makeup sometimes regulated by school and work rules. The most usual hairstyle for Japanese girls is bangs which are popular among every age group. Japanese women usually have black colored hair but as the trends are moving the world and social media influence everything, girls are getting unusual hair colors and hairstyles.
Evolving Body Standards in Japan
Body standards are already high, and it seems like they are only increasing. Longer, thinner, and paler, that’s the ideal look for everything. Expect the height when tinier girls are considered more cute, another part of the body should follow the standards. Arms, legs, neck, fingers, and torso are expected to be thin and pale. That’s why most of the people in Japan hide their skin from the sun and follow strict diets.
The Shift in Japanese Society
The standards of beauty and appearance in Japanese society, traditionally associated with girls, are now becoming increasingly relevant to boys and men over the last decade. High expectations for appearance are now applying to them as well. Even though the number of men using makeup is currently low, the number of men focusing on their appearance is increasing.
