I know, I know! You’ve heard it all : Koreans like pale skin, v-lines, and double eyelids. But from what I’ve seen, most posts out there don't go into much detail, which is what I'll do here. This post is a bit lengthy, but I hope you take the time to read it through, even if it requires a couple days. I will discuss standards for both guys and girls. (And in a later post I’ll also talk about Gangnam Face!)
Thank you very much Iqbal for requesting this post! I’m very flattered that you thought to ask me!
Very quickly before we begin, here are some important things to keep in mind:
• I am talking only about the standard of beauty that Koreans place on other Koreans, and to some degree, on other Asians as well. Towards non-Asian foreigners, the standards are often much, much more lax.
• I unfortunately don’t know as much about guys since I pay much more attention to girls. And by nature, beauty is more complicated for girls than it is for guys.
• Beauty standards and trends change. I am talking about the trends I noticed whilst I was in Korea (2013), give or take a few years.
• I am also talking about the general Korean public and its mainstream taste. This may or may not agree with subculture fashions and tastes.
• Everything here is based on my personal observations and experiences from living in Korea. I like to think I’m a very keen observer, but I of course don’t know everything. Please remember that this disclaimer applies to every single statement I make henceforth!
Hair Color:
♀ Girls: Generally, black is the way to go. Dark brown hair is also common, but black is always safe.
♂ Guys: Same. Of course, trends change, but black is generally good.
Forehead: หน้าผาก
♀ Girls: A round forehead is considered pretty—at least, prettier than a flat forehead or one with a pronounced browbone. Some girls, though I don’t know exactly how many, get fillers and fat injected into their foreheads.
♂ Guys: For guys, the same thing applies except to a much lesser extent. Since they do like a little manliness in their guys, some flatness and/or a mildly protruding brow bone is acceptable, especially if he is handsome overall—take Lee Min Ho, for example.