The Phenomenon of Ulzzang

Recenty, I found an interesting topic in the internet. It was about ulzzang. Actually, it began with my hobby to search the internet all about Korean things. Then, I found this ulzzang.

Literally, ulzzang means best face. This term refers to boys or girls who have pretty face and upload their own picture to the internet. Many Korean actress and actor became famous because of this. Why I consider ulzzang is an interesting thing is not because I like their face. In the beginning, well, I admit that I liked their face and wanted to have the same face as them. However, then, I found a surprising fact of this ulzzang. They all have heavy make-up that makes them really different with their natural face. In this essay, I limit the thing which will be discussed on ulzzang girl. Until I write this essay, I haven’t found the ulzzang boy also makes up as heavy as the girl.

The ulzzang girls usually come from Asia. They have oriental face with small eyes, small nose, and yellow skin. In Indonesia, this complexion is categorizes as light complexion. This also becomes the favourite because it’s still called white but not too pale like European’s. The lacks of this face are in the eyes and nose. The makeup of ulzzang has the capability to diminish this lack and even nullify it. The main point of this kind of makeup is to give the effect of bigger eyes so they will look like anime girls. Ulzzang girls usually put the contact lens. This lens has bigger diameter than normal eyes. It’s about 14 to 18 millimeters. The next step of this makeup is put the make up around the eyes. They usually use eye liner and eye shadow with the dark colour. Besides that, they put the fake eyelashes. Not only that, an ulzzang also put heavy foundation and face powder. The shading is needed to change their small nose into the sharper one. The makeup has finished. Besides makeup, the ulzzang girls have particular hairstyle. They have straight hair and bangs. The last step that they must do is taking a picture. Usually, they take a picture with higher angle. Camera is above their face. Their eyes are toward the camera. It, again, will point out their bigger-anime look like-eyes. Another characteristic of ulzzang photograph is the lips are very thin and cute. The girls thin their lips and sometimes purse their lips in a cute way.
As I said before, I was fond of this kind of face. I thought they, the ulzzang girls, have the natural beauty and cuteness. I used to see the heavy make up in horrible way such as a heavy and colourful eye shadow, very long fake eyelashes, and a very dark eye liner. It’s why I didn’t realize that the ulzzang girls also have the heavy makeup even heavier than the one which I considered as heavy.
The next thing that happened was I thought they cheated because I felt cheated. They manipulate their face to be called pretty. They wear mask which is actually form by the society. In other words, the society decides the meaning of the beauty. The girls follow this decision and do everything to make the society accept them as pretty girl. However, not every people assume this kind of makeup is good. Based on my searching on the internet, many people show their displeasure of ulzzang. They think the ulzzang girls cheated by wearing mask which is heavy makeup. Not only women, but men also argue like that. I found many comments that questions who said the thin lips and anime look like eyes are pretty. Some men think that they prefer a natural face than an ulzzang face.

Nevertheless, I can’t deny that ulzzang become famous because it has many fans. Ulzzang has become the trend among the Asian teenagers. Starting with the anime fever, the comic artists draw their characters which represent Asian people with big eyes, very thin lips, sharp nose, and long legs. Actually, they are different with the physical fact of Asian people. But then, makeup offers the solution. Since that, many people are vying to become anime. In addition, the Korean wave helps ulzzang becomes trend. Although, there are many issues that state Koreans do plastic surgery to become beautiful, they have particular characteristic of face that is considered as pretty nowadays. They have big and round eyes. Their skin is milky white. People use this to make advantages. They pick the pretty human being, train them, and release them to the public to become society’s idols. Every Asian girl’s eyes look at them and then, the desire to be like them is appeared.

The side which accepts many advantages is the one who see this issue as chance to earn money. The actresses and singers are under the management. They use their beauty to earn money. The company owners use these girls as their advertisement’s model. The sales will rise. Not only that, the instrument of ulzzang such as the big contact lens, eyeliner, and other makeup will be salable. The conclusion is the concept of beauty, nowadays, has become a tool to earning money. The one who is trapped in this concept, actually, has become the victim of trend and money maker for the owners of capital.