Choi, E. (2020, January 17) Personal Interview with Demopoulous, A.
Interviewed a journalist that used to write for Popsugar and is currently a style writer at The Daily Beast. Did ask questionnaires but was not a formatted interview so the notes and recordings are in my google drive folder under Interview.
1. What beauty standards do you think exist in Korea?
- buzz word: “I want to look like this person”
Think of k-pop stars. Look very young and young skin, free of blemish, doesn’t look like they’re wearing makeup, duey face, healthy shine
- Brow products in America got popular by copying ones in Korea
- Glass skin
- 10-15 years ago beauty standards in America was matt, no shine, caking makeup on, obvious makeup
- Standard now has shifted to look natural, influenced a lot by K-beauty
- K-pop influenced, men wearing makeup in Korea, much more mainstream
2. How do you think beauty standards can be shown through advertisements?
- She consumed magazines as magazines (vogue, glamour etc)
- Only recently started to realize how much she has to unlearn what those advertisements had taught her how she should look
- Hire a celebrity everyone wants to look like (Perfect look)
- The implicit thing that advertisements are trying to tell us “If I buy this chanel lip balm I will look like Margot Robi”
- Women’s desirability are marketed : You will attract people if you wear this
- Related to romance and finding a partner (goes for our deepest desire of companionship and love)
- “All your dreams will come true”
- Makeup is often sexualized
3. How do you think cosmetic products can affect women negatively?
- Physically, it might hurt your skin
- A pimple, lather concealer over it, make it worse
4. How do you think cosmetic products can affect women in a positive way?
- Makeup could be a form of self-expression
- Feeling good about herself (highschool experience) empowered her, confident
- There is a fine line between confidence boosting and lowering self-esteem when you don’t have makeup on
- Makeup can definitely be a force of good compared to clothes because clothing has size and makeup is one size fits all
- Emotional connection - mom, friends
- Social activity for women (prom, getting ready together)
- If you see someone that looks like you in an ad, good feeling
5. Do you think there is a new trend in the beauty industry?
- Instagram accounts like Estee Laundry
- Sets a community in beauty consumers: marketers can take these into account
- Holding brands accountable > Hopefully brands respond in a positive way
- Calling out on an industry that might fall short
6. What do you think is the purpose of applying makeup?
- Different for everyone but the reason why I apply makeup > ritual now
- Comfort, finding joy in the routine
- Putting on more makeup when going out for confidence
- Really affirming when you look in the mirror and feel good
- Sometimes you look in the mirror and you are unhappy and having something you are proud of is good eyeshadow or lipstick or whatever
- Form of self-expression
- Now go online and see tutorials
7. What do you think can change with the experience Korean women have with makeup?
- Cross-cultural exchange
- Influencers
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