This is Nina. She is a mother, wife, and daughter. Last September, Nina was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. After 7 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, the cancer went into remission...
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Over the weekend, my friend Carol posted “before” and “after” photos of herself using the smartphone photo app Cymera. Unlike most western photo editing apps, this Asian app (I’m pretty sure it originated in Korea, since its homepage is hosted by Cyworld) allows you to make numerous beauty edits, many of which are obviously catered for the Asian standards of beauty: large eyes, slim face, and clear, smooth skin, just to name a few.
Everyone — including myself — who commented on the photos said that she looks better in the “before” version. I added that apps like these must have contributed to the increase of ulzzang‘s (the second definition’s the most accurate) in the recent years.
Nonetheless, I was intrigued. I knew that apps like Cymera existed, and that they are quite popular in Asia. (Xiaxue openly admits to using apps like this to “photoshop” herself before posting them online.) However, I had never tried one out for myself. What’s more, Cymera has an English interface and is readily available in the Google Play Store and iTunes!
Here’s my first try at using Cymera. The effects I used were: Big Eyes, Slim (makes your face slimmer), Makeup (false lashes and blush), and Cover Spots (makes your face clearer and smoother).
So apparently, getting a mini-me made of yourself is a thing in Japan. A company in Akihabara called Clone Factory urges women to preserve that special moment in life (e.g., your wedding day) with your own special Jibun-san [自分さん], which roughly translates to "Me." The dolls are modeled after not only your face, but also your makeup, hair, and dress! The dolls, which cost around ¥138,000 each ($1,350 in USD as of this writing), are created by first obtaining a 3D scan of yourself with the help of a few strategically-placed digital cameras. Blogger Danny Choo was able to get a first-hand experience: A computer then creates a rendering of your face, and a 3D printer carves out the head. In Danny's case, he chose to have his head planted...
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Many of us are aware that South Korea has the highest highest rate of cosmetic surgery per capita (according to a 2012 report by the Economist). But just how prevalent is plastic surgery in Korea? And, perhaps more relevant to this discussion, just how homogenous is the standard of beauty in Korea? These questions, along with the argument over the "westernization" of ideal beauty in Korea — and, as a result, the cosmetic surgery procedures that seek these features — were hotly debated when Redditor ShenTheWise posted photos of the 2013 Miss Korea contestants for the world to scrutinize. The photos quickly went viral, and it's easy to see why. Take a look for yourself: The OP adds these comments along with the pictures: 1) You arent racist....
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