Beauty In Different Contexts

What is the concept of beauty? It differs from people to people, culture to culture. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Once a person is in love, the loved one will be the most beautiful person in his / her eyes, despite what others may say.

Everyone views beauty differently. To some, an average looker may be pretty; to others he / she may be plain. Some have higher standards of what they define as “beauty” or “pretty”, others may take a plain Jane (or John) as the most beautiful person in the world.

Beauty is also defined differently in different cultures. For instance, in the West, beauty has been typically defined as long and silky light blonde hair, blue eyes, sharp nose, peaches and cream complexion, and an hourglass figure.

But Westerners have more “variety”, as in all look different. Asians are black-hair, yellowish or olive skin, ranging from dark to fair, with black or dark brown pupils. And whether you are Chinese, Malay, Indian or Thai, you more or less look the same.

Whereas for Westerners, there are brunettes, chestnut brown, redheads, blondes, blue eyes, green eyes, hazel eyes, grey eyes, brown eyes.

Plus the many shades of blonde – dark blonde, light blonde, honey blonde, strawberry blonde (is that blonde or red anyway?), ash blonde. What is the difference between all these “colours”?

Not to mention for redheads, there is auburn, carrot (is that red or orange?), and strawberry blonde (again, is that classified as blonde or redhead?). What is the difference? And why the many “colours”?

In the olden Chinese context, a beautiful woman is one that is a bit on the round side (especially with child-bearing hips), single-lidded almond-shaped slit eyes, small rosebud lips and a smooth fair complexion.

But with society getting more and more Westernised, more and more are going for cosmetic surgery just so they can look like their favourite stars from the West. Asian actresses go for double-eyelid surgery to make their eyes look bigger, nose pointier.

Now with advances in makeup, there is even eyelid taping to make the eyes more even (especially in my case, the double eyelids on both sides are taped up to make them more pronounced).

There is also hair colour so we can have any colour we desire. Besides the “normal” colours like blonde, brown or red, there is even green, pink, blue and silver. All to cater to a vain society!

Some of my friends who are born with single eyelids keep lamenting the fact that their eyes are too small (probably echoing the sentiments of their parents). I know some parents actually try to tape their daughter’s eyes to make them bigger.

My maternal grandma used to tell my mum that I should switch features with my youngest brother. I have a naturally tanned complexion, although with years of staying out from the sun, it has become slightly fairer.

My eyes are naturally double eyelids, but the right one is more pronounced than the left, making both my eyes uneven, especially when I smile or pose for the camera, and one eye will then look smaller than the other.

My hair is not too thick, not too think, not too silky as well, and lately it has been prone to split ends perhaps with the colouring and perming job.

My youngest brother, on the other hand, is born with a fair complexion, the type of complexion which will appear very pretty on girls, according to my grandma. Plus, both his eyes are double eyelids and of an even shape, his hair is thick, curly and silky.

My features is what make many people think I am not Chinese, because to many of them, I do not have the typical features of what a Chinese lady should have.

Almost all throughout my life, I have been mistaken for many Asian races like Indonesian, Malay, Filippino, Thai, Vietnamese even. My youngest brother, on the other hand, looks like a typical Chinese.

My guy is the same. Pronounced double eyelids, big eyes, tanned complexion, broad features. On first sight, he may be mistaken for a Malay too!

I grew up not liking the way I look. I always wish I can have more of this features, or more of that features, or having a fairer complexion, figure, etc. When I grew up, I started to be more confident that I cannot change how I look, so I have to just let it be.

For a while, I really believe in inner beauty or beauty being in the eye of the beholder. But despite what everyone claims, physical appearance still plays a part.

My mum herself told me when doing recruitment, if two candidates have everything equal in terms of qualifications, experience, qualities and intelligence, and only one can be chosen, the better-looking one will be picked for the job.

Unfair, I know, but such is life. Life is never fair. And I have learnt that if one is not good-looking, one does not call the shots in many things.