Finally, a post that's been long anticipate: The Ulzzang Beginner’s Guide! If you’ve even the slightest interest in Korean fashion, then you’ve probably heard the term ‘ulzzang’ a million an one times, and you’ve probably asked yourself what is an Ulzzang and how do I become one? Well, look no further, as I’ve put together a ‘concise’ guide on just that!
Step 1: Understand what an ‘Ulzzang’ is and where it came from
Eoljjang (얼짱) more popularly spelt ‘Ulzzang' is a Korean word that literally means 'best face' and comes from the Korean words 얼굴 (eolgul - face) and 짱 (jjang - onomatopoeia of being dazzled.)
When most people hear the world ‘ulzzang’ they think of it as a style, but it’s not! Ulzzang is a title bestowed upon guys and girls who have been recognised - usually via masses on the internet - for possessing the best ‘natural’ appearances, usually also fitting into Korea’s ideals of beauty. Other terms you might hear closely linked to this idea of beautiful faces are ‘flower boys’ and ‘flower girls.’
The word ‘ulzzang’ has been around in the Korean language for decades, but only became popular with the first well-known Ulzzang, Park Tae Jun. Currently 28 years old, his name is still well know amongst the ulzzang community and he is crowned as the man who started the ulzzang trend. Some of you may recognise him from the early seasons of Ulzzang Shidae (Ulzzang Generation) and for his popular Korean clothing brand, ABOKI.
So, how does one win the title of ‘Ulzzang’? Well, the first thing to do is:
Step 2: Learn the characteristics of the look
The number one rule for every Ulzzang to remember, is as follows:
- To be an Ulzzang, you must look as natural as possible
Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean you have to go naked faced (something that can stop even the most popular of Ulzzang in their tracks) but that does mean that make up should be kept to a minimal; you will never see an Ulzzang with extravagant eye make up.
Ulzzang’s are traditionally supposed to fit into the South Korean idea of beauty, including some of the following characteristics:
- A slim, V-shaped jaw - known as the v-line
- Large eyes
- Double eyelids
- A small face
- Pale, clear skin; and
- A glowing complexion
Now, don’t worry too much if you’re looking at this list and wondering what you’re going to do about your square jaw and tanned skin, a lot of this is outdated and also comes naturally and/or simply doesn’t apply to foreigners, after all Korea’s beauty standards are for Koreans. Plus, as the years have gone by, people have found ways to create the illusion of having these features without going under the surgical knife, which leads us on to:
Step 3: Learn the basics - hair, make-up and skincare
Skincare: The most basic, but often overlooked aspect of being a Ulzzang is skincare! What most people who want to be an Ulzzang don’t realise is that having a good base to work from makes the entire process a whole lot easier, if you have clear skin then you won’t need as much make up which in turn means your skin won’t get messed up.
Although unpopular outside of Korea, in Korea most Ulzzang still take very close care of their skin, especially as nowadays ‘naked face’ pictures are becoming more and more requested from Ulzzang, to see if they really are ‘ulzzang’ under all that make up.
Make-up: Once you’ve put together a good skin care routine, the next thing you need to look into is make-up. This is where every Ulzzang’s first love comes in: BB Cream.
Originally only available in Korea and China, BB Cream’s popularity bloomed in recent years and now there are all different types available all over the world. You can get BB creams that work as moisturiser, foundation, cover up and even all three. Some have even been packed with anti-ageing ingredients and skin whiteners. Whichever BB cream you chose is up to you, just make sure it gives you a glowing complexion.
After their first love, comes every Ulzzang’s first lover: circle lenses. Big eyes are still a huge part of Korea’s beauty standards and arguably the most key feature to being considered an Ulzzang. Circle lenses are known for their ability to make eyes look bigger, hence why they are loved so much, but they are not compulsory, especially for foreigners as many have larger eyes than most Korean/Asian people.
Similarly, you may hear about ‘double eyelids' which are shown in the picture above. But fear not, if you are not of Asian decent, than it is most probable that you already have double eyelids. Double eyelids refer to the crease that forms in your eyelid when your eyes are open, most Asian people are said to have single eyelids, ie, they have no crease; for some this can make their eyes look small, but this does not apply to everyone. If you do however want double eyelids, they can be easily achieved with eyelid tapes and glues, usually available on any good Asian fashion/cosmetic website. Actually, some foreign Ulzzang are even trying to recreate the single eyelid look nowadays too.
Continuing the topic of eyes, its become popular for people to try and achieve the ‘extended eye' or 'snake eye' look by using a combination of eye-liner and subtle eye-shadow to extend the eyes at the sides, making them look even bigger. But this arguably takes away from the 'elegant' look that most Ulzzang want to achieve so it's up to your personal taste.
Hair: Most of the rules on hair are now quite outdated amongst Korean Ulzzang; with the boom in the popularity of Kpop making people want to try out more radical hair styles and colours. But your hair can be very handy in helping to create that perfect v-line jaw, especially on girls, having hair that shapes your face can be extremely helpful. You can easily get inspiration by looking up popular Ulzzang.
Step 4: Create your ulzzang name + persona
This step is optional as some of you may not be craving the fame and recognition that many Ulzzang do, and simple like the look, but for those of you that do, you might want to consider making an ulzzang name and/or persona.
Don’t worry too much about being called ‘fake’, the whole point of putting on make up and dressing yourself in the morning is to create your ideal self, along the way you’re bound to come across people who will try to put you down, as long as you’re not a total b**** then there’s nothing wrong with changing yourself a bit to make you feel more comfortable.
Step 5: Your camera is your best friends - take a bunch of selcas
Selcas (“self cameras,” the Korean equivalent of selfies) are the pride and joy of all Ulzzang, you can take them everywhere and anywhere and whenever you want too. You’ve got yourself all dress up and made yourself look gorgeous, so why not document it?
There’s an art in taking selcas too, the angle that you hold the camera can add to the illusion of a slim jaw and large eyes, and its not always easy to get right. Don’t worry if your photos taken to good photos ratio starts out as 100:1 (a popular term in Korea,) practise makes perfect and soon you’ll be taking quick selcas while you wait in line at McDs.
When pictures are mentioned, there is one topic that sends chills down some people’s spines: Photoshop. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinions on this, and I have mine to, but here is the general idea shared by most Ulzzang:
It’s okay to lightened or change colours in your pictures or add nice effects and stickers, but it is generally looked down upon to shop any part of yourself past removing a spot or adding in circle lenses because you can’t afford to buy any just yet. And, if you do decide to shop yourself in your pictures, then be real about it; you’ll receive a lot more respect for honestly saying ‘yeah, I put on a bit of weight so I cropped it out’ then lying and saying you’re 100% natural. Likewise for putting on make up, don’t tag your fully done face as #NakedFace or #BareFace if it isn’t - it defeats the whole purpose of being an Ulzzang, it’ll give you a bad reputation in the community which are hard VERY to live down and not to mention, its usually painfully obvious.
Step 6: Join communities and get feedback to perfect your look
Now you think you’ve perfected your look and you’ve got some nice pictures, join a community and share them! Get feedback, tips and critique from other aspiring Ulzzang, as well as compliments! It may be scary but remember everyone was where you are at one point, so don’t be shy! There are literally dozens of ulzzang pages on facebook now, some even specific to race and language for more specific help.
Someone might have faced a problem makeup or hair wise that you are still currently facing and be able to help you out. Others will provide you with tips and resources like cheap sites to get circle lenses and youtube tutorials on popular Ulzzang trends like the bit lip look and aegyo sal. This will help you to perfect your look and may even be where your reputation begins.
Step 7: Publicise yourself
The only way to become an ‘official’ Ulzzang is when you become known, make your face known by posting pictures on lots of websites and communities. One way to know if you’re doing well is to enter loads of Facebook Ulzzang competitions and open up your own Facebook page/blog; votes, likes and followers mean you have a following which means you’re doing something right.
Soon you’ll form a reputation for yourself, but like I said before, be honest about your pictures and don’t stress about your haters. Nowadays, there are Ulzzangs known throughout the foreign Ulzzang community such as Lee Jaeshin, Vivi Miekayo and recent raising star Shiari Mikazuki. But amongst these three along there are some different examples, dare I say, one of these has a very sour reputation in the community for excessive Photoshop-ing and having bad personality, so take it as as lesson and don’t let that become you.
Ulzzang who become recognised might even get offered sponsorships and modelling contracts, Park Tae Jun even featured in a music video (RAM ft Suho - I Might Die Like This) and even Ulzzang Shidae has had foreign Ulzzang on their show before! Korean Ulzzang are also known for starting their own clothing brands and Park Tae Jun’s ABOKI only hires Ulzzang as models.
So if modelling is something you’re interested in, aim high! Others who don’t get into modelling tend to go into other things like making their own Youtube channels and branching out into other more elaborate make up styles, a common one being recreating looks from kpop idols in MVs and photo shoots.
Step 8: Add in a fierce wardrobe
Another avenue you may become interested in is being a ‘momjjang’ (momzzang) the fashion and health based counterpart of being an Ulzzang. Momzzangs are known for their fit, slim and in shape bodies as well as their unique clothing styles, a popular example being Kahi, ex-member of Kpop group After School, who was recognised for her well toned body.
Although most people do stick to the clean and elegant look of Korea fashion, there are no limits here, you can wear goth, pastels, punk, lolita - any type of clothing you want, as long as you keep your face within the ulzzang guidelines, you can still be considered an Ulzzang.
Now, that you’re looking perfect from head to toe, that brings us to our last step:
Step 9: Keep going!
No matter you reason for wanting to be an Ulzzang, whether it be fame and fortune or simple curiosity, what’s important is that you enjoy yourself and continue to grow in the style that you love. Continue to build your confidence, take more pictures and fall deeper in love with yourself!
—
Well, that’s the end of my ‘concise’ *cough* guide on how to be an Ulzzang I included everything I thought to be of importance, but if you do have questions then please, by all means, message me and I will do my best to find an answer for you. I hope you have fun along your ulzzang journey!
Stay beautiful, stay handsome and stay jjang!
No comments:
Post a Comment