[FEATURE] Ulzzang :: How to Vary Your Style? (by DANI)

:: Picture added by Harmony ::

When it comes to Korean makeup & fashion, you've probably heard people say that it all looks the same, especially the Ulzzang style. That's why recently we've been discussing a lot within our community how we can all expand our styles and create more variation without diverting from the Ulzzang look. Cue DANI, a member of our facebook community, who came along with such a great point, I had to share it with you guys!

Disclaimer: I have received DANI's permission to share her post, and as she doesn't have any public pages, unfortunately I can't give you any links. Everything inside the speech marks (",") is a direct quote from DANI's original post - though I may have formatted slightly (eg, added paragraphs) - everything outside that is my added commentary as indicated ^^ Enjoy~! 

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Ulzzang: How to Vary Your Style (by DANI)

:: Pictured added by Harmony ::

"I remember awhile back seeing a discussion about Ulzzang and the lack of variation of style. Well, I did some research and some thinking, and I believe I have (a bit) of a solution. *Not an end all be all mind you* Bear with me, because this is a bit extensive. 

First things first, I believe it should be observed why Ulzzang style tends to “blend.” For starters, I read this article about Ulzzang and why it is not very varied. I’d suggest you’d give it a read. Basically, the style (as we are considering it a style and not a title for the purpose of this post) is not varied because it’s not supposed to be. Korea places emphasis on conformity, and that includes Ulzzang. 

Now, what does that mean for us? 

Must we stick to this conformity? 

NO! We are allowed to explore the style more. WE ARE FREE! 

...But how so? I shall continue to explain below.

Now that we understand why the style is constrained, and have decided against such constraints, how can we continue to be Ulzzang without going too far outside of the parameters? Well, I believe it all as to do with personal style and how you see it. 

For the most part, we’ve been looking at Ulzzang like it is a fashion, which is more about achieving a certain look. I say to look at it as more of a style, in which you take from the fashion, but incorporate your own self-expression. I’ll rephrase it as such; 

Anyone can where what’s on the mannequin but not everyone dresses it. 

Be the dresser of the mannequin. 

That being said, let’s get started."

:: Change Your Style of Clothing ::

"For one element, I would say clothing is important when establishing a style and being unique. Now we know how Ulzzang clothing looks, and it all kind of looks the same. But fear not! You can add some eccentricity to your look without going too far. I’ve provided examples below. Look at them; they don’t all fit a “traditional” Ulzzang look, but are still Ulzzang none the less. Try to create your own look that is eccentric, but still Ulzzang."

:: Pictures provided in the original post :: 

Harmony's Thoughts: Technically, Ulzzang is just a make-up style, but it is very common for people to associate contemporary (aka mainstream) Korean fashion as 'Ulzzang fashion'. But DANI still makes a great point here; even within the Korean fashion world, alternative fashions do exist, like punk, rock and Hongdae style, so there are lots of styles you can pick from besides the main stream looks. 

You could even incorporate non-Korean styles like kawaii fashion into your outfit while maintaining the 'Korean' feel about it. If you're worried about diverting too far, why not copy a specific feature that you know is trending within Korean fashion, like snapbacks, and incorporate that into your outfit while still adding your own style? Fashion is always changing, and no one said where new trends had to start and stop, so be a trend setter! 

:: Don't Forget Your Hair Too ::

"Another element would be hair. There may not be much variation with make-up, but there certainly is with hair! Whether it’s color or braids, you can do anything as long as it’s cute. The world is your oyster."

:: Pictures provided in the original post :: 

Harmony's Thoughts: One of the questions it makes me saddest to hear is 'Can I wear braids or my natural hair with Ulzzang?' Of course you can! When Ulzzang came around Korea was a LOT more conservative than it is now; remember that post earlier, well that was written over 2 years ago! 

Korea has come a long way in accepting diversity since then and nowadays even Ulzzang themselves have multi-coloured hair and eccentric styles, following fashion trends sent by K-pop idols and the international fashion industry. Different is in, so don't be afraid to stand out and do something different! 

:: Pose For The Camera ::

"Don’t forget about those ever important poses! They can really bring personality to a photo." 

:: Pictures provided in the original post :: 

Harmony's Thoughts: DANI didn't go into this much but I believe she touched on a really important point here, there's more to life than just (^o^)v (peace signs!) Remember that Ulzzang started as, and still is, an online culture and it is very based around pictures. No matter how pretty your face is, it gets boring seeing it from the same angle all the time; pictures that show variation in poses show character and always stand out in a crowd! 

:: Add A Pop of Colour ::

"Lastly, I would say color.  Seriously, it doesn’t have to be black and brown all the time! Don’t be afraid to add some color to your look. As a rule of thumb, I’d say color your hair, eyebrows, lips, blush, and/or eye shadow. Even if it’s subtle, it’s still there." 

:: Pictures provided in the original post :: 

Harmony's Thoughts: YES YES YES!!! I couldn't have said it better myself.. no seriously, I've tried! As someone who really focuses on trying to vary my makeup looks as much as possible, it really speaks to me to see someone else bring it up too. Yes, Ulzzang can be limiting in terms of liner shapes and lash length, but there is so much you can do and such a difference you came make just by switching out a few colours. 

However I do appreciate this can be hard for some people, which is why I've already planned to make this year a year where I show you lots of different coloured Ulzzang makeup, just like the burgundy Ulzzang makeup I did in the past. 

:: So What Now? ::

"Now, how can we all look like this? Simple. JUST DO IT. We are allowed as much versatility as anyone else. Now go out there and conquer like an Ulzzang! (I apologize in advance if you see your face here and didn’t want to. I beg that you let me keep it because you’re beautiful and I need you :’<)

:: Pictures provided in the original post :: 

Well, there it is folks! Hope that helped :) "

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All in all, I think DANI's simplistic explanation and clear visual examples were exactly what the Ulzzang community needed to hear. Every point she made was spot on and even I've picked up on a couple of things I need to work on. I think if we all follow these tips, we can show the world just had diverse and beautiful Ulzzang can be! ^^

Special thanks & appreciation goes out to DANI for letting me post this and for putting the gears in motion to make a change in the Ulzzang community! I'm looking forward to seeing new content for you too~ ;P