Are you Beautiful in China (as a Foreigner?)

By Daniella Djiogan

In China, to be beautiful means you have to look a certain way. You have to be thin, have pale white skin and, have very specific facial features such as big eyes, sharp pointy nose, small mouth, v-chin, etc.

So, why does China’s beauty standard seem like a one size fits all? Because society dictates what’s beautiful.

So question is…Can you still be considered beautiful even if you don’t have such features? Yes, Thankfully!

As a foreigner, you don’t have to abide by this society’s beauty rule. Don’t get me wrong, you are still judged, but on a different scale. To be beautiful as a foreigner, you have to appear the way they picture your race or not. What I mean is; if you are white, you have to look a certain way; example like Taylor Swift.

If you look like Melissa McCarthy’s CHARACTER in “Tammy”, who is by the way one of my favorite comedian, then… that’s not what they pictured white as.

If you are a black female, then you shouldn’t be anything close to what they picture black people as; example, having dreadlocks.

Be the complete opposite. I know it’s hard to picture it, but black don’t have a specific standard. The only celebrities they might compare you to is Nicki Minaj or Rihanna both of which they don’t actually consider black, but rather mixed.

Note!!!! As a foreigner, you will also be sexualized because that’s the image portrayed by the media, especially for black women. Again, I’m sorry (I don’t make up the rules, society does!)

Therefore, Word of Advice is; if you want to be beautiful in China, whether as a foreigner or Chinese, Dress up, wear that makeup if you’re facially in-secured, but most importantly, wear that CONFIDENCE like a BOSS cause, you will need it!