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mayoraaseiLike, whut.
I should stop clicking on stuff that screams "I'm gonna piss you off" from miles away.
I have double-lidded eyes (in fact I think they're triple lidded now, so HAH) but my eyes look distinctly Asian. GETTING DOUBLE LIDS IS NOT ABOUT LOOKING CAUCASIAN *FACEPALM* While I don't actually agree with surgery for double lids as I think single-lidded eyes are cute in their own way, the reason why people get it is that it's a fairly small and safe procedures that can open up their eyes dramatically (depending on original eye shape). Again, it's not about looking Caucasian; larger eyes just tend to make people look more awake and energetic.
There are three main descriptors for beautiful eyes in Chinese literature: "phoenix eyes" (丹鳳眼), "peach flower eyes" (桃花眼) and "almond eyes" (杏眼). People often mistake "phoenix eyes" to refer to single-lidded eyes but apparently it only refers to the fact that the eyes have a slight upward sweep at its tail. "Phoenix eyes" are used without (much) discrimination to describe eyes in men and women, as one of the most famous generals in one of the most famous Chinese classic novels (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) was known for his "phoenix eyes".
"Peach flower eyes" are practically the synonym for "sexy" in Chinese. It is supposed to look like "peach flowers" when not smiling, with a greater curvature of the upper lid and a deeper set of the inner corner of the eye. What it's known for, however, is that when smiling it becomes beautiful moon-shaped crescents that combined with sparkling eyes is supposed to take men's breaths away.
Finally "almond eyes" is a descriptor commonly associated with pretty girls and refers directly to large playful eyes, round and dark like almonds. The Chinese, like many other cultures, believed large eyes to be more expressive and innocent, and this is something that's existed for centuries.
As far as the high-bridged nose is concerned, a lot of the northern Asians have high nosebridges. In fact the other reason for these to be desired is that in Chinese face-reading, well-defined noses are supposed to increase money and fortunes in a man (and in a woman it helps the husband increase his fortunes ==;;;), so there may be more than just beauty at stake here.
And finally white skin. I don't know why people automatically assume wanting paler skin means wanting to be Caucasian. The Chinese ideal is an unblemished snowy white, which is not exactly the same shade as most Caucasian skins anyway.
If anything, the rest of the Asian ideals are far from Caucasian-like and which the article cleverly omitted - small "watermelon-seed" shaped face, thin curved "willow-like" brows, small cherry lips, small delicate bone structures and physique...which is probably why Asia as a whole is so much more obsessed with slimness than western countries.
Seriously I get so annoyed when my Chinese friends/relatives laugh at girls walking on the streets who look perfectly healthy weight for being fat...and I'm not talking healthy "BMI 24" type sizes, I'm talking normal size 10-12's (in America that's size 6-8) being considered fat. It's ridiculous.
I should stop clicking on stuff that screams "I'm gonna piss you off" from miles away.
I have double-lidded eyes (in fact I think they're triple lidded now, so HAH) but my eyes look distinctly Asian. GETTING DOUBLE LIDS IS NOT ABOUT LOOKING CAUCASIAN *FACEPALM* While I don't actually agree with surgery for double lids as I think single-lidded eyes are cute in their own way, the reason why people get it is that it's a fairly small and safe procedures that can open up their eyes dramatically (depending on original eye shape). Again, it's not about looking Caucasian; larger eyes just tend to make people look more awake and energetic.
There are three main descriptors for beautiful eyes in Chinese literature: "phoenix eyes" (丹鳳眼), "peach flower eyes" (桃花眼) and "almond eyes" (杏眼). People often mistake "phoenix eyes" to refer to single-lidded eyes but apparently it only refers to the fact that the eyes have a slight upward sweep at its tail. "Phoenix eyes" are used without (much) discrimination to describe eyes in men and women, as one of the most famous generals in one of the most famous Chinese classic novels (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) was known for his "phoenix eyes".
"Peach flower eyes" are practically the synonym for "sexy" in Chinese. It is supposed to look like "peach flowers" when not smiling, with a greater curvature of the upper lid and a deeper set of the inner corner of the eye. What it's known for, however, is that when smiling it becomes beautiful moon-shaped crescents that combined with sparkling eyes is supposed to take men's breaths away.
Finally "almond eyes" is a descriptor commonly associated with pretty girls and refers directly to large playful eyes, round and dark like almonds. The Chinese, like many other cultures, believed large eyes to be more expressive and innocent, and this is something that's existed for centuries.
As far as the high-bridged nose is concerned, a lot of the northern Asians have high nosebridges. In fact the other reason for these to be desired is that in Chinese face-reading, well-defined noses are supposed to increase money and fortunes in a man (and in a woman it helps the husband increase his fortunes ==;;;), so there may be more than just beauty at stake here.
And finally white skin. I don't know why people automatically assume wanting paler skin means wanting to be Caucasian. The Chinese ideal is an unblemished snowy white, which is not exactly the same shade as most Caucasian skins anyway.
If anything, the rest of the Asian ideals are far from Caucasian-like and which the article cleverly omitted - small "watermelon-seed" shaped face, thin curved "willow-like" brows, small cherry lips, small delicate bone structures and physique...which is probably why Asia as a whole is so much more obsessed with slimness than western countries.
Seriously I get so annoyed when my Chinese friends/relatives laugh at girls walking on the streets who look perfectly healthy weight for being fat...and I'm not talking healthy "BMI 24" type sizes, I'm talking normal size 10-12's (in America that's size 6-8) being considered fat. It's ridiculous.
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no subject
Date: 2011-09-05 06:33 am (UTC)The Chinese ideal is an unblemished snowy white, which is not exactly the same shade as most Caucasian skins anyway.
I never understood this either lol. :/ Most Americans just want to be the center of the world.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-05 06:53 am (UTC)Hah, Americans *cue eyeroll*
no subject
Date: 2014-01-28 11:27 pm (UTC)