JAPANESE GIRLS WITH BIG EYES: PURIKURA STICKER PHOTO MACHINES. FAKE EYELASHES & CIRCLE CONTACTS, JAPAN MAKEUP TECHNIQUES FOR LARGER EYES.
What’s big in Japan? Big female eyes.
Purikura (sticker photo) machines have special features to magnify your eyes, making them as large and anime-like as possible.
The enlarged eyes can be more frightening than cute!
Makeup, thick layers of false eyelashes, and circle contacts (which make the irises larger and darker) also create the giant-eyed effect.
Pale skin and humongous eyes are the beauty ideal for most Japanese women. To get the look, some will even resort to eyelid surgery.
Why do you think this is? Signs of purity and youthfulness? The influence of anime/manga depictions of girls?
The cosmetics industry is thriving on skin-whitening and eye-enlarging products. Gyaru false eyelashes are found in many stores.
Big, double-eyelids with heavy lashes peer out from advertisements all over Tokyo.
Color and circle contacts are very popular at Don Quijote.
Even Hello Kitty is batting her eyes!
What are your thoughts on beauty ideals in Japan? Where does the giant-eyed trend come from? Do some women take it too far?
PS: Tonight, tonight! Come see La Carmina and Sebastiano Serafini hosting an LA anime striptease in skimpy cosplay outfits. Full info here.
Japanese Word of the Day: Shirami = Louse, bug, parasite
Song of the Day: AKB48 – I Want You (suggested by Sebastiano)
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I’d say defintiely the influence of anime/manga. But, I guess how this generation is almost reluctant to grow up has an effect. I’ve never thought about it that way.
Definitely lots of manga/anime influences… taken to the extreme.
I think they’re going to far. People get surgery, or double eyelid glue… It’s just not right!
Also, the ‘pop’ magazines are filled with surgery to lose weight, exercise and diet pills. The last 20/30 pages are just frighting. Girls that are below 40kilo! … That’s just not healthy. But I could say the same for Europe. There are ads of woman who are photoshopped all over, and models you can count their bones, and layers of make up.
It’s just not real. It’s all going to get superficial and totally fake.
That’s the reason I don’t wear make up.
the other day, I did a shoot and the photographer said, there probably hasn’t been a non-edited photo in a magazine in 25 years… so true..
There is nothing wrong with basic editing, like sharpen the photo a bit, or get the right skin tone down, but really, the rest.. way too much!
I guess it would be some kind of anime/western influence. Maybe the pale skin thing is something with deeper roots, but as for the eyes, that would be my take too. Or in general, the influence of Photoshop XD
Now that everyone has Photoshop, the pressure to modify things has increased, I think…
Anime. The original Japanese Little Mermaid. I was born with huge eyes and pale skin. Lucky. I want to get those contacts. How?
search circle lenses on google :) you’ll find a ton of sites
Japanese “circle lens contacts” are sold online but have some controversy about safety… hope to see you in NYC in March!
I think it’s because of anime/manga an cause they wanna look like dolls or young children. But everything over 16.00 (lenses) reminds me of the Crocodile engineer from Tokyo Gore Police.
Cool but not cute or sweet or anything in this way.
Operations or even this glue thing for eyelids is a little bit too much IMO. But if they are happy with it, why not?
ADD: Asian eyes are so beautiful … I still dont get it why they wanna change …
I think the obsession with huge eyes is relatively recent; my parents’ generation didn’t have the same messages around them…
It’s the same for my grandparents’ generation.
In addition to the media notion that big eyes are better, like I stated a few days ago, a lot of Japanese guys fantasize about Western women. Even my friend Henry, who is Chinese, says he only likes white girls because they’re “more doll-like.” People can agree or disagree, but some (not all) asian men seriously put down asian women’s appearances and treat us like we’re substandard. Unlike the “bitter asian man” that is very vocal about his displeasure of losing all the asian girls to white guys, an asian woman takes a more proactive approach.
That’s why the average American is very well aware that asian women love American men and vice versa, but isn’t so much aware that Japanese men love Western women. They only know that Japanese and Korean girls like plastic surgery because these women don’t often complain publicly about it. They just think they need to change.
It creeps up all the time, I feel… even when people don’t intentionally want to make these comments or cause hurt, it happens >_<
Well I’d like to have just a bit huger eyes but just a bit. Plus these kind of tecnics are not the best to me. Why? Simple: I love my natural blue/green/grey eyes so contacs to make them bigger will only kill my natural colour. I love wearing glasses so fake eyelashes + glasses is stupid. THis is just my POV.
Why people do that. I dunno, but I think it’s simple that it seems. I have soft curly hair. I love it as straigh as possible. My hair is between natural auburn and light brown I want it dark brown.
So the answer seems easy, everyone wants the things they don’t have, so some of them will go as far as possible to be as close as they’ll be able to their ideal beauty concept and is this case is impossible huge eyes. Why, maybe because of manga and anime and how expressive those eyes can look, maybe because of fashion (perhaps one day japanese girls will want their natural eyes again).
sorry for this long post…
xoxo
It’s SO true. Everyone wants what they don’t have. Certain gorgeous nameless friends of mine wish they could change things that are simply crazy… most people would kill to have their features!
I really love how they do their eye makeup. When I was in Japan I wanted to have eyes like all those pretty models, so I bought eyelashes and all that other stuff to make them look pretty. I just think it’s so cute ^^
It’s true, I love to do big eye makeup myself, as you all know ;D
I think this is a bit of “what you don’t have is what you want” syndrome. In Europe, girls with oriental eyes form and specially the hair is really really researched! Here is really popular the Japanese Hair Straightening to try to have so sliky hair like japanese girls for example. I guess that’s where it came from, to be/have what you don’t. .
I must say that those contact lens that make your eyes look bigger are amazing! I use the KiraKira ones myself :3 Gives you a very very innocent look, all my friends tell me when I wear them that I have puppy eyes! To be honest, I don’t know why I like it that much, but I do! In Spain we always say “Your eyes are a reflection of your soul” maybe… that’s why!
It’s funny how the contacts can make a big change in appearance. Something so small can have a big effect.
Pale skin implies that you’re wealthy enough to not have to work in the sun. I’m not sure about the big eye obsession. It may be because having a “wa wa lian” (Chinese for “doll face”) makes you look youthful. It’s crazy how far Asian women will go to make their eyes look bigger. My mom was telling me how she would use scotch tape to create the double eyelid effect, and she even encouraged me to get the surgery! It’s so common in Asian that they don’t think twice, but people here are appalled at the idea.
As much as I think big eyes are cute, I refuse to get surgery. Now I don’t even use the double eyelid tape I bought or pluck my eyebrows (which my friends have said will “open up [my] eyes”) because I want everybody to know that I am fine with what I have. I’d rather spend the money on correcting my vision. ^^
It’s crazy how eyelid surgery has become a ‘requirement’ in certain circles… I know people who regret getting it because it didn’t make much of a difference and caused a lot of pain and complications. I’m personally wary of getting any procedures done since they can go so wrong..
I think it is the influence of anime being such a big part of japanese culture. If thats not it, i’m not sure where it comes from, but it’s amazing. Creatures with big eyes are cuter — it’s a fact… and this also applies to humans! The bigger the eyes, the cuter they are.. this is why asain girls with big eyes are pretty much always adorable. Also, in my opinion, the paler the skin, the more vampiric you look and thus … the sexier you look. This look, looks great on non asian women to. In sum. I love pale women with large eyes :3.
Kawaii = big eyes, for certain…
Aha. As an asian girl with a natural double eyelid, I was actually envious of people with the single eyelid. To me, it looked a lot more beautiful and elegant. So it was surprising to hear that people go through surgery and spend money on what I was born with.
With that said, I’m going to bet my money on the “you want what you don’t have” syndrome with anime reflecting that. It’s believed that the distinct big-eyed style of anime was influenced by Disney and Betty Boop.
Hahah funny! Grass is always greener…
Yeahh. I’ve grown to love how I look now.
Partially because I find it oddly fun to find ways to make big changes that are easily reversible and also because I’m deathly afraid of surgeries. My policy is that unless it’s going to save my life, I’m not going anywhere near a scalpel!
better safe than sorry!
It’s the fact that people want what they can’t have and maybe it’s influenced by how big anime is in Japanese pop culture. I’ve seen the glues and other tools at local Asian markets which I find a little extreme. I’ve also seen a television segment on this and I think the woman said that she found the women with big eyes to be more beautiful. But the surgery is also extreme. But it’s their choice.
My mom and I have talked about this before and she even finds this to be a little extreme. I couldn’t think about doing this on a daily basis. Why? I love what I have and even though I would love to have light colored eyes, I’ve started thinking about how many colors bring out my brown eyes and I’ve embraced them. I love my hair now too because I don’t need to curl it. And the money I would spend on these lenses could be used to change my hair or doing other things. I see things like this in the magazines. These models and actors scare me now; they weigh under 100 pounds and that’s not healthy. And I see women in these ads which overuse photoshop.
Plus, I think the Japanese girls can be beautiful with their natural beauty. Maybe one day they’ll want to embrace their natural beauty.
I think historically, people always want to alter their appearances, ornament themselves… unnatural becomes the natural, especially now.
You make a good point.
Maybe they want to look like us Mediterranean people with big eyes! :D xxxxx
its only the program that makes the eyes TOO big. i think big eyes are popular because of manga and anime and childish looking with big eyes. its cute :D which girl dont like to get compliments because of her eyes!? so they try to highlight them ♥
Ive heard its popular in japan because some of them think big eyes look more “western” which they think is pretty.
wow awesome purikura! wanna try it if there’s any in Msia XD
I’ve even seen eyelid tape popping up in Little Tokyo, LA. I’ve been told its because they want the “western eye” look. Perhaps its exotic to them like the asian almond shape is to us? Generally speaking of course.
Certainly, traits that are less common in populations are coveted more, since they’re rare I suppose…
my eyes, could never be big enough, one day ill have enough money for surgery!!! :o
I think it’s very much a craze for a Dolly-bird look. Fashion supermodel Twiggy, in the 1960s, had much the same wide-eyed, innocent little-girl look and makeup. But she had most of the 1960s hippy and space-age look, while the current Tokyo girl-kei is more feminine.
Twiggy was insanely skinny too…
Been wondering bout this… Purikura machines completely useless now
hehe cool
Most of what they do on a regular basis probably isn’t necessary, but they’re lead to believe that their natural selves are not good enough by both standards of men and other women as well as by the consumer economy. I cosplay, so I cannot say that completely botching up one’s appearance with makeup and attachments isn’t fun, but daily practice becomes exhausting and expensive.
If it is something that the average person cannot figure out what the motivator is, the answer is usually for the sake of finding love (or maybe attention for some). It’s something everyone subconsciously seeks, so girls (sometimes guys) will go out of their way to make themselves more attractive or what they’re told is attractive by the media. Generally the youth can only interpret meanings to a certain depth and assume botching up the appearance is the first thing to do. Sometimes it works, so people continue to do it.
That’s true. I cosplay as well and think it’s fun for conventions and Halloween but on a daily basis, it’s tiring and a little too expensive.
Nicely said… :)
I think big eyes are gorgous but actualy having cosmetic surgery is a bit too far. Well I naturally have big eyes so maybe to another person it itsn’t too bad.
I don’t really think media isn’t the one too blame (but they do influence peoples percpective of what is attractive), usually people just want to be more beautifull. There are many reasons why and some of them could be to boost their self esteem, attention, peer pressure ect.
But some people should realise imperfections sometimes make us more beautifull than perfection!
I personally love quirks that make people’s features unique!
Those eyes kind of scare me, but at the same time if a girl like that were to ask me to out somewhere or kiss her I’d probably agree. lol
hahah!
idk i think it’s ok if someone wants double eyelid surgery. It’s really minor if you think about it. But I love circle lenses and false lashes~ large eyes and pale skin are the best indeed muahahahaha!! Fortunately i have these features naturally. I don’t think the large eyes are scary… I actually think they’re kind of cool…
The pale skin and large eyes are common standards in idealistic beauty all around Asia. Some actually look better with monolids than double lids. I think circle lenses on a daily basis are okay but to do false lashes and heavy eye makeup to make the eyes look bigger EVERY DAY is a little excessive and kind of expensive too. It seems a little too time consuming. There is mascara that you can use to make your lashes look longer and I KNOW Japanese mascaras are very keen on things like that.
bigger, larger, crazier…
Oh boy oh boy…I come back from vacation and I see one of the biggest issues under discussion. But it looks like most other people did a good job in explaining it.
I don’t believe we can pinpoint the cause of the “big eye trend” to just “one major source” such as anime, manga, television, and so on…but the easy, general answer would be: THE MEDIA.
Of course before we go into depth, we should understand that this just does not apply only to Japanese girls…it happens in Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and many of the economically developed cities/states/countries in Asia.
The main issue here isn’t much different from what is going on in many other countries. We all “want” to have “the look.”
“How does Jessica Alba get her hair to be like that?” “What kind of makeup was Angelina Jolie wearing the other night” After these questions are asked, there are roughly 80 Ivy League Business Graduates just smiling their asses off and immediately running “the ad” for “the look.”
“Ever wonder how YOU..THAT’S RIGHT…YOU can get your HAIR to look JUST LIKE HER’S! Well…call now and we’ll give you a free….blah blah blah 15 mins later…you END up paying $140. You ask your fiancé, husband, sex partner (yes sadly…our generation has gone this low)…”How do I look?”
The men give their word: “Great!”
The women only grin in disappointment because she knows she’ll never…EVER…be like HER. The men get confused and can only wonder what they did wrong. But rather they should only be smiling, BECAUSE IF YOU LOVE HER YOU DON’T WANT HER TO BE ANOTHER PERSON OR TRY TO BE ANOTHER PERSON.
Now going back to the Asians. Let me tell you…I can’t differentiate any of the girls in looks anymore. Everyone I’ve seen (meaning the immigrants from Japan/Korea/Taiwan) have roughly the same look. Their hairstyles are near matching. Dyed hair…check! Big eyes…check! Pale skin…check!
“YAY I CAN SO BE THE 10th MEMBER OF SNSD”
“YAY I CAN SO BE THE 5th MEMBER OF KARA”
“YAY I CAN SO BE THE 5th MEMBER OF 2NE1”
“YAY I CAN TRULY BE A HOST FOR “INVINCIBLE YOUTH”
“HURRAH…I’LL SO BE THE NEXT MICHELLE PHAM!!!!”
“I…AM OFFICIALLY AN IDOL”
Are you sure you should be celebrating? Because I can assure you there would be 15 girls I see walking around my college tomorrow who can also be that “member” or that “celebrity” or that “IDOL” visually speaking…(or maybe fully speaking since I honestly don’t find much talent in those groups, but that’s just me).
So if I do have a message…BE YOURSELF. DON’T TRY AND BE WHAT THE MEDIA PORTRAYS WHAT GIRLS SHOULD BE. However here’s the thing…if you feel good that you have big eyes, GREAT! If you feel good that you have pale skin…hey fantastic! If you feel great that you have “THE HAIR”, fantastic.
BUT I GUARANTEE YOU…you won’t feel great when Mr. Shadowpal2 comes walking around and not see the difference between you and the other girl that passed by. Ok…actually maybe you won’t give a damn what Shadowpal2 thinks…LMAO ^_^ – but for the guy, or the “group” you’re trying to “impress” …you’ll just be another Asian girl.
Please…show character! Show yourself! That’s why I love this fashion blog, because it shows people being themselves and original ideas.
Now I sort of touched on what I view on the female side of things…but there’s a whole lot that goes on in the male side. But that’s a discussion for another time…and the whole idea of the male wanting to be “the guy” and the female want to be “the girl” is an even bigger thing which someone could write a book about.
I think I’ll listen to some Bjork now…gosh I love her songs!
We’ve been talking a lot about idols and public image lately. I personally am more interested in the real, “flawed” human being, not the image that’s scrubbed clean and perfectly calibrated… and of course, talent is the lowest requirement on the list >_<
Couldn’t agree more…I guess the “real, flawed” human being is something we can only see in ourselves or our close friends – it’s something we all go through v.v
Oh and I noticed you have an AKB48 song today haha…I enjoy listening to them occasionally.
It’s crazy but that’s beauty and fashion for you! I always thought they were trying to look more “white” whith their pale skin and round eyes but I never thought of the manga influences. I’m fine with and understand the big lashes, round contacts and the tape but eyelid surgery pretty extreme. But hey, we white ladies get out boobs made huge, cut down our noses and and get (god forbid) labia plasty so I guess it’s no extreme than plastic surgery anywhere else in the world.
Eeek, labia plasty! >_< Have you seen the Jessica Simpson travel show, The price of beauty? Such extremes taken all over the world.
sigh People are so blind its the same thing that starts any trend minor or main scale someone popular does it Think about it in school everyone wanted to look like the popular girl who usually took her clothing ideas from the popular bands at the time dosent mater were you live fitting in have become a must for any social environment
lovely! nice!
Ray Ban Sunglasses
* o *
Where can I go to get the lashes (Dolly wink, ect.) around the Nakano area?
The lashes are found everywhere – Don Quixote, various cosmetic stores all around Tokyo. You won’t have trouble finding them! In Shinjuku, they’re right inside Studio Alta and in the cosmetics store in Shinjuku Subnade.
i don’t really mind about those who do extreme make up. but i think it’s scary to have surgery, i mean, it’s SURGERY.. having your body cut and slice for the sake of beauty… (but i think i don’t really mind if its liposuction..LOL). i’d once watched this chinese girl i think, sort of gluing their eyelids to get double eyelids. OK, THAT is scary.
but overall, i think all those make ups, contact lenses, are all wonderful. It’s fun to have yourselves looks different. it’s hard to make it as a regular thing to do, but if one’s seriously had that urge to do it, it’s just fine for them.
OMG…i seriously love how cute the gyaru is.! I would like to try it, if i could. hehe…
It’s crazy how much people can alter their appearance just with makeup!
Japanese eyes not so thin as they think. But really, some of Asian womans do that awful things. I think, i would prefer the normal woman then that BIG-EYE woman. Because it looks abnormal. Most of them are beautiful anyway without such (European) eyes.