Korea’s love of beauty

I didn’t know what a BB cream was, until I came to Korea. This mecca of beauty industry has been into a remarkable surge of sales of cosmetic products, and much of that boom is powered by consumers willing to do anything for good, flawless skin. In fact, beauty has become an obsession; looking good is a matter of utmost importance, especially for the younger Koreans.

Korea is now at the forefront of beauty industry, amassing millions of dollars in revenues. In Daegu, the hosting of the 2015 Beauty Expo at the EXCO is a showcase of the Korean innovation for beauty and wellness, with over a hundred participating companies. 

I came with a fellow Touch Daegu blogger to cover the event, along my sister, my two daughters and a niece on the second day of the event. It was delightfully engaging for me, for it turned out to be a perfect venue for crowd watching, as I am not a cosmetic junkie. My skincare regimen involves just the basic - cleansing and moisturizing - which is so unlike the Koreans’ multiple skincare ritual. A multi-step process means several skincare products in a day - a cleanser, an exfoliator, a refresher, the essence (which is considered the most important step), the ampoule (or serum), the sheet mask, an eye cream, a moisturizer, a night cream, etcetera. It’s a seemingly unending ritual of self-pampering. 

The colorful array of cosmetics, nail art stuff, hair accessories, wigs, and health and wellness gadgets such as those used for Pilates and hyperbaric therapy left us wide-eyed in amazement. And we were delighted to find people doing the Zumba at the west side of the hall. The fervor of the dancers on stage was contagious. The dancers have apparently sweated their way off to their beautifully toned bodies through a whole lot of dancing and exercising.

My daughters and niece had a great time, at the makeover area, where everyone walks out spruced up. Next to the makeover area is a wedding exhibitor. You get to try one of their gowns, so lovely even ajummas line up for their chance to feel like pretty brides and have their photos taken by the official photographer. 

The day’s event inside the exhibition hall was a microcosm of the country’s love affair with aesthetic values, a love that has translated into economic gain for the country. Of course, for a country that was able to make itself over economically in a just a few decades, it is not surprising that it is also the capital of cosmetic industry.

A new line

Our blog gets a face-lift and a new name. The Red Line is a fitting name; red means blood, and blood means life. But just the same, we will muse about life’s discoveries – of family and friends, of dogs that become family, of experiences and adventures that evolve into life’s greatest lessons. The thing about life is to see the world with interest, see the possibilities, see the humanity in every person we meet.

The Red Line is also about things we stand up blood-and-guts for – an ideology, a personal belief, or a worthy cause. At the same time, we stand up in thundering rage against prejudice and inequality, and that’s going to be our most important voice.

This month, we also start blogging for Daegu, with a team of foreign bloggers commissioned by the city government. Two weeks ago, we received our press badges and got ourselves whisked away to a place called Sacheon, a city in the province of Gyeongsangnam. Sacheon is a quiet, laid-back city that lies against a backdrop of mountains and faces a horizon where the sky meets the sea. 

It was a wonderful experience, waking up to a cold morning watching a white tugboat gliding underneath the lovely Samcheonpo bridge, and quietly disappear behind one of the tiny islands dotting the bay. 

Blogging for Daegu is off to a good start. The trip to Sacheon brought renewed enthusiasm to get back into writing, like waking up from a long, cold winter sleep. 

We’re on for some great adventures, and The Red Line is here to tell the story.