Vanity, Thy Name is Woman

Finally, some free time! This weekend, my goal was to fulfill #1 and #2 on my Things to do in Korea list. Instead, I was able to tackle #2, #54, and #1,098 (temporarily), and it involves getting my first tattoo.

Item #1 - Eyelash Extensions

Eyelash extensions are huge in Korea, and much more affordable than in the States. That's because Asian girls have short eyelashes (demand curve) and the glue used to apply the lashes is not regulated by the Korean FDA. It's a process where single strands of faux eyelashes (synthetic, mink, silk, etc.) are applied meticulously to individual existing lashes. Here's a before and after example:

I went to Lash Labs for a consultation and application appointment. The women who work there are very professional and thorough during the consultation, where they assess the thickness and health of your existing lashes, and recommend the fullness, length, and type of lashes to apply. But when it was time for the lash application, I got side-tracked into fulfilling something else on my list...

Item #54 - Permanent Eyeliner

I hate eyeliner. I hate applying it, having it melt throughout the day, and taking forever to erase it in the evening. Yet I have to wear it in order to define my eyes. I have always thought about going through the process of having liner tattooed to my eyes, but mentally couldn't overcome the needles and pain. While I was lying on the "operating" bed getting my make-up removed before the eyelash application, the technician started talking about their pain-free permanent eyeliner method. It took less than 10 seconds for me to make the decision to get permanent eyeliner and jump in another "operating" bed. In 15 short minutes, a permanent make-up specialist drew in my new eyes. This new process, Germanic in origin, dyes the skin instead of inserting ink. Okay, so I guess it's not a tattoo. But it's permanent (for the next four years).

A temporary side-effect of pigment irritation is swollen eyes, and saved me thousands of dollars for a temporary experience of having...

Item #1,098 - Double Eyelids

Ads for plastic surgery clinics is so commonplace in Seoul that I would equate it to seeing a University of Phoenix ad in DC. Over 70% of Korean women in their 20s and 30s have had plastic surgery. The percentage is higher in Seoul, and the most frequently requested surgery is the double-eyelid surgery. (See sample before and after picture)

I actually like my fatty eyelids and prominant epicanthal fold, so double eyelid surgery was never in my radar. My temporary double-eyelids were uncomfortable because I felt like I couldn't close my eyes tightly and it kept on drying out. Fail.

Side note: Epicanthal folds are also a medical condition associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (and a touch of Downs too). Considering that drinking is a Korean national past-time, I wonder what percentage of "Asian eyes" are attributed to fetal alcohol syndrome.

Item #2 - Haircut

Four months ago when I was in Seoul, I got one of the best haircuts in my life. It cost the equivalent of $10 and the experience was equivalent to paying $75+ for a haircut in the US. The best neighborhood to get a haircut is adjacent to Ewha Woman's University, the largest all-girl's institution in the world. There is an abundance of salons in this neighborhood. The experience of picking a salon is like walking the Vegas Strip where those guys slap the flyers in their hands and distribute pamphlets for call girls and phone sex. Except in this case, it's old ladies distributing flyers for the salons that they represent. Since I would like to have longer hair, I went for straight bangs and it was still $10.

As for Item #1, I couldn't get eyelash extensions yesterday because of the compound risk and irritation of mixing eyelash adhesive with micropigmentation dye. But no worries, I have an appointment at the end of the month to get eyelash extensions.