Korean Women Are Destroying Their Make Up As A Protest Against The Unpaid Labor Of Beauty
According to the Guardian‘s Benjamin Haas, South Korean women are throwing out all of their makeup and posting the results of the trashing online. The reason behind this protest is partly to do with a South Korean feminist movement called Escape the Corset. This movement is a rebellion from young women who are against the strict beauty standards that they say are becoming their country’s norm.
Not all of the cosmetics being thrown out are purely makeup products, as skincare products are also being included.
“One theme running through the movement is the idea of a beauty regimen as a form of labour. one that only women are expected to perform and for which they are in no way compensated.”
Some may not be aware that South Korea has the world’s eighth largest cosmetic market, according to Export. In fact, their cosmetic sales account for three percent of global cosmetic sales. Fans of BB and CC creams may also be unaware that their favorite products originated in South Korea. Between 2012 and 2017, the market grew annually by more than seven percent, reports QZ.
The new feminist movement Escape the Corset stems from frustrated women who are fed up with the unpaid labor represented by having to make themselves up every day. They claim it is not just a time cost. These ruined collections of makeup and skin care products represent a tremendous financial investment, they say. Just one MAC lipstick retails for $26, which is 30,000 won in South Korea and is about four times the hourly minimum wage there.
One woman from the Guardian came forward, stating that she spends as much as 100,000 won or $88 each month on her makeup supply. She is now declaring an end to such spending, along with various other women.
“There’s only so much mental energy a person has each day, and I used to spend so much of it worrying about being ‘pretty.'”
Another woman on Instagram, after having posted an image of her destroyed makeup, insinuated sarcastically that she wasn’t sure what to do with her money now that she was no longer investing in what once seemed to be “meaningful consumption.” Others are claiming that they have finally taken off “the mask that was ruining [her] life.” Some have even stated that they had previously skipped work or school on days when their makeup did not look its best, being as they felt “ashamed” of their “ugly face.” Fortunately, now these women are delving into a venture of self-confidence while supporting the Escape the Corset movement.
