As an Asian American woman, my experience with makeup resonates with others in my position. Many of us grew up watching early YouTube beauty gurus, trying to learn how to “beat” our faces.
Story By Hannah Thornton // @hthornton024
Photos by Maya Dandashi
When Michelle Phan popped up, our otherwise quiet and underrepresented community lit up with excitement and relief, finally seeing someone who looked like us. As more Asian and Asian American beauty gurus popped up, two distinct makeup styles dominated among the influencers: one is a “harsher,” more Americanized look that’s referred to as the ABG (or “Asian Baby Girl”) look, and another is a softer, more natural look, recently dubbed the “Koreaboo” look.
You may have already looked up “ABG” and “Koreaboo,” but if not, let me save you the trouble. An “ABG,” or “Asian Baby Girl,” is usually an Asian American girl or woman, never without winged eyeliner so sharp it could cut her enemies, false lashes to the gods and brow game so strong it’s sponsored by GymShark. Other easy ABG signifiers are bleach blonde hair, tattoos and holding a Juul. You’re most likely to run into an ABG at a rave, festival or a club.
“Koreaboo” style makeup is the polar opposite of the “ABG” style. This look is characterized by natural, soft and often pink-toned hues. The eyeliner either lacks wings or uses a small wing. In eye shadow trends, you’ll notice a glimmer coming from the lower, inner lash line, where sparkly pigment creates the illusion that the eyes are “smiling.” Another standout feature is brightly tinted lips. Korean makeup is famous for using hot pink and red lip tints, which draw lasting attention to the lips. Finally, Korean skincare fads promote dewy, glass skin that screams of hydration. A stylized “Koreaboo” often rocks soft waves in her naturally colored hair (if it’s colored at all), wears fluttery, flowy and girly clothes and can be found taking pictures of her coffee in any local coffee shop.
When these femmes do their makeup, it expresses who they are. Asian American women are often treated differently depending on the makeup styles they wear.
Karen Zhou, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, said she “feels like there’s an inverse relationship between the size of [her] lashes and how approachable people find” her .
For UT junior Asia Vivieros, she feels that “whenever (she does) little to no makeup people think (she looks) younger and more innocent and people treat (her) as such.”
These feelings are commonplace for Asian American women who have experimented with makeup.
Because of the noticeable reactions we receive based on our makeup, it is easy to use our beauty routines to form our identities.
“I think now I’m learning that I do not have to be (an “ABG” or a “Koreaboo”) and simply to do what makes me feel good and confident,” Vivieros said.
For so many of us, Asian/Asian American or not, we struggle to fit in. It’s only later we realize we should present ourselves in ways that make us happy. So you do you, boo. If that means being a full-blown “ABG” that no one wants to fight with, a “Koreaboo” that gives off eternal cherry blossom vibes, or a mix of the two — do what makes you feel the most comfortable in your own skin!
