WTF – Double Eyelid Tape

Filed as: Korea FTW! // Responses: 76

This week we play with Eyelid tape, which is something that is totally new to us.

What is Eyelid Tape? Eyelid tape is something that gives you a crease in your eyelid, which makes it look like a double eyelid. What is a double eyelid? Hell if we know. We just heard about it when we came to Korea! That look of having a crease in your eyelid is a “double eyelid,” and it’s highly desirable in Asia. Why it’s so highly desirable is beyond us. It’s not something we ever noticed ourselves. What’s ironic about it is that – from what we’ve been told – it’s to make Asian eyes look more Western…but it’s not something that we’ve ever, ever noticed. Maybe we’re just bad westerners, out of tune with our westernicity? Who knows. We just wish that the madness would stop. You can see pictures of Double Eyelids here if you don’t know what we’re talking about.

I hope we’re not being too strong or insensitive about this, but we really think that this is kinda silly. We feel bad that so many people have the idea ingrained that double eyelids is an issue, and that not having them would make you want to get surgery to fix it. It seems so unnoticeable and just not worth it to us, and it’s sad that students, STUDENTS, are getting this done, and that parents think it’s ok. Like, your present for doing well last semester was cosmetic surgery. Ah. Plastic surgery is so big here in Korea, unfortunately, and Double Eyelid surgery is a big part of it. We don’t agree with it, and we wished that people stopped worrying about the looks of their eyelids.

Anyhow, on a lighter note, last week we announced that we’d be doing a giveaway of all of our Wonderful Treasure Finds for last month, and that we were holding the contest on Facebook. Well, we have a winner! But we announced the winner in our bonus footage. Yeah, that’s cheap of us, we know. We’re trying to promote our other channel too (psst subscribe to it by clicking this button here)! And so, if you’re the winner, please send us an email over at our Contact Page and we’ll mail your care package out ASAP. Hooray!

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Anonymous

AHAHAHAHAHAHAH i’m korean and this totally cracked me up <3
i have double eye-lids but my cousin didnt then she got surgery for it.. she looks really pretty now though, not gonna lie haha.
i mean. well. yuah.
it may not mean much to some people, but korean girls, we all watch like dramas and stuff and see all these pretty women on tv and allllll of them have double eye-lids so.. that may be why..

http://saerilee.tumblr.com SaeRi

I think it’s because double eyeids a) make the eyes bigger and b) make it sooo much easier to put make up on. I have single eyelids, and because of the way single eyelids are, I would have to put like a metre of eyeliner on just for it to show on the top lid just a smidge, while people with double lids just…draw a line lol.

http://twitter.com/BecksiC Becky

Oh my god, I have to draw, like, a metre of eyeliner on too! It’s definitely more time-consuming and harder to get right. It’s really frustrating, isn’t it?

Anonymous

ok, a lot of asians have double eyelids, most that I know do, even though they can be really small and hidden or whatever. the asians that want double eyelids are not trying to look like westerners for pete’s sake. they just want to be prettier. enhancing eyes usually makes people prettier. i mean everyone has traits they’re not comfortable with, i bet if it was less dangerous and expensive they’d want to maybe change it, whether a big nose, or fuller lips. i’m not agreeing with the people who change they’re eyes but i think it’s important to understand them and look at it in a different perspective. but it’s important for everyone in general to embrace the way they naturally look. & yea if a guy just liked u for ur eyes, there’s a problem, hahaÂ
R. Lee

of course you think its silly, that’s because a lot of westeners are indeed very insensitive and think this is a funny thing. You don’t even know how much pressure you get from society because of your appearance. It’s true, I’m an Asian guy with single eyelids who had to endure unpleasant remarks about my eyes while living in both, Europe and Asia. Of course some people don’t bother, but when i moved to Asia, I started to get this insecure feeling that I’m missing something. It’s not silly, it’s just very sad and unfortunate that I’m not comfortable with what I am. And if you don’t notice a difference after putting on tape or whatsover, then it’s either because the person doesn’t know how to apply tapes well or you are just insensitive. There is a difference, that might be in changing the shape of the eye or making it bigger etc. But i guess this kind of frustration is something Westerners will never understand. and that is truly pityful.

http://www.eatyourkimchi.com Simon and Martina

You think we don’t experience any pressure from our Western society or Korean society because of our appearances? Leaving out Western pressure, in Korea I have never felt so stressed out about my body. Diet suggestions everywhere,Â ”free” size clothing that doesn’t fit over my curvy body,Â plastic surgery adds all over place; I even had a guy approach me with a business card to advertising his clinic so I could get my nose done (what’s wrong with my nose?) and countless amounts of people telling me to remove the “blemish” on my face so I could be more pretty, aka the big beauty mark that I’ve had since I was a little kid. No thanks.

The point is not the eyelid tape, it’s that people should take a step back and acknowledge that social pressure to change your looks to fit some magical social box of beauty is silly, no matter which society you live in. Â -Martina

ps-> This is not an angry comment, this is a passionate one! :D

R. Lee

I’m glad you answered though and thanks for the insight. I’m sorry if I sounded a bit too frustrated. but i guess in the end, it depends on how much confidence you have to deal with the pressure.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Eunji-Choi/717322889 Eunji Choi

well some people with very small eyes have kind of sleepy look
you gotta admit you know what kind of eye I am talking about
sometimes people make fun of that too, like hey wake up! or something
I think most people with asian eyes are beautiful
I have “double eyelid” too and I envy those who have pretty eyes with non-double eye lid

surgery tear your eyes inward or outward is new thing in Korea too
like.. its been there for like 10 years?
The idea creeps me out too and I heard that its very painful
But I heard that it makes your eyes prettier tho
I also heard that in time the cutted-open ends sticks back together
april schmidt

This issue is pretty interesting to me as a Korean-adopted female with monolids. As with most monlidded people, I too have been made fun of extensively for having “funny looking” eyes. I’d considered surgery when I was an angsty, surrounded-by-all-white-people teen… but as an adult I’m so happy that I stayed the way I am.
I think feeling conscious of having monolids is not different than other people being embarrassed about moles, large noses or small breasts. Everyone has their physical hang ups (about features that they’re genetically predisposed to have, btw)! I guess double-eyelid tape seems, to me, like getting push up bras rather than getting breast implants. A way less permanent solution for an un-desired physical trait. … Everyone has been made fun of for their appearance. It’s just unfortunate that the monolid issue has become a feature that many people find completely unacceptable, rather than just unfavorable.
I know of some Korean girls who have considered double-eyelid surgery (called blepharoplasty) for cosmetic as well as health reasons, which is something that doesn’t usually come up. Some people have more severe monolids than others and their eyelashes can actually scratch their eye surfaces, which is painful and dangerous to the eye. I know that I have issues where I can always see my eyelashes, which are pretty long, because they slant downwards over my eyes. This can become very aggravating when I stop and pay attention to it. (Thank goodness for eyelash curlers, I suppose, haha).
I like having monolids. I look very different from all my friends and family and get to say screw-you to American magazines that tell Asian girls to only use matte, brown eyeshadow. Check out GaIn! She’s gorgeous and has monolids. I don’t think she’d be any more beautiful with double-eyelids (taped or surgery-ified). It’s fun to buck convention. =)
Totally random, but kind of related… I sometimes enjoy saying “monolid” like “hominid” (the way the Boomers say in Gears of War). Try it sometime… it’s way more amusing than it should be.
april schmidt

This issue is pretty interesting to me as a Korean-adopted female with monolids. As with most monlidded people, I too have been made fun of extensively for having “funny looking” eyes. I’d considered surgery when I was an angsty, surrounded-by-all-white-people teen… but as an adult I’m so happy that I stayed the way I am.
I think feeling conscious of having monolids is not different than other people being embarrassed about moles, large noses or small breasts. Everyone has their physical hang ups (about features that they’re genetically predisposed to have, btw)! I guess double-eyelid tape seems, to me, like getting push up bras rather than getting breast implants. A way less permanent solution for an un-desired physical trait. … Everyone has been made fun of for their appearance. It’s just unfortunate that the monolid issue has become a feature that many people find completely unacceptable, rather than just unfavorable.
I know of some Korean girls who have considered double-eyelid surgery (called blepharoplasty) for cosmetic as well as health reasons, which is something that doesn’t usually come up. Some people have more severe monolids than others and their eyelashes can actually scratch their eye surfaces, which is painful and dangerous to the eye. I know that I have issues where I can always see my eyelashes, which are pretty long, because they slant downwards over my eyes. This can become very aggravating when I stop and pay attention to it. (Thank goodness for eyelash curlers, I suppose, haha).
I like having monolids. I look very different from all my friends and family and get to say screw-you to American magazines that tell Asian girls to only use matte, brown eyeshadow. Check out GaIn! She’s gorgeous and has monolids. I don’t think she’d be any more beautiful with double-eyelids (taped or surgery-ified). It’s fun to buck convention. =)
Totally random, but kind of related… I sometimes enjoy saying “monolid” like “hominid” (the way the Boomers say in Gears of War). Try it sometime… it’s way more amusing than it should be.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jasetyn-Hatcher/100001242001872 Jasetyn Hatcher

Knowing that I am going to Korea next year and learning about such things as eyelid tape really makes me think about how much I don’t like my own xy and z. I may just have to stop with the copious amounts of mascara and eyeshadow and let my odd-shaped native eyes just BE! It would be quite hypocritical of me otherwise. *sigh* so much to learn! Thanks for the video :)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000498125070 Sandra Bee

My mom, who is Korean, has one double eyelid and one single eyelid and she puts the glue for false eyelashes in the crease of the single eyelid to make it appear that both eyes match. Hopefully that is what some other people are doing with the tape too, instead of just giving themselves double eyelids.

Anastasia Hadiputro

I’m the same as your mom. I have only one double eyelid (right eye). I knew that I only had one but somehow I forgot about it over the years. So this one time for valentines my friend who really likes to wear make up thought it would be fun to put make up on me (I have no idea how to use make up at all). After she was done putting on the liquid eyeliner we were confused because the eyeliners looked weird, so she added to the side that looked like it had less, but it just kept getting worse. All of a sudden I remember that I only have one double eyelid. That’s probably why I don’t like makeups.

http://twitter.com/BecksiC Becky

We’re our own worst enemy. I have epicanthic (single) eyelids and I have no intention of getting double eyelid surgery, but I’d like to put it out there.

For one, it’s definitely easier to put eye make-up on double eyelids and once it’s on, it looks more aesthetically pleasing to the eye (when I put eyeliner on, I have to draw a really thick line to get it to show and when I blink or look down, you see it and it looks almost clownish).

Another reason is because having a crease makes your eyes look bigger and more defined. Us single eyelidders don’t have anything to frame our eyes other than our eyebrows, which is why we want to either fake a crease with make-up or eyelid tape.

One other reason is because the beauty industry seems to do all their make-up suited to double eyelidders (especially on YouTube; you’ll find many more YouTubers with creases or double eyelids than ones with single eyelids) and we can’t pull off the make-up that they do. We feel that people don’t really pay attention to other types of eye shapes and it makes us feel ugly as a result.

It’s really sad, but mostly it’s the beauty industry and pressure that makes us want to do these kind of things and I definitely second april schmidt; I like my eyelids because I don’t want to look like everyone else: if everyone looked like everyone, the whole world would be so boring. I think people with creases or double eyelids wouldn’t understand what single eyelidders think about this topic; it may not be a big deal to you, but it is quite a big deal to us. I suppose it’s one of those things you’d need to actually experience to know. You do eventually get over it though and it makes us feel good to know that people think single eyelids look exotic and mysterious and different. Sorry this was a long ass essay, but I write it… so YOU don’t have to ;P
http://www.facebook.com/people/Alison-Kolano/100001268483803 Alison Kolano

I just saw this product advertised on TV (in the USA). it’s being marketed as a way to lift up drooping eyelids for older women. It made me laugh so hard to see old white ladies putting on double eyelid tape. It did seem to work though….
Jihye Han

It’s not so much about making eyes look westernized as it is about having them look *bigger* and the *ideal shape for make-up*

The western eye explanation is kind of insulting to me (Korean). This assumes that asians instinctively think natural asian features are inferior. It’s not inferior, it simply doesn’t fit in with modern Korea’s obsession with make up. And today’s make-up follows western trends, that assumes you have eyelid space and a crease to work with. Nobody says “damn, I wanna look American.” They say “my eyes are so small! my eyeliner doesn’t show! I want to wear eyeshadows!”

Koreans are actually rather fond of large, well-defined, single-lidded eyes. People with this rarity are often complimented- much more so than those with double-lidded eyes.
http://twitter.com/iDudette_ 06-004-148-5

lol funny. I have double eyelid and I /am/ asian (Indonesian) but I look like I haven’t sleep for 3 days straight. Well yeah it must be because of my eye bags, but ugh, this ‘plastic face’ endemic MUST stop. It’s not good for your physic and mental health. Not all people fond of plastic surgery yo. Most people I know find plastic surgery is disgusting, making you fake etc, etc, etc.

and even though you’ve done it doesn’t mean your kid will be as beautiful as you. They still inherit your ‘bad’ genes.