韩国男性逐渐蜕变成脂粉男

 

"Having a clean, neat face makes you look sophisticated and creates an image that you can handle yourself well," the 24-year-old college student said. "Your appearance matters, so when I wear makeup on special occasions, it makes me more confident."

 

Cho's meticulous⁶（小心翼翼的） efforts to paint the perfect face are not unusual in South Korea. This socially conservative, male-dominated country, with a mandatory⁷ two-year military conscription（征兵） for men, has become the male makeup capital of the world.

 

South Korean men spent $495.5 million on skincare last year, accounting⁸ for nearly 21 percent of global sales, according to global market research firm Euromonitor International. That makes it the largest market for men's skincare in the world, even though there are only about 19 million men in South Korea. Amorepacific, South Korea's biggest cosmetics⁹ company, estimates the total sales of men's cosmetics in South Korea this year will be more than $885 million.

 

The metamorphosis（变形，变质） of South Korean men from macho to makeup over the last decade or so can be partly explained by fierce competition for jobs, advancement¹⁰ and romance in a society where, as a popular catchphrase puts it, "appearance is power." Women also have a growing expectation that men will take the time and effort to pamper¹¹（纵容，使过量） their skin.

 

Evidence of this new direction in South Korean masculinity is easy to find. In a crowded Seoul cafe, a young woman takes some lipstick¹² out of her purse and casually¹³ applies it to her male companion's lips as they talk. At an upscale apartment building, a male security guard watches the lobby（大厅，休息室） from behind a layer of makeup. Korean Air holds annual male makeup classes for its staff at Incheon International Airport.

 

"I can understand why girls don't like to go outside without makeup — it makes a big difference," said Cho Gil-nam, a tall,stocky 27-year-old insurance fraud investigator¹⁴ in Seoul who starts important days by dabbing¹⁵ on makeup after finishing his multistep morning cleansing¹⁶ and moisturizing routine. He carries a multicolored cosmetics pouch¹⁷ so he can touch up in public bathrooms throughout the day.

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