The Terrifying Danger Of Wearing Makeup In North Korea | Shady | Refinery29
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Published 2019-05-18
libertyinnorthkorea.org/
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Shady is the side of the beauty world you haven't seen. Hosted by Refinery29 Senior Beauty Editor, Lexy Lebsack, the series swivels between the unexpected and uplifting, dives deep into the dark underbelly of beauty, gives a voice to those trampled by this quickly growing industry, and questions what it’s all worth. From counterfeit makeup to skin trafficking for cosmetic procedures, we go there.
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All Comments (21)
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WATCH NEXT: The Cost of Beauty in Venezuela - https://youtu.be/VtddBzqe-vE
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"The reality is beauty isn't going to free North Korea, but curiosity about self expression creates curiosity about the outside world." That's beautiful and such a humbling reminder that being empowered can come in many different forms
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As S.Korean I welcome every N.Korean escaping from N.Korea to S.Korea🥰 We should protect them at all cost.
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People who blame this on makeup don’t see the bigger issue. If a government bans something as trivial as makeup, the government is to blame—not the people who try to get it. Imagine being so obsessed with what people wear
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when she talked about how her brother sacrificed himself to take the blame, I started tearing up so bad. what a noble act of him to do and he will be remembered :(
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This isnt just about fuxking makeup. Its about the freedom of expression and individualism.
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Imagine being killed just because you wanted to feel beautiful.
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imagine restricting your citizens in every way and not allowing them to do anything and then being mad that they tried to escape
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In George Orwell's 1984, one of the characters, Julia, does exactly this. She illegally buys makeup and puts it on as an expression of her bodily autonomy. It's crazy to think the world of 1984 exists today in North Korea.
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getting a face mask after escaping north korea would probably be your first luxury ever. a taste of your new life and freedom and a re-claiming of your body. there's absolutely nothing shallow about that.
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"why would they want face masks?" is like asking "why would they want pleasures beyond satisfying basic needs?" imo.
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What his brother did, bring tears in my eyes, he was such a hero. He was a true example of humanity and sacrifice for your family.
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It's scary, I hope she stays safe for the rest of her life. I've seen men and women that escaped get brought back somehow and you can only imagine what hell they go through for that.
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What her brother did was incredibly heroic, selfless and honorable.
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i’m convinced that we don’t even know half of what’s happening in those concentrations camp in North Korean...
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As someone who has worked much of my career as a professional makeup artist, this is a fascinating story about how beauty products serve as, not just pampering, but freeing products, to people who are used to such repression. Ultimately, it's great if Kim Jong-Un wants to invest State money in developing the greatest cosmetics in the world. Maybe it'll keep his mind off of building nuclear weapons? Can you believe the approved haircut menu? Wild.
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5:35 She speaks so elegantly, like so mannered and beautifully gosh
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What her brother did, that is pure love and bravery. Most of us can only aspire to be like him.
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Imagine how lucky we are to not be born in such a country like North Korea.
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Danbi sounds so weary and heartbroken. I hope she finds some semblance of happiness and peace after all she endured
