I’m 1/4 Japanese and always wanted my eyes to look like my dad’s side of the family.
Beauty is a fascinating thing. It’s highly revered in all cultures but the conception of it varies wildly wherever we go. Beauty means so many different things to different societies and people. Discovering what is considered beautiful in a new country is a powerful experience jetsetters undergo as we travel.
We wanted to get a taste for how conceptions of beauty evolve as we travel. Who better to ask than beauty bloggers from around the world? In our new #JetsetBeauty series, we’ll be asking prominent beauty bloggers what beauty means to them and how ideas about beauty change as they travel.
First up is Keiko Lynn, a one-of-a-kind beauty and style bloggers from Brooklyn. We love Keiko’s colorful and quirky style that really pops off the page! She gives awesome and simple style tips that are easy to follow that keep you looking fun and still natural.
What is beauty to you?
I find beauty to be such a personal thing; my idea of beauty – both inside and out – doesn’t always line up with other interpretations. For outer beauty, I love distinctive features, whether it’s a structured jawline, strong brows, a crooked nose, etc. I like things that make someone stand out, because I forget faces very easily, if not. I am constantly wondering if I have face blindness, but I think I just have a very bad memory. People always, and I mean almost always Photoshop out my moles or airbrush my freckles. I love my beauty marks, and I especially like the one on my cheek. I don’t feel like myself without it. Many view them as imperfections, and I’ve been asked—even by friends!—if I want to remove them. I will never understand that, because I actually quite like them.
How do you see ideas and standards of beauty change as you travel to different parts of the world?
As a lifelong pale girl, I found it fascinating to see so many women in Thailand who were trying to bleach their beautifully tan skin. Here we are with our tanning beds and spray tans, and they’re putting creams on their skin to make themselves pale. I guess we often want what we don’t have. I’m 1/4 Japanese and always wanted my eyes to look more like my dad’s side of the family, while many Asian women I know wear eyelid tape or seek out eyelid surgery. We’re all constantly trying to alter ourselves to fit our ideals, but they’re different for everyone.
How has travel reshaped or influenced your idea of beauty? Have you had any personal experiences throughout your travels that affected your ideas?
Tokyo was particularly inspiring. This was back in 2014, so it has probably changed by now, but I loved how so many young women wore their blush very high on their cheeks, closer to their eyes. It wasn’t about contouring, highlighting, or sculpting — it gave a very fresh, doll-like look that felt so modern to me.
What are some beauty products that you can’t travel without?
My skincare doesn’t change when I travel—it takes up a whole bag. I pay extra attention to my skin when I’m traveling, since time on the airplane and changing weather can wreak havoc. I bring a small bottle of Darphin Orange Blossom Oil on the plane with me. As far as makeup goes, corrective concealers! I don’t wear foundation, and will at the most wear a tinted moisturizer. But since traveling can bring on the dark circles, I make sure to carry a peachy concealer and a brightener to counteract the darkness. Urban Decay makes a great Naked concealer in a peachy color, and my go-to brightener is Bare Minerals Stroke Of Light. The results are reminiscent of YSL Touche Éclat, but it’s much less expensive.
Follow Keiko Lynn’s blog at keikolynn.com and on Instagram @keikolynn
