The Terrifying Danger Of Wearing Makeup In North Korea | Shady | Refinery29
On this episode of Shady, our host Lexy Lebsack travels to Korea to uncover the reason behind the danger of wearing makeup in North Korea. An underground network of women are smuggling beauty products into the country as an act of rebellion. Press play to watch this week's Shady!
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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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What her brother did, that is pure love and bravery. Most of us can only aspire to be like him.
Katharina Maria he made great sacrifice to save her sister and I feel sorry for her. I hope they are at better place
Not everyone can be a martyr. I was almost murdered by the people I was trying to protect. So no more. Been there. Done that.
@@geek7227 im sorry about that it must hurt that the very people you try to save stab you in the back.
i hope your life is going well 🙂
@@jayfawn8478 she meant her family lost its unity. The loss of her brother and abuse of the government ended her family. They stopped trusting. They broke apart.
@@jessleighton3795 whether its translation mistake, the subtitle says “I broke up with my family after” so I guest she CUT TIES with them. maybe a native korean speaker will help us all.
“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
+happytofu Exactly!
Your comment almost made me cry, why 😢
This makes me hate myself for ever complaining that I couldn’t afford a certain beauty item.
Eh, we all got our struggles
One kid shouldn’t hate himself if he’s hungry just because kids in Africa are starving, ya know?
indiecloud100
Good point 🙌🏻
@@indiecloud100 wow…well said. I never thought of it that way
indiecloud100
True, we should just be grateful for what we have
Riley.Alexandria you should
“why would they want face masks?” is like asking “why would they want pleasures beyond satisfying basic needs?” imo.
NK is a totalitarian state, but what is totalitarianism? Read this: https://medium.com/@franciscopaterson/totalitarianism-worst-of-the-isms-f02e8055bed1
I suppose the criticism comes from those saying that there are other basic needs that need to be met. A facemask may not provide physical basic needs, but its something that boosts emotional moral and shows them something different. In some ways, its more important. It gives them a light.
Which is also why it’s so infuriating seeing people criticize other people on welfare for daring to want or even have anything nice.
Sue ikr I think its crazy what that those small things can give some ppl
Because for so long all they could have was basic needs or less than basic needs…and seeing in their hands a face mask to so many seems so trivial, to the refugees it reaffirms that their escape isn’t a dream they will wake up from, but a reality.
What her brother did was incredibly heroic, selfless and honorable.
Yet sad and heartbreaking, just the thought of it just breaks me a bit
she’s so strong since before that but shes even stronger to endure it all really.
If I were him, I would have done it too. To keep the whole family safe? Definitely!
And nobody cares because he died. It doesn’t matter. World goes on. Isn’t that cruel?
Respect for him. 💖💖💖
I hope she knows that there are thousands of people in the world now that will never forget what he did. It’s not much, but I hope she knows.
This isnt just about fuxking makeup. Its about the freedom of expression and individualism.
TheNanamariam 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
you can write “fucking” lmao
And also through fashion too
One thousandth like!! Hehehe
@@Koseiku you can also write however you want, just so you know
We can buy makeup without even leaving our houses and they have to smuggle it. *good Lord*
illumina TEA squidward 😂
I love your dp😅😅
That’s the tea sis😂😂
i like ur pfp
@@mmoliik7502 thanks bae
i’m convinced that we don’t even know half of what’s happening in those concentrations camp in North Korean…
That’s what I’m afraid of. You just know it’s way, way worse.
Concentration camps never mean anything good. If you think about how much of a nightmare it possibly is – it’s probably a 100 times worse. I mean…well no, let’s not talk about what happened in German concentration camps ages ago. It’s pure horror. I’m convinced it’s as bad if not even worse…didn’t think this could be possible first but I honestly think this country beat my country in terms of the horrors they’ve put people through…devastating…
They’re never good. I remember watching several documentaries on NK when somebody snuck in recording the soldiers working at the camp gathering people of all age who has broken rules, taken them into a clear road or forest and shoot the people there while just throwing their bodies to the ground or even beat them to death. They also have scheduling to when they’ll go to work or school with the alarm there, so many homeless children due to several deaths of starvation and torturing of families, the officials there will hand you jobs and you can’t choose it or you’ll just be kicked out of the city part, living in the dumps. It’s just bad because the rules there are so strict that you can get killed for the smallest things. It’s scary to think what goes on there everyday and innocent people losing their lives at the camp. Their prisons are probably their camp. Nobody knows when they get out or if they’ll ever do from their punishments. ( sorry, i just watch too many documentaries of north korea back then lmao ; since I’ve seen people who visit there vlog and it looks so quiet, so I wanted to see if it was really like that but there were actually something dark behind it all. )
We dont. We didnt know what went on in Germany’s concentration camps. North Korea would never allow anyone to found out.
You should go to Asian boss channel on YT and find North Koreans decteors who ran away from their down country etc, they will tell the story’s that nobody knows
He’s basically Korean Hitler
Grace 2.0 omg yes
Yes but he doesn’t take people to concerntration camps
@@upds_0851 That’s china.
See Donald Trump ain’t so bad…
@@akachan1.241 you’re completely right..
Imagine being killed just because you wanted to feel beautiful.
If this happens to me I will die everyday……
Not only you, all the family.
Kim Jung Un seeing this video: *Mike Wozowski meme*
Well so many complain about beauty industry creating bad standards, so I guess North Korea tried to go the opposite, without realizing that it’s oppressive when persons choice is taken away.
Bell Brambelles you’re 100% right, they try to control every aspect of citizens’ lives, and consequences are costly for you AND your family smh
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.
imagine restricting your citizens in every way and not allowing them to do anything and then being mad that they tried to escape
That’s how your citizens would describe you as a worst and shitty President but unless if you’re masochist.
It’s so sad. I pray all those poor people living in that horrible country to someday go somewhere much better.
Ikr. What do they gain from it anyway?
@@kanalmimiidk it’s a good question. I think it’s a matter of control. They want to be able to control their citizens and use it as a way to gain power and eventually overpower other countries. But they don’t want the citizens to leave so they treat them like this. So sad.
@@kathleenkelly7957 Oh… Well then I hope they don’t be TOO harsh on their citizens, they don’t deserve that kind of treatment..
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.
but that idiot girl thouh , her brother got executed in north korea taking all her blames, and here she IS BUYING MAKUP STUFF TO MAKE HERSELF MORE BEAUTIFUL..HER MIND IS JUST FUCKED UP!!
as a human, I absolutely hate that people show off in the comments. like bro talk in a chill normal way.
@@LoveliiAurora Not sure who you think is showing off?
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.
Woah just bought the book but didnt get the time to read it omg
@@sneha.k7104 I had to read it for school, but, as a teenager, we thought nothing of it at the time, just a “boring” book. This hits differently now. I think of reading it again.
the book is fiction, can’t be an example to measure an actual country.
5:35 She speaks so elegantly, like so mannered and beautifully gosh
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
Exactly like if the government bans certain good items and people smuggle those items in it’s the governments fault his banning SOMTHING that so simple it won’t do anything
How can someone be so loud yet so wrong. STFU ur underdeveloped brain cant comprehend what is happening its more complicated”muh FrEeDoM”
That’s not it either. Imagine being a Christian a believer of Jesus in another country. You will be murdered. Makeup is not worth getting in trouble or dead.
Exactly, people are missing the point. This government is acting like makeup is a drug. And that changing a hairstyle is a rebellion act punishable by being brutally beaten to death. If your choice on how you wear your appearance can get you killed what other things can get you killed as well? Even being associated with a “supposed spy” gets you killed.
It’s about the power he has over women’s appearance. They’re defying him and his control of what they’re allowed to do with their looks.
Danbi sounds so weary and heartbroken. I hope she finds some semblance of happiness and peace after all she endured
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.
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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