In the past, the imported makeups(化妆品)shelves in Japan’s department stores were usually dominated(主导)by South Korean makeups. As “Chiborg boom”—Chinese-style makeup becomes popular on social media, Chinese makeups start to make inroads in Japan.
The term “Chiborg” is a Japanese-made word, which is a combination of “China” and “cyborg”, referring to a Chinese beauty so perfect and inhuman that looks like a cyborg. In the eyes of Japanese young women, “Chiborg” usually uses bright colors reminding China’s classical Peking Opera, with a focus on eyes and lips to create a sharp and chiseled(轮廓分明的)look. While Japanese-style makeup always centers around cute and innocent features, Chinese-style makeup gives an appearance that is more elegant, cool and mature.
“Chiborg” began to attract the attention of Japanese young women around 2019, when abundant information on Chinese-style makeup has been circulating on Twitter and Instagram. It spread even more after tutorial videos of Chinese-style makeup were being posted on You-Tube.
Emilin, a Japanese girl who shares information on fashion on YouTube, posted a video on “Chiborg” and harvested more than 2 million views in January this year.
Another blogger called “Shikanoma” explained the unique charm(魅力)of “Chiborg.” “Chinese-style makeup expresses the inner strength and confidence of a person and it feels new. I think the concept of a ‘cool woman’ is becoming widespread in Japan nowadays. I also desire to be a strong-willed woman,” she said.
According to Yueko Nishihara, research planner at Japanese makeup and cosmetics portal site @cosme, nowadays Japanese women tend to emphasize the emotional value of makeups, such as “I am happy to have it” or “It is fun to use”.
Furthermore, Chinese makeups are gradually shaking off the stereotype of cheap, low-quality products, said Saya Hayashi, CEO of Japan Functional Cosmetic Laboratory Co. Ltd. “A few years ago, it was thought that Chinese makeups were mainly aimed at middle and low-income groups, but in the last year or two, there has been an increase in high-price, high-quality makeups, attracting office ladies and high-income customers,” she said.
【小题1】What can we learn from “Chiborg boom”?| A．Korean-style makeups become popular in Japan. |
| B．Japanese-style makeups become popular in Korea. |
| C．Chinese-style makeups become popular in Japan. |
| D．Peking Opera makeups become popular in Korea. |
| A．Innocent. | B．Elegant. | C．Cool. | D．Mature. |
| A．It makes them sense upset. | B．It makes them feel confident. |
| C．It makes them get fame. | D．It makes them post more videos. |
| A．They are for low-income customers. | B．They used to be expensive. |
| C．They aim at middle-income people. | D．They are for high-income people. |
