South Korean singer, rapper and songwriter Hwasa is not your cookie-cutter female idol. Even as the youngest member of the South Korean girl group MAMAMOO (she turns 25 years old on 23 July), she isn’t afraid to go against the grain when it comes to what the entertainment industry expects of her. In short, she’s proud to be unapologetically herself. We see her defying beauty standards too. So ahead, we round up five of these defining moments that’s inspired us. Go, Hwasa!
She speaks up about body shaming
During one of her performances, Hwasa spoke up about a heartbreaking body-shaming experience that she had during an audition years ago. According to her, the instructor at the audition remarked that she was “unique” and had sung “very well”, but deemed her as “fat” and “not pretty at all.” Instead of allowing this to break her, Hwasa conveyed an empowering and motivational message to her fans by sharing: “Soon, I found myself promising this: If I don’t fit into this generation’s beauty standards, I’ll have to become a different standard.”
She highlights her "imperfections"
What would be your next move after noticing a dark spot on your face? Would it be to break out your full-coverage concealer? By traditional beauty standards, such spots tend to be regarded as flaws as the end game is to attain a spotless and clear-looking complexion.
As for Hwasa, she believes in celebrating what makes her different from others. During her guest appearance in the South Korean entertainment programme I Live Alone, Hwasa revealed that she enjoys putting makeup on her moles to make them appear darker and more prominent. Her refreshing approach towards what’s deemed a beauty “flaw” inspires others to confidently own their beauty marks too, don’t you think?
She looks up to fellow queen Rih-Rih
The people whom you respect and look up to can say a lot about your personal aspirations and ambitions. For Hwasa, her idol is none other than Barbados-born, multi-hyphenate Rihanna. In an interview, the Maria singer revealed that she’s a fan of Rihanna’s “strong” stage presence and once even mustered the confidence to mimic Rihanna’s bold, half-shaved hairstyle. It’s no secret that Rihanna has changed the game for diversity in fashion and beauty with her growing Fenty empire. Likewise, Hwasa is paving the way for the new generation of female idols to assert their unique identities as artists as well.
She opens up about her beauty insecurities
Many of us tend to have a complicated relationship with beauty and are still learning to embrace ourselves. It’s no different for celebrities including Hwasa. What we truly respect about the singer is how she remains fiercely authentic, even when coming clean about her insecurities. As previously mentioned, she’s made the unprecedented move in darkening her moles. However, at the same time, she’s also opened up on having a “complex” about her thin lips and hence, has the habit of lining her lips to make them appear fuller. These instances show that Hwasa’s still making discoveries in her beauty journey, just like us regular folks.
She's proof that bare face = beautiful
Fans of MAMAMOO and Hwasa love her for her jet-black tresses, va-va-voom red lips and figure-hugging outfits. Even then, they’re equally in awe of her bare-faced beauty moments too. We have the tendency of displaying only our most glamorous selves on social media. Yet, for Hwasa, she debuted her personal Instagram profile with a shot of herself with no makeup on. Similarly, MAMAMOO’s company RBW also shared photos and videos of Hwasa in her most unfiltered element too, indicating their support towards her embracing her own skin.
Now, be inspired by Wanderlust+Co founder Jenn Low’s journey in turning her dreams into reality.
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