One thing we grasped quickly as we stepped into the world of social media was believing. But now, with what’s happening in China, we’re not sure whether we could ever believe what our eyes see! The trend of perfectly faking a Bai Fu Mei has taken social media platforms by a storm, and the interest it has piqued is completely justified. Bai Fu Mei is made up of three Chinese characters: ‘white’, ‘rich’ and ‘beautiful’. These are the women who are deemed to be perfect: women who are light skinned, attractive and affluent.
In recent years, the Bai Fu Mei have constituted the major consumer demographic and are the primary trend-setters in large and medium-sized cities. Many young women want to conform to these standards after being attracted by the lifestyle.
Want to be a part of the Bai Fu Mei trend? The procedure can get up to hours long, depending on individuals. Thirty minutes before going out, a coin size sunscreen with SPF50 for the face and another for the body is used. Foundations and contours with anti-UV are put after sunscreen, all over the body. Throughout the day, there will be multiple freshen-ups. A large black umbrella is carried and some people wear hats, face covers and long sleeves to escape the scorching sun.
Bai Fu Mei women also invest in whitening cream, pills and injections. Needless to say, many of these products are expensive and not affordable to all. But going with passion, Bai Fu Mei women still come up with different ideas to keep up with the trend. Several models and influencers who have been an active part of this have also encouraged young women to live up to the standard. Many of them, unable to afford the clothes, have turned to alternative dupes.
The root of Bai Fu Mei is not difficult to decipher even for those not learned in Sociology; the motive for young Chinese women, however, is to ‘increase their social status in order to find a rich husband.’
In a WeChat group, followers of this trend were observed discussing the tips and tricks they could use to appear rich. They discussed how to take pictures with luxury cars by paying a smaller amount and renting an expensive hotel room overnight by sharing.
This trend has more than demonstrated a change in the Chinese perception of women and the ensuing spouse-seeking standard; men now have changed their perception of the spouse they want. The trend started not as social rebellion but as social conformity. and as everything that starts at root from the society itself, whether to follow this trend or to veer away from it is completely in the hands of people.
What are your thoughts? Would you be a part of the Bai Fu Mei lifestyle, or choose to look away? Would you want to break the social convention of an authentic white, rich and beautiful woman by abiding by it?
Find out why everyone is getting an under-eye concealer tattoo
0 Comments