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What being beautiful means in 25 countries around the world

What being beautiful means in 25 countries around the world

What being beautiful means in 25 countries around the world

Esther Honig

Across the world, our ideas of what makes someone "beautiful" vary immensely.

If you ever needed proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, look no further than this one collection of photographs.

Journalist Esther Honig asked Photoshop editors around the world to edit her face according to the beauty standards of their country, and the results are very revealing.

Esther toldBuzzfeed her project, Before & After, “made her shriek,” when she saw the finished looks.

Here is the original photo Esther sent to the experts:

What being beautiful means in 25 countries around the worldEsther Honig

Here are the finished, Photoshopped images:


Argentina

ArgentinaEsther Honig

In accordance with this expert’s interpretation of Argentinian beauty standards, Esther’s bare face has been given fake lashes, flawless skin and heavily lip glossed lips.


Australia

AustraliaEsther Honig

In Australia, all you need is bright pink blusher, bright red lipstick and a tan to be considered beautiful, apparently.


Bangladesh

BangladeshEsther Honig

To be considered beautiful in Bangladesh, Esther has been given brown eyes, flawless skin and a completely unnattainable glow.


Chile

ChileEsther Honig

Esther has been given thinner eyebrows and lots of jewellery to make her beautiful by Chilean standards.


Germany

GermanyEsther Honig

Esther was given paler skin and a reddish tinge to her hair in order to comply with Germany’s beauty standards.


Greece

GreeceEsther Honig

Esther’s skin has been heavily photoshopped, and she’s been given impossibly long eyelashes to meet Greek beauty standards.


India

IndiaEsther Honig

Esther has been given darker skin, her eyebrows have been edited, and even the shape of her chin looks to have been altered.


Indonesia

IndonesiaEsther Honig

By Indonesian standards, it seems women need to have a scientifically impossible glow. And a bit of pink lipstick will go a long way, too.


Israel

IsraelEsther Honig

Esther was given darker eyebrows, skin, lips and hair by the Israeli photo editor, as well as what looks like a slimmer nose.


Italy

ItalyEsther Honig

Thinner eyebrows, flawless skin and a dash of colour to her lips and eyelids is all Esther needs to be beautiful by Italian standards.


Kenya

KenyaEsther Honig

A lovely flash of colour across the eyelids is apparently all you need to look great in Kenya.


Morocco

MoroccoEsther Honig

Esther was given eyeliner, with touches of orange on her eyes and lips, to be beautiful in Morocco – finished off with a hijab.


Pakistan

PakistanEsther Honig

To meet Pakistan’s idea of beauty, Esther has been given darker skin and eyes, and what appears to be a slightly smaller face.


Philippines

PhilippinesEsther Honig

Esther’s has been given long, dark hair, a more chiselled face, and lost half of her forehead to meet beauty standards in the Phillipines.


Romania

RomaniaEsther Honig

According to this photo, being beautiful in Romania requires far less make-up. The editor has retouched Esther’s skin slightly, but this is by far the least retouched image of the bunch.


Serbia

SerbiaEsther Honig

In Serbia, it would seem big, blue eyes are a winner.


Sri Lanka

Sri LankaEsther Honig

In Sri Lanka, Esther’s skin has been touched up and given brightly coloured makeup.


UK

UKEsther Honig

The UK photo editor has tidied up Esther’s hair, touched up her eyebrows and given more definition to her cheekbones and collarbones.


Ukraine

UkraineEsther Honig

Ukraine’s beauty standards, it seems, require Esther to have darker hair and more defined cheekbones.


United States

United StatesEsther Honig

With piercing blue eyes and new eyebrows, Esther's been given her a new hair style, and looks fairly unrecognisable from the orignal image.


Vietnam

VietnamEsther Honig

Blue eyes and minimal make-up is all Esther needs for Vietnam’s approval.


Venezuela

VenezuelaEsther Honig

The Venezuelan photo editor has given Esther a touch of make-up, and a thinner-looking nose.

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