What people find unattractive in different parts of the world

In France, you might feel more comfortable going out without makeup. It is a place where natural beauty is revered, rather than cosmetically-enhanced beauty. In the United States we see celebrities layering on the makeup, but that’s the opposite of what a French woman would do. In an interview with Vogue, Paris-based professional makeup artist Violette explains how the French use makeup compared to how other cultures might.

“What we want is to be ourselves,” Violette explains, “Not a better version of ourselves. We feel like it’s better to be used to something than to try to change it. So we think: what style can I have with this face, and with this hair? That mentality is 100 percent French.” If a French woman uses makeup, it is typically only kept to a minimum to highlight her natural features. If you look like you’re trying too hard, or putting a lot of time and effort into your appearance, you’re not a true Parisian beauty.

In Venezuela, beauty is a huge commodity. There is a very high pressure to have a very specific kind of figure: big bust, tiny waist, plump booty. This ideal of the female form is in such high demand that women of this country very often undergo multiple surgeries to fit their country’s standard of beauty. A few years ago, the country’s president, Hugo Chàvez, publicly spoke out against these practices, saying that doctors “convince some women that if they don’t have some big bosoms, they should feel bad.”

Still, these standards permeate retail. Vendors even display mannequins that reflect this particular shape because the more voluptuous form actually ups their sales. One Venezuelan woman in a New York Times video says, “The Venezuelan woman will never be satisfied, because she’s always going to be getting her breasts done again.” If you’re flat-chested, you’re out.

In the United States, face tattoos can be associated with gang affiliation, or simply considered the mark of an undesirable, social outcast. However, it is the complete opposite for the Maori people of New Zealand, whose cultural history has been literally and figuratively marked by striking facial ink.

Getting one’s face tattooed in this culture is known as Tā Moko. Women who participate in this tradition get chin tattoos, signalling a huge milestone in their lives. According to Broadly, “[The] traditional female chin tattoo is considered a physical manifestation of their true identity. It is believed every Māori woman wears a moko on the inside, close to their heart; when they are ready, the tattoo artist simply brings it out to the surface.” Each chin tattoo is personal and particular to the wearer. It is usually stylized after their ancestral markings, as well as after their own identity. It is a practice that makes Māori women feel whole, beautiful and fully realized.

Many people with flush bank accounts in the US get work done to their faces. Nose jobs, botox — anything to get that much closer to perfection or youth. But plastic surgery means something a little bit different in Iran. For many Iranian women, getting a nose job isn’t just something you do if you have a lot of money or a bad nose, it’s something virtually any woman of any class wants.

According to Vice, Iran has the highest rate of nose surgery per capita in the world. So why is everyone running to the surgeon? Not only is it a status symbol, it’s a way of trying to find a good mate. “The bandage signals that you come from a family who cares and provides for you,” Vice reported, “Even if you don’t need a nose job, having a family that can afford to give you one is preferable to having the genetics for a petite nose.” Iranian women will often continue to wear a bandage over their nose long after they’ve gotten their surgery to indicate to others — especially men — that they have had the coveted procedure done. If you’ve got the nose you were born with, you’re getting picked last for a “happily ever after.”

In South Korea, the biggest plastic surgery trend is the double eyelid surgery. This is a procedure many caucasian or African Americans may not have heard about before, but for many South Korean women, it’s normalized. It’s not unusual for South Korean parents to offer their children double eyelid surgery as a gift. So what is it, and why is it so desirable?

Many Asians have what is commonly referred to as a monolid — literally meaning “one eyelid.” It’s that crease on the upper lid that they’re after. Many South Korean women think that the double eyelid is more attractive. While a double eyelid is common in Western women, many cosmetic surgeons argue that South Korean women don’t get the surgery to Westernize themselves or reject their heritage, but rather to emphasize their facial features and emulate their favorite K-Pop stars.

As The Atlantic reported, it’s widely known that the majority of South Korea’s pop stars and celebrities opt for this kind of surgery and, as in most cultures, people like to emulate what they see famous, successful people doing. So while the double eyelid surgery is normalized within groups of family and friends, it is made even more desirable by the country’s entertainment culture.

In Thailand, a person’s beauty is determined not just by their physical appearance, but by their character. What kind of virtues they have and what values they uphold affect people’s perception of just how beautiful they really are. According to an article published in the journal, Ethics In Science And Environmental Politics, qualities like charm, good nature, a devotion to one’s duties, and modesty are all positive characteristics that make a woman beautiful. If a woman lacks these qualities, she will be seen as ugly or undesirable, no matter how physically appealing she may be.

Because Thai beauty is evaluated in such a way, there is an emphasis on how well one gets along in their society. The positive intermingling of physical beauty and internal beauty lands a person in good social standing, which also improves their chances of entering into a beneficial marriage.

So on the one hand, it could be said that the Thai pay close attention to internal beauty, while on the other, it could be said that it’s simply for the sake of social acceptance. Either way, if you aren’t an agreeable person, you’re less likely to be accepted in Thai culture. This view of beauty is essentially the polar opposite of the American notion of beauty where, for example, physically attractive celebrities can maintain their place at the top of society, regardless of their personal values.