Growing Up AAPI: Caught Between Two Beauty Standards
- Julia Chang
- May 7
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
What happens when Eastern beauty says “porcelain” and Western beauty says “sun-kissed”?
Welcome to the identity crisis of growing up Asian American. In this episode of GlowJob, we’re breaking down the conflicting beauty standards AAPI babes have grown up with—and how we’re rewriting the rules.
We get into skin lightening culture vs tanning trends, the media’s obsession with a single beauty type, and the rise of the ABG (Asian Baby Girl) as a subversive icon. From generational pressure to barely-there media rep, we’re unpacking what it means to shape your own beauty standards in a world that hasn’t always reflected you.
It’s funny, it’s personal, it’s painfully real—and it’s exactly the convo we wish we heard growing up.
Episode Timestamps
00:00:00 AAPI Month Intro
00:01:05 Eastern vs. Western Beauty Standards
00:03:04 Impact of Light Skin Ideals
00:06:06 Julia & Sasa’s Personal Experiences with Beauty and Identity
00:08:51 Evolution of Beauty Products and Representation
00:15:03 The Duality of Skin Lightening and Tanning Culture
00:18:12 Asian Cultural Identity and Representation
00:21:10 East vs. West: Trends in Makeup and Aesthetic Preferences
00:26:52 The Blending of Eastern and Western Aesthetics
00:29:55 The ABG (Asian Baby Girl) Phenomenon
00:33:04 The Future of AAPI Beauty
ABOUT GLOWJOB™ PODCAST: The only podcast to make you hotter AND smarter! GlowJob is the beauty podcast that’s MORE than skin deep. Join your go-to-best friend duo, Julia Bellary and Sasa Li, as they explore the stories shaping the industry and dive into the conversations you actually want to hear. From beauty to business to pop culture, let’s redefine what it means to be part of the beauty community - one episode at a time.
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