I’m interrupting my  regularly-scheduled post to bring you news from the Korean job-hunting front.  Yes, it has to do with beauty.  And yes, what I’m about to tell you can serve as an interesting little icebreaker to insert into the next conversational lull or chat session that starts to fly south.

Behold: An international style icon.

According to a Korean Times survey of 2,480 office workers (in Korea, obviously), employers reported that, “male applicants who wear makeup give a bad first impression to those interviewing them.”   Another site, jobkorea.com, reported that, “11 percent of 454 personnel supervisors that interviewed recruits said they have interviewed male applicants who wore makeup.”  

Ok, WHAT IS GOING ON IN KOREA??  

There were some other stats in there about salaries (turns out inflating your salary is a global trend.  How very universal of all us office grunts), but I pretty much stopped focusing after that.  Men in makeup at job interviews happens so much, it’s an entire gripe category on job surveys?  This has happened not just once or twice, but enough for whole groups of employers to gather around the water cooler and trade notes on the man-makeup they see?  And more importantly, how do they know?  Is it because men suck at blending?  Because they don’t know there are smudge-proof or waterproof versions of some of their favorites? Are they getting foundation all over their suits?  

And now I’ve got this scene in my head of a guy all decked out in a suit and tie, powdering his face and maybe rimming the inside of his lids in order to “get pretty” for Mr. Interviewer. Unfortunately, the article didn’t qualify “makeup,” which, as we all know, is a massive category.  Are we talking concealer?  Powder?  Or more like lipstick and liner?  I need more information!

And perhaps the most important question of all: I’m wondering if this makes me want to move to or stay away from Korea.