I-Hua
Taiwanese model I-Hua recently became Maybelline’s first Asian face, and will appear on advertisements worldwide.
Though the makeup brand has previously used Asian faces, such as Chinese model Shu Pei in ads, Wu, who is from Taiwan, will be the first featured in a global campaign.
She will join the likes of Herieth Paul and Jourdan Dunn on ads around the globe.
“Lots of Taiwanese models come [to New York] and work hard, but have never been recognized because Taiwan is so small,” Wu told New York Magazine. “I’m happy to shine some light on it.”
Wu revealed that she never thought about becoming a model because she was bullied for her looks. “I was too tall, or different somehow — I’m not really sure. I didn’t have any friends and was ostracized. In junior high, I cried every single day,” she said.
When she entered a modeling competition, where she was discovered, she finally met other tall people, though she still doesn’t think she’s as beautiful as everyone else thinks she is.
For Wu, her modeling experience has taught her that there is no single definition of beauty.
And now, as Maybelline’s global ambassador, Wu can widen the world’s perception on beauty, especially among the Asian community where they mostly prefer paler skin and big eyes. “As long as you think you’re beautiful, you will be beautiful.”