Brazilian concept of "beauty"

Actually it really is a strange mix here. It's really difficult to say what the real idea of beauty is in Brazil. While many of the white (especially foreign) males here are attracted to the Afro-Brazilian women. Brazilian men seem to be evenly split between favoring the blondes and the Afro-Brazilians. The lighter skinned "morena clara" with long jet black hair and dark brown eyes is also considered exotic.

One thing they all seem to have in common it that men in Brazil seem to think that buxom women are exotic. They really go for girls with big bums and thighs, ridiculously huge boobs here. Well, I guess somebody's got to keep the Brazilian plastic surgeons in business!



Personally I think that the most sensual and attractive women are the ones who are happy with themselves and the way they look, don't use any false means to make themselves appealing. The real beauty of a woman (Brazilian or otherwise) really comes from within.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

wjwoodward wrote:

One thing they all seem to have in common it that men in Brazil seem to think that buxom women are exotic. They really go for girls with big bums and thighs, ridiculously huge boobs here. Well, I guess somebody's got to keep the Brazilian plastic surgeons in business!

Yes, my fiance mentioned the big bums and thighs as well. Again, here in the US, these are features that are generally prized by our black community. He also said that nearly every woman he knows has had a boob job (if they didn't have big breasts to begin with) but that he didn't know anyone who'd had a butt lift. Lol!

Sad to say that Brazilian women are programmed from their infancy by Brazilian moms telling them they've got to be sexy, have hot bodies to get a "man". Well duh, if that's all he's interested in who wants him anyway, right?

Due to the absolute absence of any kind of oversight and enforcement it seems that anybody can set up shop here and call themselves a "Plastic Surgeon". Any medical doctor here can perform plastic surgery procedures, it appears there is no real control over specialization in the field at all. Clinics are more populace than bank branches and have no special requirements regarding the minimum medical equipment required in order to function. The local plumber or shoemaker can set up shop as a Plastic Surgeon here and nobody catches them until they've killed a few patients.

So many Brazilian women die each year because they have voluntarily sumitted themselves to elective plastic surgery procedures with little or no consideration for anything other than cost. They put themselves in the hands of butchers for vanity, no number of news reports (and they're weekly) slows the flow of these women heading off like lambs to slaughter having botched liposuction, breast implants, silicone injections, etc.

It's sad.

Hi Victoria,

Regarding ...

Also, Brazilians like to say, "We produce so many supermodels because when Italians and Germans started mixing and having offspring, they created some of the most beautiful women in the world." Why is there nothing about Africans or native Indians in this statement? For a country that is also celebrated for being racially tolerant (at least compared to the US and some of its South American neighbors), and is as diversified and ethnically interesting as Brazil, how do its people hold such narrow-minded perceptions of beauty?

... my view is this: I've lived in Sao Paulo for about 5 years and I don't think Brazilians have a narrow conception of beauty, and they most certainly are the most racially-tolerant people I've ever met. But it's important to remember that in the grand scheme of things Brazilians are heavily Amerindian-Black genetic mixes to begin with; what they are saying is that once you mix European genetics in the result is extraordinary.  I think that's true: Nature Loves Outcrosses.

At the same time it's also true that many Brazilian men find European and North American women very attractive; i.e., women who don't look Brazilian.  But this the just another example of the basic principle that Nature Loves Outcrosses (and this means men and women very often find someone of a dissimilar genotype to them to be attractive).

Cheers, John

Well said John, I agree with you almost 100%. Unfortunately the xenophobia and prejudice here in Brazil, while it does not extend to those from North America, Europe, the UK and her former territories, those from other South American countries and states in the north and northeast of Brazil have not been spared from the full force of the prejudice that still exists in this nation. Sad to say. So, Brazilians are not all quite so tolerant as you might think, but that's a whole other issue not related to this posting.

Yes indeed, Brazilian women are, if not the most, among the most beautiful women in the world.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

Hi William,

Ah yes, very good point.  I agree.  There is a lot of suspicion/distrust of "outsiders", which for some bizarre reason doesn't seem to include people from wealthy nations (whatever their race). There's a real aversion to Bolivians and Paraguayans (and Nigerians) here in SP.

I have a friend and she says the real discrimination here is across economic strata of society (e.g., "lower classes" seem to be regarded as having malandragem tendencies).

Best,  John

I've been living in Brazil for a month now, and I've spent my time between Campinas and Sao Paulo. And while I've seen some attractive women here, in my opinion, they are the exception, not the rule...as it is in most countries around the world.

Brazil has this reputation for having the world's most beautiful women, and I don't really understand why. If blondes are your thing, then I'm sure countries like Russia and Sweden have more exceptional women. Maybe because Brazil has produced a lot of supermodels? Anyway, I've seen plenty more attractive women in all different colors on the streets of NYC, LA, and San Francisco. (Though I haven't been to Rio yet, where supposedly everyone is super fit and gorgeous...but for some reason, I doubt this.) Also, according to the Brazilians I've encountered, if I go down to the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil where the people are generally "white" and more "European," supposedly, this is where I'll find "the most beautiful women in Brazil." Hmmm...if I wanted to see beautiful European women, why would I come to Brazil? I'd just go to Europe. I don't get it. Before I arrived here, I thought Brazil was the least racist and most racially diverse country in South America, yet it seems that Brazilians still have a tendency to eschew all things "black aka African" in favor of all things "white aka European." Am I wrong?

Carnaval and samba dancing are for "poor people" and for people from Northern Brazil (aka black people) - this is just the vibe I'm getting. Yet as a stupid, naive American, this is what I thought most represented Brazil (silly me):  carnaval and samba! Until I got here and realized that everyone wants to be white. I was at an upscale restaurant in Campinas recently, and I noticed that out of the 10 women dining there, every single one of them was a natural brunette...and every single one of them (without exception) had dyed their hair blond. The most popular colorist at the local salon ONLY dyes BLOND HAIR - his Instagram features hundreds of dye jobs and they are ALL BLOND. And no, it's not as if he only works with blond hair (I called to ask about prices)...it's because everyone wants to be blond. No joke. Everyone wants to look more "white" here. My husband was telling me that here, people don't say, "I'm Brazilian." They say "I'm Brazilian, and my grandfather came from Italy and my grandmother came from Germany." In essence, they are telling you that they don't have any black or indigenous blood in them, right? 

Recently, on my short plane ride to Rio on Azul Airlines, I noticed that every commercial/advertisement shown on my screen was basically an Abercrombie & Fitch ad. If you are familiar with this American company, you'll know that every model that was shown was white - not one black face or even an ethnically interesting face among the very beautiful but very European-looking models. In a country where just over 50% of the population considers themselves black or of mixed race, it's interesting how white faces still dominate. There are very few natural blondes in this country, but no wonder all the women here in Campinas want to dye their hair blonde...perhaps so that they can look "whiter" and less "ethnic?"

Just take a look at this Rosa Chá website.

http://www.rosacha.com.br/

Hi Victoria,

You're absolutely right about "blond mania" in Brazil, you'll even find black women dying their hair blond. This is something I find truly ridiculous because it's so faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake. Everybody wants to be blond and I mean everybody!

Sometimes I wonder if the advertising pushes blonds so much is because of the fact that the vast majority of Brazilian males are black and they're absolutely obsessed with blond white women. It's almost like a right of passage for a black Brazilian man to have a white girlfriend with blond hair. I think that the advertising really is pandering to them more than they should and it's for this reason that black women are buying up the stock of skin lighteners and getting their hair dyed blond so much, they feel they haven't a snowball's hope in Hell against their white counterparts.

Personally, I lean toward the other side of the spectrum. I personally find the black Brazilian women  for the most part much more beautiful than the white Brazilians. I mean really now, who in their right mind would really consider Giselle Bündchen the most beautiful woman in the world except a Brazilian guy????

Cheers,
James

Hi James,

I don't get the Gisele Bündchen love either. I'll give credit where it's due:  she is a fantastic model both in print and on the catwalk, but frankly, I know more than a few people back home who think she looks rather "horsey" and "manly," and that she has a very boyish figure sans womanly curves. Then again, a lot of high fashion models have boyish figures, so... Personally, I find her attractive but in a rather bland way. Maybe this is why she is such a good model - she neither excites nor offends people - but she is a far cry from the "most beautiful woman in the world." Lol!

I've also seen Brazilians go gaga over white American actresses that in my humble opinion are only moderately attractive (or downright unattractive, depending on your tastes): Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lawrence, Kaley Cuoco, to name a few. I wonder if the fact that these women are white, blonde, and decent-looking with big tits makes them goddesses in the eyes of most Brazilians when again, many Americans think they are just...well, average.

I was at the hair salon today, and I was flipping through the November 2014 issue of Brazilian Marie Claire magazine (a woman's fashion mag), and I noticed that there wasn't a single black woman or man featured in all 218 pages of the magazine, save for a black model in an advertisement way at the back of the magazine. Even American magazines rarely feature black or Asian or other ethnic minority models on the cover, but there's certainly a greater variety of models used in the ads or editorials inside. Ah, there was one photo featuring darker-skinned women, but they were not models, and the photo accompanied an article about "Life in Prison."  I kid you not.

Women in all colors, shapes, and sizes can be beautiful. However, in Brazil, apparently white women, no matter how attractive or unattractive they are, are put on a pedestal, and black women and other ethnic minorities...are designated for the back pages of the magazines.

Victoria

So this post is 3 years late. I hope you have found some answers to this question. I don't know the discussion you have with your fiance, but don't be stressed with the beauty of Brazilian women. I think its also more about culture +physique than just physical beauty. As far as I can tell, there's no hood culture associated with darker people in Brazil, everyone is more or less the same, they dont talk differently or dress different regardless of the skin colour (as the "hood" favelas in Brazil has all kinds of people including white people and a variety of shades).
Also Brazilian people more white and much more mixed in general than their North American counterpart, even the darker people, they have a lot of european features, like their darkness is different from most black/mixed people I see in the US. I think because of these generations of mass mixing, the beautiful ones are really beautiful. And if you look at Brazilian mass media, most of the models/actresses are actually the brunettes who people can relate to the most, the traditional beauty in Brazilian culture. You rarely hear songs describing the beautiful blondes, they always talk about the beautiful brunette. I guess with a lot of beautiful brunettes around, its just hard to stand out unless this person is truly exceptionally beautiful.
Also when Brazilians talk about big butt, I notice it's different than the "bigness" of North American black culture. The big here is a very specific fit, worked out look that translate into health and fitness, on the bountiful side, but not necessarily the same as the overweight and cellulite filled bigness of North America. All the girls I see here who have big butt work out in the gym a lot, their body is a result of hard work and dedication so that's cool.
Anyways, I rarely see people here as black as the ones in North America, or as white as in North America, it's very spread out. And people don't have a notion of black/white culture. It's more regional, there are a lot of white people in the Northern part of Brazil too, more than you think.

................."Beauty" to a Brazilian women is R$100 note's.........................

True. apparently this is universal across cultures.

we are only talking about one culture on this site at the moment LOL

Well what can i say, i know a lot of different cultures

Old thread but can be updated after 7 years.

I have always thought that inner beauty is more glorious than beauty that is skin deep - as the exterior appearance will deteriorate with time whereas the inner beauty will only increase with age.

Anyone disagree with this?

    Old thread but can be updated after 7 years.
I have always thought that inner beauty is more glorious than beauty that is skin deep - as the exterior appearance will deteriorate with time whereas the inner beauty will only increase with age.

Anyone disagree with this?
   

    -@Pablo888

Depends on the circumstances.

The sort of woman you want to marry should be both, but inner beauty is the more important.

If it's a quicky in a hotel room, who cares about her personality?

Personally I am most grateful for perceived inner beauty - without it I would probably still be a virgin...!

    Personally I am most grateful for perceived inner beauty - without it I would probably still be a virgin...!
   
    -@Peter Itamaraca

I still am. With that in mind, I must remember to ask the first wife about the 2 kids.

03/24/24 @Pablo888.  A fascinating question.  I’m glad that you revived it.

Anyone who reads what I write, or even my profile, knows that I’m gay, and I was asked once by a friend of very long standing – a woman, naturally – “Why are your boyfriends always so good looking?”..I was not offended by the subtext of the question – “And how do you attract them?”, because I had often wondered about it myself, and finally concluded that I was just very lucky, and to go with it.  There’s no accounting for taste and besides, they were all big boys, quite able to take care of themselves.  The question itself, though, seemed so obvious that, before I could even filter myself, I blurted out, “Well, duuuuuh!😂”

I wrote “a woman, naturally”, because I have never had to explain to a male friend, gay or straight, the primacy of physical and sexual attraction.  If I had $1000 for every female friend who ever asked me, though, I could have retired a lot earlier.  It seems to be a subject that a lot of women find fascinating, and a lot of men just take as a given.  Maybe it’s an evolutionary adaptation that pre-dates consciousness.  I’d bet money that it pre-dates conscience.

I’m not so sure I agree that “inner beauty will only increase with age”.  Age can certainly bring perspective, and some wisdom to the lucky ones, but it also brings adversity.  As Aldous Huxley astutely observed in Island, adversity can make a person an emotional athlete or an emotional cripple, and there’s no real way of knowing the outcome in advance.   Late-life divorce seems to be becoming a much more common thing.

One thing that I do think is indispensable is some type of religious or moral base.  I’m not particular about the theology and have nothing against sincere agnostics, but I’ve never had a really trusting mutual relationship with a determined atheist, and doubt that I could.  George Washington was an acute observer of human nature inexplicably underrated, and he gave us a good warning in his Farewell Address:  “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”  230 odd years of human experience since haven’t proven him wrong, I think.

Respect is essential.  If partners can’t respect each other, the relationship is doomed.  Admiration is even better.  If you find things to admire in your partner you’ll want to stay forever, and probably become a better person in the process.

How does all this relate to Brazil?  This culture and its people have been my constant study for almost fifty years, and I get as surprised, pleasantly or unpleasantly, as often as anyone else.  For one thing, a lot of Brazilians are obsessed with physical perfection to an extent that most English speakers outside Los Angeles find incomprehensible.  Early in our relationship, I was nonplussed when my husband confided to me some of things that he thought were “wrong” with his body and that he wanted to “fix”.  Some of them could be addressed through diet and exercise which would be good for both of us, but some would definitely involve surgery.

I knew from the day we met that he was an unusually handsome man (I repeat, “Well, duuuuh!😂”)  Fortunately he’s also very smart, and wasn’t too hard to convince – but did need some convincing about that surgery idea.  During the ensuing ten years, his looks have only matured and improved as far as I’m concerned, no cutting required. We have a lot of friends, though, who have submitted themselves to plenty of painful and sometimes health-threatening procedures for what I think are trivial reasons.  Not for nothing is Rio de Janeiro one of the plastic surgery capitals of the world.

Charm is the keystone of Brazilian interpersonal culture.  Brazilians are taught from childhood to be charming, and most of them master it, to some extent.  Combined with natural consideration and a strong cultural taboo against “punching down”, even in humor, it makes them great company.  Under the sunny exterior, though, Brazilian relationships especially outside the family can be amazingly, sometimes mercilessly, transactional. 

That “foreigners are all rich” has passed from being a stereotype to being a commonplace that’s widely believed, and the tragedy that I’ve observed more than any other involves partnerships between a Brazilian and a non-Brazilian, in which the Brazilian partner tries to remain neutral or worse, becomes an accomplice, when the predatory relatives close in on the person who should be most important to him or her in the world.  No love, let alone respect or admiration, can survive the ensuing attempts at looting.

Fifty years in the Slow Class is probably some kind of record.  At least the teachers are patient and pleasant, and full of surprises.  I’m still glad that I enrolled in the course, guess I’ll stick with it.

Thank you @abhtree and @peter_itamaraca for the feedback.  Other feedback welcome too as the Brazilian culture is multi-faceted.

Would love to hear an update from @James and @VictoriaChandler as they would have noticed changes in Brazil over the years, from COVID, etc...

03/24/24 Would love to hear an update from @James and @VictoriaChandler as they would have noticed changes in Brazil over the years, from COVID, etc...
   

    -@Pablo888

Unfortunately, James passed away in 2016.  He was a great contributor, and is still missed. 

@VictoriaChandler hasn't  been seen in five years, but you never know! 😃

    03/24/24 @Pablo888.  mercilessly, transactional. 

That “foreigners are all rich” has passed from being a stereotype to being a commonplace that’s widely believed, and the tragedy that I’ve observed more than any other involves partnerships between a Brazilian and a non-Brazilian, in which the Brazilian partner tries to remain neutral or worse, becomes an accomplice, when the predatory relatives close in on the person who should be most important to him or her in the world.  No love, let alone respect or admiration, can survive the ensuing attempts at looting.
   

    -@abthree

I see this very often. That situation reminds me of predatory families in Canada. So you have your core relationship where the spouse is just an echo chamber for said predatory family.

When it comes to international relationships in retrospect is not a mainstream thing thankfully.

I am always counting my blessings with my wife and her immediate family, and the family that I have now been welcomed into,  not a rich family by any means however not a greedy family and very humble in terms of lifestyle.

Skin color does play a big role in Brazil as awful as that sounds.

But in terms of beauty it is all here of all shades of black brown tan and white,

Super happy things turned out the way they did for you abthree !

03/24/24 I am always counting my blessings with my wife and her immediate family, and the family that I have now been welcomed into,  not a rich family by any means however not a greedy family and very humble in terms of lifestyle.

Super happy things turned out the way they did for you abthree !
   

    -@Mikeflanagan

Thanks, Mike --  you too. 

My in-laws are very much like yours:  decent, proud, hardworking people, with old-fashioned Brazilian values very much like the ones I was familiar with in the Northeast.  We keep our eyes open and are quick to offer them a hand up when they seem to need it, especially where the education of the kids or someone's health is concerned, but they never come to us with a hand out. 

@abthree

Yeah. Anytime anyone needs help with anything in the immediate family not even a question because if they can do it themselves they will. Hard to find family like this lol

Anybody else notice the number of views this topic has gotten? As of Sunday evening, something like 31k views!

@Pablo888 Brazilians exhibit a keen appreciation for inner beauty, evident through their religious devotion and modesty. Simultaneously, many place importance on physical fitness and opt for regular Botox treatments, not to mention their pride in having pioneered liposculpture, now commonly known as liposuction. It is worth noting that money plays a significant role in various aspects of life in Brazil. Fortunately, many foreigners possess the financial means to contribute in this regard.

Recently, I made an intriguing discovery that there is a considerable number of foreign women from diverse countries who share striking similarities with the local women residing here in Brazil. Since uncovering this, my life has undergone significant changes. Personally, I have come to appreciate the substantial influence that race and place hold within Brazilian society.

@Ako Stephen, thank you for sharing.

It is true that cosmetic procedures have helped to change the perception of beauty.  The picture that @James showed is typical of a perceived ideal shape for which a butt implant or a BBL - a Brazilian invention - would impart to a woman.

However, this shape can also occur naturally without medical intervention.

During my last visit to RIo during Carnavão, I saw a lot beautiful and fit women but I think that what makes Brazil unique is the beautiful result of multi-generational mixed heritage.

One of the most beautiful women that I saw - was not the typical blonde with blue eyes - like a super model but rather a woman who from one angle seemed to be from German descent, was a mixed black - red-head, and had a Japanese geisha painting smile.

I did not talk to her but I remembered saying to myself , "Diversity is a wonderful thing.".

I can imagine that people who come from a more culturally homogeneous country like China or Sweden, what is quite common in Brazil might be considered extremely beautiful because it´s simply different from what they are used to.

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder or are women really more beautiful in Brazil?

I am happily married and I am obviously biased in favor of my wife - both inside and out....

Would love to hear from expats who have chosen a Brazilian wife....

@Pablo888

Well said.

@Pablo888 internally,  I partially agree, some just get more bitter or skeptical with age.

Externally I don't know,  my fiance in BH says Brazilian women also love gray hair and I earned all of mine.

But as to beauty don't we each have our own concept or construct as to what's beautiful? I know advertisers are always trying to jam their version of beauty down our throats.

I'm just an old guy from Iowa, but my concept to beauty changes all the time and I  try to see beauty in everything (ok, bh traffic  not beautiful).

Biggest aphrodisiac in Brazil? An American passport...

05/26/24  Externally I don't know,  my fiance in BH says Brazilian women also love gray hair and I earned all of mine.

    -@HawkeyeSwarm

Ageism is certainly less of a thing in Brazil than it is in the United States, where long ago it hit near-pathological levels and shows no signs of improving.  That's one of many agreeable features of this culture, and there really are people in Brazil who appreciate an older (male) partner.

Still, it IS very much another culture.  Brazilians have very different education and often different expectations from a partner than people in other countries do.  In Brazil  the old saying "you don't marry the person, you marry the family" can seem quite literally true, and understanding both the partner's expectations and the family expectations behind her or him early on can help avoid unfortunate surprises later.

In Brazil  the old saying "you don't marry the person, you marry the family" can seem quite literally true, and understanding both the partner's expectations and the family expectations behind her or him early on can help avoid unfortunate surprises later    -@abthree

Marrying into the family was common when I got married decades ago.  My father-in-law made it a point to make sure that he was not losing a daughter but gaining a son....

But I still don't have pictures of the wedding.  I speculate that he is holding those and those would be on social media if something happens.

All jokes aside and this is a serious question - if marriage is a family thing Brazil and a couple decides to split, does one or both need to leave town (a mafioso - like Romeo and Juliet thing - happening)?

Let me add the perspective of one woman.  I'm nearing my 76th birthday and have 3+ years of experience in Brazil.  I seldom hear an all-inclusive, "Wow!  What a beauty!" comment (certainly not directed at me ).  There are, however, plenty of admiring comments offered about aspects of personal appearance, from both my male and female friends.  Disclaimer:  I frequent a pickleball club where both men's and women's bodies are on pretty full display.   So... the comments I have heard, offered in my presence, include such things as:  What a beautiful smile she has.  Her skin -- she glows!  Nice bunda! (of men and women) Goodness, such nice posture (i.e., nice demonstration of her breasts? ).  I'd love to have her body.  She wins the prize for most beautiful legs in the club.  Etc.

     I also note that when women comment on the appearance of other women, the focus tends to be on clothing, jewelry, hair, and complexion, rather than on overall beauty.  A comment such as "Ela é linda, não é?" seems to me to be a statement which encompasses the person's physical and internal beauty. 

     PS:  I do get compliments on my smile and my white/silver hair, the latter of which may simply be a comment praising my apparent lack of vanity.

@Pablo888

re leaving town after a split, my guess (based on my perspective from the interior of Minas Gerais) is that it would depend on such things as where the couple lives, where the couple's families live, how close the community is, the support network of the respective parties, the reason for the split/who's asking for the split, how angry/embarrassed/ashamed either of the parties is, etc.  In other words, it depends.  In some communities, yeah, leaving town (if a more comfortable and secure alternative is available) wouldn't be a bad idea.  In other circumstances, it's just a case of "Life goes on,"

05/27/24    @Pablo888
re leaving town after a split, my guess (based on my perspective from the interior of Minas Gerais) is that it would depend on such things as where the couple lives, where the couple's families live, how close the community is, the support network of the respective parties, the reason for the split/who's asking for the split, how angry/embarrassed/ashamed either of the parties is, etc.  In other words, it depends.  In some communities, yeah, leaving town (if a more comfortable and secure alternative is available) wouldn't be a bad idea.  In other circumstances, it's just a case of "Life goes on,"   

    -@Viajanete

I agree:  it pretty much depends on how "angry/embarrassed/ashamed either of the parties is".  And if the Brazilian party is very upset, then no matter who's right or wrong, the foreigner will probably be wrong in the community's eyes. 

@VictoriaChandler maybe like me they just want to hide their gray hair 😂😂😂😂

@teasquared completely agree with you

WoW, this is a super long thread.

My only two cents is that when I first started coming to Brazil, my Brazilian mother lived across the water from Rio in Niteroi. I was a teenager, and I would go across to a certain cafe next to Copacabana Beach. It was frequented by African American tourists who were in Brazil for a week or two to pick up Brazilian girls who they heard were easy and just loved black men. Since I could communicate in Portuguese, I was often asked to "hook them up" as we used to say with a Brazilian Beauty. I did my best to remind them that they were really talking about my cousins and other woman that were family friends and respect went a long way. It was difficult, but I did my best. Interesting thing is that after years of being around the barely clothed on Copacabana Beach I ended up meeting and marrying my Brazilian wife at a church in Maryland in the United States.

Roddie in Retirement 🕵