appears to be universal, industry evidence suggests that it is particularly strong in Asia. This research examines the effect of culture on the pursuit of beauty. Three studies provide converging evidence that interdependent self-construal increases the likelihood of using appearance-enhancing products. Study 1 operationalizes culture through nationality and self-construal and shows that Easterners (more interdependent) are more likely to use appearance-enhancing products compared to Westerners (less interdependent). This is driven by interdependents’ tendency to conform to societal norms, which in turn leads to heightened self-discrepancy (Study 2). The use of appearanceenhancing tools helps to minimize this discrepancy. Lastly, Study 3 shows that the impact of interdependence on usage of appearance-enhancing tools is moderated by strength of norms. When norms are loosely defined and adherence is not strictly enforced, interdependents’ appearance enhancement tendency is reduced. This research offers actionable insights into the pursuit of beauty, marketing of beauty brands, policymaking, and consumer well-being. Keywords: Physical attractiveness, beauty, culture, conformity, norms CULTURE & BEAUTY 3 Women’s quest for beauty and the need to enhance their appearance is gaining unparalleled attention across the world. Powered by double-digit growth in cosmetic, skin care, and hair care industries, the global beauty market is set to touch $493 billion by 2020 (Euromonitor 2017). Moreover, the beauty industry seems almost immune to economic shocks (Hill et al. 2012). In the US and UK, some women are running marathons in full make-up (Weiner 2015; Wiseman 2013) and many others are spending increasing amounts of money to achieve the perfect face and body – money that can otherwise contribute towards college tuition or retirement (YMCA 2008). Although the obsession with beauty may appear to be universal, evidence from the industry suggests that this pursuit of beauty is even stronger in Asian countries. Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong have been the top spenders (per capita) for skincare in the world (Euromonitor 2013). Furthermore, Asia has the highest concentration of plastic surgeons (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons 2016). One out of three women in the age group of 19 to 29 admit to having gone under the knife in South Korea (Hu 2018). An analysis of Google Trends further reveals that Singapore leads in ‘plastic surgery’ web searches across the world (Google Trends 2018). Such industry evidence suggests that the culture to which a consumer belongs may exert a strong influence on their pursuit of beauty and appearance enhancement. An understanding of the influence of culture on the pursuit of beauty has far reaching implications for both businesses and policy makers. For multinational companies operating in the highly competitive multi-billion dollar beauty industry, a more targeted and efficient allocation of marketing resources between countries can have a huge impact on sales growth and profitability. Further, as firms look towards Asia for expansion, an understanding of the cultural influences on beauty can aid decision making about, but not limited to, product launches and assortment selection, product attributes and benefits, communications campaigns, and frontline sales training. CULTURE & BEAUTY 4 On the other hand, the relentless pursuit of beauty ideals has led to a worldwide surge in objectification, face and body shaming, body related disorders, and an obsession with plastic surgery, and this phenomenon is especially prevalent in the East (Zeilinger 2015). This has both individual and societal costs. Understanding the antecedents and the underlying psychological mechanism behind the higher prevalence of beauty pursuit among Eastern (vs. Western) consumers is valuable for policy makers to design interventions that may help to curb the negative consequences associated with it. Yet, despite the ubiquity and practical and social implications of the phenomenon, marketing researchers have paid scant attention to this cultural difference in the pursuit of beauty. Research on the pursuit of beauty and appearance enhancement has focused mainly on demographic factors such as age (Clarke and Griffin 2008) and gender (Kwan and Trautner 2009), along with other individual differences such as vanity concern, self-efficacy, and material needs (Mowen, Longoria, and Sallee 2009). The handful of papers that have examined the influence of culture on the evaluation of physical attractiveness (e.g., Cunningham et al. 1995) have generally focused on identifying cross-cultural differences in what constitutes beauty. For example, Cunningham et al. (1995) showed that East Asians and White