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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you don't have to look too far to realize that's true. All the women around the world have done some things in the name of beauty (eyelash extensions, Brazilian waxes and tanning beds, to name a few) that probably seem crazy to people in different cultures who define beauty much differently.

In North America, we generally value long, flowy hair, bronzed skin and a face free of wrinkles, but in other parts of the world, pale complexions, visible scars, shaved heads and facial tattoos are the enviable traits.

Comparing it to the beauty standards of New Zealand’s Maori women, North American females would find it tough to adapt to their physical attributes.

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According to Maori, the first explorer to reach New Zealand was Kupe. He arrived first in Aotearoa using the stars and ocean currents as his navigational guides, he ventured across the Pacific on his waka hourua (voyaging canoe) from his ancestral Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki. It is thought that Kupe made landfall at the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, around 1000 years ago.

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The Maori women of New Zealand decorate their faces with a traditional tattoo called the Moko Kauae, which is made right below the lower lips mostly in blue colour. It is done from centuries and represents a sign of wealth for their ancestors. The beauty for Maori women is described as full blue lips and tattoos on the chin.

In terms of their body features they are slightly healthy and overweight as compared to non-Maori women in New Zealand. These women don’t consider their weight as a drawback when compared to a North American woman, where obesity is considered as a non-beautiful aspect.

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Tattooing is a sacred ritual to the Maori people of New Zealand, and not something parents warn their teenagers they'll one day regret. Traditionally, a chisel was used to carve grooves into the skin (though today, tattoo machines are the norm), creating swirling tattoos called Ta-moko. Women with tattooed lips and chins and full, blue lips are considered the most beautiful

The Maori people of New Zealand have been decorating their faces with swirling blue tattoos called “moko” for centuries. Originally a sign of wealth for their ancestors, today most Maori people have moko. For women, the ultimate sign of beauty is full, blue lips and tattoos on the chin.

Apart from the sacred tattoo they value emotions and humanity. They believe that engraving a tattoo, leads out their inner self and gives them a transformation which they yearn for.

Considering the aspect of facial tattoo, many women in North America won’t be comfortable with having a tattoo on any part of their face. Most of them work in a professional environment and as it’s not a part of their tradition only a few women in general have a facial tattoo. These tattoos are generally on forehead, above/below eyes and sometimes on cheeks/chin. The women having tattoos on their face in North America are generally tattoo artists or a named personality. Mostly a facial tattoo is done to enhance your looks and stand out. Whereas for the Maori women it’s a deeper connection and they have a great ancestral significance connected to the tattoo which depicts their roots and gives them an identity.

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During the origins of Maori in New Zealand, women and men did not use to apply any products to their face except the tattoo. Interesting part was the nature of the equipments used for constructing this facial masterpiece.

They used knives and chisels made from shark teeth, sharpened bone or sharp stones. The chisel, called the uhi, was made from albatross bone or iron, whereas the knives and chisels were either plain and smooth or serrated, and were used interchangeably depending upon the intended pattern or design in the skin.

The inks were
made from all natural products. Burnt wood was used to create black pigments; while lighter pigments were derived from caterpillars infected with a certain type of fungus, or from burnt kauri gum mixed with animal fat. The pigments were then stored in ornate containers called oko, which became family heirlooms. Oko were often buried when not in use.

The black pigment that was made from burnt wood was reserved solely for facial tattoos; while those made from bugs or burnt gum was used for outlines and other less revered tattoos. Before the beginning the tohunga ta moko would study the persons facial structure to decide on the most appealing design. As mentioned before, no two Maori tattoos are alike.

Nowadays, Maori women use cosmetic products similar to those of North American women. They aim to look good and simultaneously carry their family tradition through tattoo. Maori women in New Zealand are given much respect just based on their appearance and looks because of the tattoo.

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The Moko Tattoo holds a great significance for the Maori tribe and in terms of women it’s a sign of pride, strength and respect. A woman bearing the tattoo stands out from normal women in New Zealand and is looked in a respectful manner.

The tattoo has a spiritual significance and holds great importance for the women as they are able to connect to their inner self, ancestors, feel more connected to their roots and mostly they transform themselves to a better human being than before.

In New Zealand, for Maori tribe in particular, having tattoo is a general way to attract the opposite sex. The women attract the opposite sex by flaunting their facial tattoos, tattoos on neck and thighs. Whereas men do by their whole facial tattoo and designs.

Looks also play a role in the Maori Society lately, that’s why the cosmetic products are used in combination with the tattoo. The tattoo grabs the attention first and then you see the face. As the face is also given a priority, Maori women nowadays make sure that they dress good and appear beautiful in terms of make-up.

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"#Missuniverse - Internet Goes Wild For Miss New Zealand Tattoo". The Goldwater US, 2018, https://thegoldwater.com/news/12767-MissUniverse-Internet-Goes-Wild-For-Miss-New-Zealand-Tattoo. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

"Maori Neck Tattoo/Ta Moko On Lena". Shanetattoos.Com, 2018, http://www.shanetattoos.com/2013/08/maori-neck-tattoota-moko-on-lena.html. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

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"Ta Moko". Pinterest, 2018, https://www.pinterest.ca/karenpeneha/ta-moko/?lp=true. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

"Kat Von D Just Walked Down The Aisle In A *Totally* Unconventional Gown". Brit.Co, 2018, https://www.brit.co/kat-von-d-wedding-dress/. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

Crowther, Tori. "7 Celebrities Trying To Make Face Tattoos Happen". POPSUGAR Beauty, 2018, https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Celebrities-Face-Tattoos-44997287. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

"Witchouse | Tattoo Amino". Tattoo | Aminoapps.Com, 2018, https://aminoapps.com/c/tattoo/page/user/witchouse/V03s_jfPVK7B2XzVX1eBkkD5BlLYVlq. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

McCahill, Elaine. "'Human Dragon' Spends £6K Having Eyeballs Tattooed Blue And Tongue Split In Half". Mirror, 2018, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/human-dragon-spends-6000-having-12668275. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

"'It's Transformative': Māori Women Talk About Their Sacred Chin Tattoos". Broadly, 2018, https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/9k95ey/its-transformative-maori-women-talk-about-their-sacred-chin-tattoos. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

"Body Size". Ministry Of Health NZ, 2018, https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/maori-health/tatau-kahukura-maori-health-statistics/nga-tauwehe-tupono-me-te-marumaru-risk-and-protective-factors/body-size. Accessed 11 Nov 2018.

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The legend states that there was a young warrior called Mataora, who fell in love with the princess of the underworld, called Niwareka. Niwareka came above ground to marry Mataora.

However, Mataora mistreated Niwareka, which in turn, made her return to the underworld. Mataora, sick with guilt about the way he treated his wife pursued her to the underworld, only to be greeted by her relatives who laughed at his ragged appearance and smudged face paint.

Mataora apologized before Niwareka’s family, and this act won Niwareka back. Before returning above ground, it was said that Niwareka’s father, the king of the underworld taught Mataora the art of ta moko. Mataora brought back these skills to his people and that was how the Maori came to have their distinct type of tattoo.