Japanese Beauty Products: The Best of the Best

I love Japanese beauty. I did live in Osaka, Japan for four years after all and I can speak Japanese. Even though Osaka is a big, urban city there were weeks that went by when I didn’t see another Western person. However, this allowed me to eat, sleep and breathe Japanese. Sometimes I even dreamed in Japanese…crazy huh? While in Japan I liked to spend my Sundays browsing beauty counters at Takashimaya or rifling through all sorts of treasures at Don Quixote. So when it comes to Japanese beauty, I like to think I know a thing or two. I’ve been using Shiseido for years. DHC Cleansing Oil? Yes, been using that for years too. So I wanted to devote an entire post to Japanese beauty – here are some of my favourite Japanese beauty products.

Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother

The Japanese women are always on their phones. Live streaming is huge in Asia – especially in Japan and Korea and therefore you must always look pretty in the camera. The Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother certainly had Instagram in mind when it developed this product because this is all about getting instant photo-ready skin. How does it do it? Well it uses an intelligent skin technology that combines a unique oil-targeting powder with a serum. It blurs and soaks up oil, reduces pores, etc. The best thing about this product? You can use it ON TOP of make-up. It’s also a perfect size for the handbag for touch ups on-the-go.

Shiseido Inkstroke Eyeliner in Shikkoku Black

To try and get those almond-shaped Asian eyes we aim to perfect that cat flick with our liquid eyeliner. The Shiseido Inkstroke Eyeliner in Shikkoku Black is absolutely fabulous if you have trouble perfecting the flick. It’s a gel eyeliner that is waterproof (it really stays put!) and comes with a fine-tipped brush. The product was inspired by Japanese calligraphy and it really does allow you to get that perfect flick which stays put all day long. It doesn’t smudge or blur and there is no crease-line by lunchtime if you know what I mean. I also love the container it is in – inspired by Japanese ink stones used for calligraphy. Someone has really thought through the details in this product and it is fab!

Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow 01 Kakitsubata

I had been wanting to try Suqqu for awhile because I still recall how energised my eyes looked after visiting the counter and getting an eye-lifting massage. So the Suqqu Blend Color Eyeshadow in Kakitsubata ticks off the boxes for great everyday eyeshadows in four colours that you are bound to actually use. The powders are coated with silicone so they give a lovely finish, blend well and last ages.

Shiseido WasoColor-Smart Day Moisturiser SPF 30 – Loquat Leaf

Shiseido has now launched a little sister brand called Waso who is a cooler, more millennial version of its older and more glamourous sister Shiseido. This has launched in Japan and now has hit the UK. The brand is clean-looking, minimal and has understated elegance. Each range has a powerful ingredient and the green one pictured below contains Loquat Leaf Cells which is a powerful antioxidant. I love these – essentially they are tinted moisturisers that are actually good for your skin. You can just apply this straight after cleansing for a beautiful glow. The pigment is super-smart as well. It really did adapt to my skin colour and I love that it blends well even though it contains SPF 30. I’m never usually impressed with tinted moisturizers with SPF but this one really is AMAZING. It’s a make-up skincare hybrid that is actually good for your skin! The formula contains no oil so won’t make you break out and also uses a PhytoResist System that uses the power of botanicals to protect skin against external aggressors. This is a brilliant product for someone living in an urban environment because it’s also anti-pollution.

Shiseido WasoColor-Smart Day Moisturiser SPF 30 – Carrot

Now the orange Waso Color-Smart Moisturiser SPF 30 uses the power of whole Carrot cells to hydrate the skin. My skin is always dehydrated so I’ve been using this one in particular as it’s really suited to my skin type. I love this and have been using this in place of my actual foundation. You can use it as a moisturizer and also in place of your foundation or use foundation on top. The coverage is surprisingly good and also blends like a dream. I love that it contains SPF 30 and is anti-pollution – this is the perfect product for city skin. Again with this product the colour adapts to your own skin and it’s brilliant at doing it too.