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Japanese beauty products are famous for their high-quality and efficient design. They often combine cutting edge technology with natural ingredients native to Japan and Asia to create unique products. They need to be durable so they can withstand the hot and humid summers too.
Walk into any Japanese drugstore and you’ll find a huge selection of home-grown cosmetic brands and products to choose from, as well as the more premium brands you can find in Japanese department store beauty counters.
Japanese consumers tend to take a preventative approach to beauty and skincare to produce radiant looking skin naturally without the need for a lot of makeup. According to a report by Statista, the most purchased cosmetic products by Japanese women in 2021 were skincare products such as face wash and sun cream.
Despite this preventative approach, there is still huge demand for makeup, with the following items being the most popular: foundation, eyebrow mascara, makeup base, eyeshadow, eyeliner, face powder, and mascara.
In this article we’ll look at some of the best-selling Japanese beauty brands and highlight a selection of their most popular products.
How we decided
- Proven Popularity in JapanPicked from top-selling, locally trusted beauty brands
- Humidity-ProofProducts that last through Japan’s heat, sweat, and humidity
- Gentle FormulasMade with mild, innovative ingredients suitable for sensitive skin
- Global FavoritesBrands with cult-status hero products and strong worldwide reputation
1. Shiseido
Shiseido is probably the most famous Japanese beauty brand of all time, with a history of more than 140 years. Their extensive range of sub-brands and products includes everything from skincare products like moisturizer and anti-aging serums, to sunscreen and makeup.
When it comes to makeup, Shiseido best-selling products include:
Shiseido Majolica Majorca Lash Expander
This mascara is a favorite product among beauty bloggers, earning high praise for its long-lasting effect that lengthens lashes without feeling too heavy. The mascara is filled with fibers that help to lengthen each lash by attaching to them, creating a fuller and longer lash. The Shiseido Majolica Majorca Lash Expander is also resistant to water and sweat so it won’t smudge at all. The mascara wand is a curved comb design to stop clumps from forming, and the light texture dries quickly and lasts up to 12 hours without any reapplication needed.
Pros
- Fiber-rich formula, dramatic length and lift
- Smudge-proof and resistant to sweat, sebum, and tears
- Removes easily with warm water
Cons
- Comb wand may take practice for beginners
- Not ideal if you prefer thick, volumizing effects
Shiseido Baby Powder Medicated Pressed
This convenient and functional Japanese pressed powder smoothens and brightens the skin by controlling skin oil excretion as well as covering pores. It helps prevent pimples, acne, breakouts and absorbs excess any oil excretion from the skin. It is specially made for people with sensitive skin and has a matte and translucent finish after application.
Pros
- Controls excess oil and reduces shine
- Gentle, fragrance-free formula suitable for sensitive skin
- Helps prevent pimples, irritation, and chafing
Cons
- Limited coverage compared to makeup powders
- Compact tends to run out quickly with daily use
Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil
This popular waterproof eyebrow pencil by Shiseido comes in four different shades including brown, dark brown, black, and gray.
It easily creates smooth and delicate eyebrows that last for hours, and the product is both water and sweat resistant. It has a light weight and compact size, ideal for travel.
Pros
- Long-lasting, waterproof formula that resists sweat
- Creates natural, smooth, and defined brows
- Slim and portable; perfect for on-the-go
Cons
- Needs sharpening
- Color range is natural but limited to 4 shades
2. Koh Gen Do
Koh Gen Do is a high-end cosmetics brand founded by a Japanese actress with stores across Japan. Their makeup combines healing plant-based ingredients with skincare technology to create products that protect and nourish skin. The company’s philosophy is that every product that you put on your skin should nurture it and improve its radiance, leaving it soft, smooth, and flourishing.
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation Liquid Foundation
Koh Gen Do’s makeup is ideal for sensitive skin, and best-selling items include their Maifanshi Foundation, available in six different shades. The foundation’s ultralight texture enables smooth application and covers unevenness as well as pores.
This foundation has been designed to last for long durations and has a fine water-repellent coating. It also contains saltwater using French sea salt and various natural ingredients which prevent your skin from dryness and UV damage.
Pros
- Lightweight, natural finish that brightens the skin
- Smoothly covers uneven tone and pores
- Clean, gentle formula free from fragrance and parabens
Cons
- Coverage is only light to medium
- Higher price compared to regular foundations
3. Kanebo
Kanebo is a Japanese cosmetics company that has been operating since 1923. They pride themselves on making cosmetics that are safer than other brands, while still creating products that reflect the latest beauty trends from Japan and overseas. Each season Kanebo develops innovative new products in collaboration with designers.
Kanebo are known for their best-selling eye makeup, like the KATE Double Liner eyeliner, a huge hit among Japanese consumers, beauty bloggers, and beauty magazines. Other popular products include the Allie range of waterproof eyebrow pencils and mascaras, which are resistant to sweat and tears, perfect for those humid Japanese summers!
Kanebo Kate Double Line Expert Eyeliner
Kate Double Line Expert Eyeliner is a Japanese eyeliner designed to make your eyes more defined. With only a few strokes you can easily highlight your eyes.
This popular eyeliner featured in a super light brown color creates a shadowy tone which makes your eyes look bolder but with a natural finish.
The ultrathin pen tip makes it easy to create lines on the tear duct, crease, and lower lash line.
Pros
- Ultralight brown shade creates natural shadow
- Ultra-thin tip makes precise detailing easy
- Great for tear ducts, crease lines, lower lashline
Cons
- Very subtle color may be too light
- Pen can dry out if not capped tightly
4. Ettusais
This younger brand of Shiseido was first introduced to consumers in 1991. Ettusais features a range of makeup products including lip tint, mascara, and eyeliner in a variety of colors to suit different occasions. Some of their most popular products include:
Ettusais Eye Edition Mascara Base
This Japanese mascara base features a fine brush that is quick to apply, separates the lashes, and lifts from the root to prevent clumps from forming. The lightweight formula contains beauty ingredients such as amino acid and hyaluronic acid to hydrate eyelashes and keep long-lasting curls in place. Ettusais Eye Edition Mascara is also waterproof and resistant to sweat and tears, meaning you don’t have to worry about it smudging. Use this product regularly to achieve thicker, darker lashes.
Pros
- Fine brush lifts, separates, and defines each lash
- Waterproof and resistant to sweat, tears, sebum
- Infused with hydrating ingredients to keep lashes healthy
Cons
- Subtle lavender-black shade may not suit everyone
- May require warm water to fully remove
Ettusais Tone-Up UV Primer Makeup Light Beige SPF50+ 35g
Ettusais Tone-Up UV Primer delivers bright, radiant skin while protecting with SPF50+ PA++++ non-chemical UV filters. Its serum-like texture hydrates deeply and smooths pores for a natural glow.
Gentle and fragrance-free, it’s perfect for sensitive skin and works as both a moisturizer and makeup base.
Pros
- Brightens and evens out skin tone
- Lightweight texture hydrates and primes the skin
- Gentle, non-chemical SPF50+
Cons
- Light coverage
- Pearlescent tone-up effect may look too glowy
5. Isehan
Isehan are best known for their mascaras and eyeliner under the Heroine Make range of products, easily recognized on drugstore shelves in their anime style packaging. The company has a long history in Japan, having originally started as a family shop back in 1825.
One of their bestselling products in Japan is their award-winning waterproof mascara, along with their Komachi-beni lip color, a vivid red extracted from the petals of safflowers, in a technique that has been used for hundreds of years by geisha.
Isehan Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara
This popular mascara is available in two types: Long & Curl or Volume & Curl. Featuring a curved shaped wand that helps to separate lashes without becoming clumpy, the Long & Curl product elongates lashes whilst the Volume & Curl mascara focuses on creating thick, curly lashes. Both types of mascara are smudge-proof and have the same curl-lock ingredients to keep your eyelashes looking great all day long. The Isehan mascaras are also waterproof and resistant to sweat and rubbing and contain six types of beauty serums to nourish the eyelashes.
Pros
- Strong curl hold that lasts all day without drooping
- Ultra-waterproof formula
- Jet-black pigment adds dramatic length
Cons
- Can be difficult to remove
- May feel slightly stiff on the lashes
6. Canmake
This Tokyo based company is a popular cosmetics brand, recognizable by their feminine and cute style packaging. The concept behind their makeup brand is ‘girly, pop, and shiny’, fun products designed to add a bit of sparkle to your life. Canmake’s collection of products includes items like their best-selling base makeup range where you can find concealer, powder, foundation, highlighter, and primer.
Canmake’s Stay-On Balm Lipstick is also a consumer favorite, it comes in nine different shades and provides the moisturizing ability of a lip balm, the sheen of lip gloss, plus UV protection.
Canmake Tokyo Cream Cheek Color
Canmake Cream cheek color has a gel-like texture and moisturizes skin. It spreads smoothly onto the skin and comes in a range of 11 natural colors, some of which can also be used on the lips.
This product is highly compatible with foundation and can be used on top of both powder and liquid foundation with its instant drying formula.
Pros
- Smooth gel texture for a natural, dewy flush
- Long-lasting and resistant to sweat, sebum
- Some shades double as lip tint
Cons
- Small size runs out quickly
- Clear shades may appear too sheer
7. Shu Uemura
Although the company is now owned by the Loreal Group, Shu Uemura was born in Tokyo in 1928 and became the first Japanese makeup artist in Hollywood. He created cosmetic products that are known for their high quality, precision, and attention to detail, while combining traditional Japanese heritage with modern trends.
All Shu Uemura products are crafted in Japan, and they are also famous for their award-winning eyelash curler, a favorite among celebrities and makeup artists thanks to its precision and unique design that fits various eye shapes.
Shu Uemura Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil
The Shu Uemura Hard Formula Eyebrow Pencil is smudge-proof and delivers perfect hardness and precision, working well with foundation after it's applied. It creates natural and defined long-lasting brows and features a unique oil activated formula that only shows with natural oil already on the eyebrow.
Pros
- Creates ultra-natural, hair-like strokes
- Hard texture gives precise, smudge-proof definition
- Long-lasting and works well over foundation
Cons
- Requires sharpening to maintain the angled edge
- Hard texture may feel stiff for beginners
8. Uzu/Flowfushi
Flowfushi was founded in 2011 by childhood friends Imamura and Masayuki Kuwajima, despite having no experience in the beauty industry. This gave them a unique perspective that allowed them to listen more to their customers than experts, and they quickly became known for their innovative makeup products at affordable prices, such as their best-selling Mote Mascara series.
Uzu by Flowfushi Mote Lash Japanese Clear Black Mascara 6g
Uzu by Flowfushi Mote Lash Clear Black Mascara delivers natural-looking length, volume, and lash care in one formula. Blending clear black fibers with nourishing minerals and botanical extracts like seaweed-derived Fucoidan, it lifts and conditions lashes while keeping them soft and flexible.
Safe for eyelash extensions, it enhances shine, longevity, and overall lash health. Ideal for everyday wear or as a base under your favorite UZU mascaras.
Pros
- Adds natural-looking length and volume
- Nourishes lashes
- Lightweight formula keeps lashes lifted
Cons
- Very natural finish may be too subtle
- Fibers require careful application
Uzu by FlowFushi Eye Opening Liner Liquid Eyeliner
This popular eyeliner features a fine brush that lets you define eye lines with precision and is inspired by traditional Japanese brush-making techniques. It is resistant to sweat and tears and has an ergonomic handle that is designed to easily fit into your fingers for a steady and stable application.
Pros
- Ultra-precise brush
- Resistant to sweat, tears, and humidity
- Comfortable octagonal grip
Cons
- Brush tip may feel too soft for beginners
- Beige shade is subtle
