While Korea taught us how to shine, unravelled the secret to get perfectly hydrated, glowing skin with their intensive skincare routines and trend-setting inventions (hey, cushion compacts!), and gave us goals to achieve that beautiful ‘glass skin’, there’s a new player in the market ready to steal the limelight this year. Say hello to J-beauty!
Unlike its Korean counterpart, Japanese beauty follows a minimalist approach—the rituals focus on simple, but effective steps, using ingredients that have been ingrained for centuries in the country’s beauty philosophy. Japan being a long-established beauty capital of the world, J-beauty companies are turning the focus on products inspired by their traditional aesthetic principles of Kanso, Shibui and Seijaku (simplicity, understated beauty and energised calm), which sets them apart. Take Shiseido’s skincare line, Waso, for example—it has a range of holistic and natural products that take their inspiration from the Washoku tradition (traditional Japanese food).
Ready yourself to see a growing number of Nipponese beauty brands and products hit the shelves soon, with a recovering economy in Japan. You’re going to want to move away from sheet masks to more active ingredients like pearl powder—an ancient Japanese secret used to exfoliate and brighten. Or maybe you’ll keep both, like us. K-beauty isn’t going to vanish anytime soon, but Japan is all set to topple it this year with its ‘less is more’ formula.
Here’s a starter’s kit to begin your Japanese beauty journey.
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