THE RISE OF J-BEAUTY - FROM JAPAN TO THE WORLD

Credits -@florianpagano

Credits -@florianpagano

Once overshadowed by Korea, its disruptive nemesis, Japan rises again as a center of attention. Sensoriality, high quality and technological all capture the essence of the J-Beauty renaissance.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST BEAUTY MARKETS IN THE WORLD

In France, 2018 stands for “Japonism”. The two countries officially celebrate their diplomatic relations as well as a the commemoration of the Meiji era’s 150th birthday, an era often perceived in Japan’s history as the opening towards the West.

Beauty-wise, one of the big event in Paris was the Cosmetic 360° on October 17 & 18, with an entire corner dedicated to J-Beauty. Visitors could interact with brands such as Shiseido and agencies such as Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation.

Enjoying its rank as the world’s second beauty market (Source: Euromonitor), Japan firmly emerges as one of tomorrow’s most promising luxury markets, with annual Beauty expenditures estimated at 22M$.

THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN RISES WITH RESILIENCE

"With brands like Sony, Panasonic or Toyota, Japan has always been a leader in innovation", deciphers Leïla Rochet, founder of the Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency.

"Designers like Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake, Kansai Yamamoto or Comme des Garçons literally built style in the 80’s. During a flourishing economical period called the Bubble Economy, all luxury brands were investigating Japan as a source of innovation. The culture there was also perceived as atypical and fascinating - which made it even more attractive.

Today, we are witnessing a J-Style renaissance, especially in design, fashion and beauty. Japan’s DNA echoes with today’s consumers quest for purpose, naturalness, sophistication and modernity. Propelled by a strong creativity of Japanese designers and beauty brands, the J-Style is truly contemporary ”. 

J-BEAUTY, A LABEL FOR EXCELLENCE

Now called "J-Beauty", 3.0 Japanese cosmetics have made their way in the market. Whether it’s native Japanese brands, Japanese-influenced brands or “Made in Japan” brands, the “J-label’, just like the French touch, is a highly attractive one - certifying both quality and technology.

American brand Tatcha, for instance, an indie skincare brand inspired by the Geisha of Japan, is one of the fastest growing skincare brands in the US. According to Tribedynamics, the brand is one of the most visible skincare brands on social media. In September 2018, Tatcha was at the top spot in EMV (Earned Media Value) in the US skincare category, +79 percent growth compared to 2017).

After having introduced its innovative skincare products to Millennials in 2017 with the Waso line, legacy J-brand Shiseido presented its new makeup line during the Cosmetic 360° event. Minimalistic and visionary, this new collection with a strong edge perfectly encapsulates J-Beauty’s new rise.

Lindsay Azpitarte, EMEA Regional Brand Vice President, deciphered the “J-Beauty signature” strategy by Shiseido, drawn for the brand’s very core, with 3 founding concepts:
-The “Wa”, harmony expressed through minimalistic boldness.  

- The Ma”which means intuition - where what’s visible is as important as what’s invisible, explaining the high-tech ergonomics of the packs.

- The “Kensei”, or sensitivity, expressed through the extreme sensoriality of formulas and textures, and the highly artistic touch in the line’s communication.

Shiseido’s business is expanding. Japan’s largest cosmetic company announced their nine-month net sales were up by 10.2 percent to 805.76 billion yen (Source WWD).

PURE TECHNOLOGY x SENSORIALITY

The highly innovative and disruptive textures, as found in the sliding VisionAiry Gel Lipstick or the cloudy-like Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush, come in pared-down black packs with a simple red line. Claiming themselves as “the thinnest in the world”, this new Shiseido line definitely show J-Beauty’s pure technology mixed with sensoriality.

 
Credits: @Shiseido

Credits: @Shiseido

 

The technology of precision lies at the heart of Japanese skincare culture, as mentioned during the event’s roundtable.

“I was very moved by Jean Claude Le Joliff’s [founder of Inn2cintervention” says Aida Lisea, technical expert at Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation. “Modern J-Beauty truly puts high technology and high quality above everything else. The frame of work is to extract millennial, traditional ingredients and infuse them with innovation. There’s this idea of continuously creating the same things, but in such a more modern and advanced way.”

When facing a “fun and disruptive” Korea, is J-Beauty choosing the high-end path? If things aren’t that simple, one can’t ignore the renewed excellence found in J-brands ingredients and textures.

WELLNESS, SHITTORI AND SUPERFOOD

Worldwide, consumers are currently on a quest for alternative lifestyles, centered around wellness and healthy living, two concepts where Japan can easily claim to be expert.

 

【予約受付中/AW 2018 MAKEUP COLLECTION】 目元をおしゃれに引き締めるジェルアイライナーが新登場。 シアアイシャドウや、シアチークバターなどのポイントメイクアップアイテムも、新たな質感やカラーにリニューアル。 shiroメイクアップコレクションの印象的なカラーメイクアップをご体感ください。​ ​ 2018/9/6(木)発売 予約受付中 ■がごめ昆布アイライナー(全4色) 3g 3,800円+税 待望のアイライナーが新登場。​ ジェルタイプで思い通りのラインが描け、つけたての美しさを長時間キープ。 がごめ昆布配合で目元もケアします。​ ​ ■シアアイシャドウ(全4色) 1.7g 3,400円+税 するりと肌に伸び、さらっとまぶたにフィット。 シアバターとゴマ油が目元をしっとりと保湿します。 発色とパール感がアップし、華やかに目元を彩ります。​ ​ ■シアチークバター(全5色) 5g 4,200円+税 カラーバリエーションを一新し、よりなめらかな質感とやさしいツヤへグレードアップ。 高配合のシアバターで肌にうるおいを与えます。​ ​ ■ジンジャーリップバター(新色2色) 5g 3,800円+税 発色、色もちがよくなった新色2色。​​ ジンジャーの効果でふっくら魅力的な唇を実現します。​ ​ ■亜麻ネイル(新色5色) 10mL 2,400円+税 爪先をあたたかみのある大人の色に彩る新色5色が登場。 爪を健やかに保ちながら、表情豊かなアレンジをお楽しみいただけます。 ​ ※がごめ昆布アイライナー(全4色)は、伊勢丹新宿店本館地下2階ビューティーアポセカリーにて、9/1(土)より先行発売​ #shiro #shirocosmetics

425 Likes, 0 Comments - shiro (@shiro_japan) on Instagram: "【予約受付中/AW 2018 MAKEUP COLLECTION】 目元をおしゃれに引き締めるジェルアイライナーが新登場。..."

 

After the wave of the Danish hygge, wabi-sabi or the art of "imperfection-perfection" aims for a simpler sophistication, where humility and contemplation are invitations to introspection. In Beauty, Wabi-sabi translates into minimalistic aesthetics, a search for singularity, and a certain “less is more” philosophy.

Obsessed with its Nature, Japan has become famous for its raw and powerful ingredients, used in day-to-day food and overall care. Authentic and rare, these ingredients target the young perfectly. The invasion of matcha tea and its Insta-worthy bright green is a good example.

Whether raw or fermented, J-brands extract or reinvent other noble items such as saké, miso, ginger, cotton silk or kombu leaves to create a fresh, indie, and superfood-infused skincare like ShiroThree CosmeticsSekkisei or Tatcha.

SHITTORI IS THE NEW CHOK CHOK

Just like the Korean chok chok skin, the famous glass-like translucent complexion, the Japanese shittori skin has made its way on Millennials #skingoals. As complex as the word umami, shittori describes a light yet "sappari" texture, which means luscious and hydrated, as well as highly "uruoi", glowy and glossy.

The shittori aspect is mainly used in fooding, best describes the texture of the famous mochi cakes, for instance.
Japanese Supplier, Daito Kasei, explained during the conference on the future of J-Beauty, how they mainly work on formulations and concepts translating the sensorial and complex shittori effect.

 

255 Likes, 3 Comments - waso (@waso_official) on Instagram: "For beautifully bright and refreshed skin. Bring out your best with our Purifying Peel Off Mask,..."

 

The Cosmetics Inspiration & Creation agency, specializing in Beauty, the curator and animator of the J-Beauty corner during the Cosmetic 360 event. The agency created many trend-books and reports on J-Beauty, and has visited Japan twice in 2018 to go trend hunting. For more informations, feel free to contact the agency.