New in J-Beauty: 11 Cult Japanese beauty brands you can now find in Singapore

Sarah Khan 23 Apr 2018 updated the 8 May 2018 à 17:01

1/11
THREE
Yes - this cult Japanese brand has finally made its way to Singapore. The brand's niche lies in its natural, holistic and science-backed approach to skincare. Expect a skincare and makeup range infused with skin-loving botanical oils, plant extracts, essential oils and waters that will nourish your skin. Did we also mention we're kinda-sorta obsessed with its minimalist packaging? P.S. There's even a haircare line as well to pamper your locks with!

Available in TANGS at Tang Plaza and Takashimaya Department Store.

Photo: THREE (Facebook)
2/11
Jill Stuart
Yes, we got all giddy-eyed when Japan-based JILL STUART Beauty launched in Sephora this year in all its unapologetically kawaii aesthetic that Elle Woods a la Legally Blonde would love. Founded in Japan in 2005, the brand is best known for their embellished packaging and blushes inspired by the make-up styles of Japanese women. Its beauty philosophy? For girls "to be ‘kawaii’ (cute)”, of course. Don't judge a book by its cover; its products pack a punch with their ingredients, which include skin-loving lavender oil, rosehip oil, wild rose and rosemary extract.

Available in Sephora.

Photo: Jill Stuart Beauty (Facebook)
3/11
Lunasol
At the crux of Lunasol's beauty philosophy is the idea that makeup should feel light, skin-like and melts right into your skin. While it carries a comprehensive range of makeup goodies that range from foundations to contour sticks, it is its line of stunning and highly-blendable eyeshadows that we can't stop raving about. Available in beautiful shades, each of the Lunsol Macaron Nuance Eyes (SGD43) eyeshadow is designed to resemble a truly kawaii macaron and feels deliciously soft on the eyes.

Available at all Lunasol counters in Singapore.

Photo: Lunasol (Facebook)
4/11
Sofina
Having launched in April just a few weeks ago, Sofina offers a line that targets the skin needs of women living in Singapore. The equatorial climate and constant exposure to air-conditioning here are stressors to the skin, and Sofina's skin care routine programme consisting of a base essence, lotion and emulsion precisely targets that.

Available at ISETAN Scotts.

Photo: Sofina
5/11
Kenzoki
You guessed it - Kenzoki is designer label Kenzo's own skincare line. The line is perhaps one of the newest additions to the J-beauty scene in Singapore, launched exclusively in Sephora stores only this March. The brand's star item has to be its highly-raved Belle De Jour Dream Night Mask (SGD136), a sleeping mask infused with the Sacred Lotus, touted for its anti-ageing abilities.

Available across all Sephora Singapore stores.

Photo: Kenzo Parfums (Facebook)
6/11
Anessa
Anessa has carved a niche for itself with its cult favourite sunscreens, which are said to get stronger in its UV protection when in contact with water. Besides sun protection, their sunscreens are also designed to be nourishing for the skin, formulated with ingredients like rose essence, hyaluronic acid, turmeric and vitamin C.

Available in Watson's.

Photo: Anessa (Facebook)
7/11
Suisai
Facial powder is a thing, folks and Suisai is certainly one of the pioneers in this beauty innovation. If you're a beauty enthusiast, you might've heard of Suisai's Beauty Clear Powder (SGD27/32 pieces), a much-loved drugstore item in Japan. It might sound a little strange at first, but it's essentially a facial cleanser that comes in a powder formula, packaged in travel-friendly hexagon-shaped packets. Each capsule dispenses just enough product for you to lather onto your face and is enriched with enzymes and cleansing ingredients that exfoliate your skin by sloughing away keratin plugs.

Available at BHG Welcia in Bugis Junction.

Photo: Kanebo
8/11
Excel
The secret to alluring eye looks your favourite Japanese models and beauty icons have? A great eyeshadow palette targeted for Asian eyes and skin tones. Arguably the most iconic product that Excel carries is the Excel Skinny Rich Shadow (SGD25.90), a rated #1 on Cosme, the Japanese digital beauty portal. Another cult product is its 3 in 1 eyebrow pencil, which has again garnered raving reviews on the site.

Available in SASA, Don Don Donki, Tokyu Hands, and Watsons.

Photo: Sasa
9/11
Senka
Senka's Perfect Whip Cleanser (SGD7.90) is probably one of the skincare goodies anyone traveling to Japan scours and stocks up. This affordably-priced foam cleanser lathers into a rich, dense foam that is formulated with a silk essence derived from silk cocoons - a generations-old Japanese beauty secret.

Available at Watsons, Guardian, NTUC, BHG, Welcia-BHG, and Don Don Donki.

Photo: Senka (Facebook)
10/11
Kose Cosmeport
Bestselling Japanese drugstore Kose Cosmeport is behind the 4 beauty brands under their arm — Je l’aime, softymo and Clear Turn. Je l’aime is the bestselling non-silicone hair care range in Japan; softymo’s LACHESA range which offers a variety of skincare products like face wash and cleansers; while mask junkies will also love Clear Turn for their selection of masks!

Available at Welcia-BHG, selected Watsons, Guardian and Sasa outlets.

Photo: Kose Cosmeport (Facebook)
11/11
FANCL
FANCL may have ceased operations in 2014, but it's back - with updated versions of its bestselling FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil, which has been reformulated to address the current makeup trends that lean towards matte, long-wearing formulas. Believing that skincare is as much what you put on your skin as what you consume, the brand also has its range of high-grade collagen drinks called the Tense Up Collagen Drink.

Available at all FANCL counters.

Photo: FANCL (Facebook)

Good news – there’s no need to travel all the way to Tokyo to get your hands on these beauty goodies.

From BB creams to glass skin, to say that the world has certainly gone a little K-razy over K-beauty is an understatement. If 2017 and the years preceding it was the era of K-beauty, it looks like J-beauty is now having its moment this year, however.

Just this January, Vogue.com published an article titled “K-Beauty, Make Room for J-Beauty“, touting 2018 as the year where J-beauty makes it comeback after seasons of an intense obsession with Korean beauty. Granted, while Japanese beauty giants Shiseido, SK-II and Shu Uemura still continue to be influential in beauty, it’s been somewhat eclipsed by the buzzier trends coming out of its Korean counterpart.

Whether you do genuinely think there’s genuine a competition simmering in between, it certainly looks like J-beauty is making a strong comeback – at least in Singapore. Just last year, Welcia-BHG opened its first ever all-Japanese beauty department store in Bugis, stocking up a whopping 3000 Japanese beauty brands, of which 1000 will be making its debut here. Cult beauty brand THREE also launched in Singapore, and Kose Cosmeport introduced their three bestselling skincare and beauty lines to the drugstore masses.

If you’re looking to expand your J-beauty repertoire, find out which new iconic Japanese beauty brands have now made its way to our Singaporean shores in the gallery above!

Sarah Khan

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New in J-Beauty: 11 Cult Japanese beauty brands you can now find in Singapore

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