Japanese cosmetics are known around the world for being very high quality, coming in pretty packaging and best of all, affordable. Luckily for us, there’s quite a good range of Japanese cosmetics here in Singapore, and you don’t have to fly to Japan to stock up on your beauty needs. Here is a list of 9 best Japanese cosmetics you can find in Singapore, from the cheap to the luxurious.
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Cezanne Make Keep Base in Pink Beige
Credit: Beauty Box Japan
This make-up primer not only brightens your skin tone, but it acts as a base to prevent sebum build up over time. We know, in this humid and hot Southeast Asian weather, you can look like a mess by lunch time. Well count your lucky stars because one of Japan’s best cosmetic brands has arrived in Singapore! Cezanne’s Make Keep Base can keep the oil away and get your face looking and feeling matte. On top of that, it’s SPF28 PA++ and fragrance-free, which is a huge bonus!
$15.90 at Watsons
2) Shiseido Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush
Credit: Shiseido
This blush has a very interesting whipped and pudding like texture that blends effortlessly into skin. It comes in 8 flattering colours that are inspired by the House of Shiseido’s muses and collaborators from past and present, and uses Shiseido’s breakthrough AirFusion technology. It leaves a natural, long lasting watercolor effect on the cheeks, giving you a lit from within glow. It also has fine micro-shimmer, so if you prefer your blush to be matte, this might not be for you. Otherwise, this would be a fantastic and unique addition to your existing make-up kit.
$29.00 at Sephora
3) Canmake Marshmallow Finish Powder
Canmake is another drugstore favourite in Japan loved for its cutesy packaging and great quality. This is one of Canmake’s star products, and it’s available in Singapore! The Marshmallow Finish Powder glides effortlessly across skin and is perfect for mattifying your skin after applying sunscreen or foundation. This silky powder smooths over pores, and gives skin a soft focus effect, just like marshmallow. It’s also SPF26 PA++, and contains skincare ingredients like aloe vera leaf extract, jojoba oil and shiso leaf extract.
$20.90 at Watsons
4)Excel Skinny Rich Shadow
Another drugstore favourite in Japan, Excel has also recently come to Singapore’s shores. The ever popular Skinny Rich Shadow is an eyeshadow quad that comes in 6 different variations of nudey browns. These colours are designed to flatter East Asian eyes and skin tones, that Western eyeshadow palettes may not necessarily cater to. As expected of Japanese shadows, they are silky soft to the touch and are sheer and shimmery. They are meant to be built up in layers from light to dark to create a soft gradation effect that really emphasizes eyes. Excel’s eyeshadows are really one of the best Japanese cosmetics you can find in Singapore!
$25.90 at Watsons
5) K-Palette 1 Day Tattoo Real Lasting 2 Way Eyebrow Liner
Although K-Palette is known for their excellent liquid liners, did you know they also make a great brow liner pen? These brow pens are very sheer so that they can be gradually built up in thin strokes to mimic real eyebrow hairs. The brow pen is also waterproof so you don’t need to worry about its lasting power. It’s also a 2-in-1 product, with a powder tip side to build up colour in sparse areas.
$23.90 at Watsons
6) Heroine Make Kiss Me Super Waterproof Volume and Curl Mascara
This is everyone’s favourite Japanese mascara, and for a good reason. It’s absolutely water, grease and smudge proof, lasting throughout the day without any panda eyes. The brush is also relatively skinny, which makes it easy to coat shorter lashes. It also holds curls throughout the day and your eyelashes never ever droop down. But as with all long-lasting mascaras, it comes with a caveat: you need to wash this off with an oil makeup remover. Regular cleansing waters won’t cut it!
$21.90 at Watsons
7)Daiso Eyebrow Coat
Does it come as a shocker that one of the best Japanese cosmetics is from Daiso? Well, I sure hope not, because Daiso’s Eyebrow Coat has been making its rounds in the beauty community for making eyebrows last the whole day. After drawing on your eyebrows, swipe on a layer of it and wait for it to dry, or dip a spoolie in it and brush it through your eyebrow hairs for a budge-proof brow. If you’re curious about more Daiso beauty finds, check this out!
$2.00 at Daiso
8) Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte Lipstick
The queen of Japanese cosmetics brands, Shu Uemura, boasts one of the best matte lipstick formulas in the market. Coming in vibrant shades suited for all skin tones, it glides on with ultimate ease and does not skip. Despite being very matte, it is not drying at all and feels comfortable and weightless on the lips. No doubt, this is one of the best lipsticks from Japan, if not, globally.
$38.00 at Sephora or any Shu Uemura counter or boutique
9) Kate Dark Rose Shadow
One of the prettiest eyeshadow palettes to grace Singapore, this is Kate’s Dark Rose Shadow trio that comes in 6 colour variations. It has three sparkling colours from light to dark, all pressed in a rose shape. Again, these are Japanese eyeshadows so expect them to be sheer and shimmery, as they are meant to be layered — that is, if you can even bear to use them!
$20.00 at Watsons
