The world of Japanese makeup is vast, with plenty of long-time staples and new arrivals filling the world with high-quality products, great for creating a perfect look. And while we’d love to give a shoutout to all of the amazing J-beauty brands out there, today, we’re talking about the Japanese makeup brands that every J-beauty lover should know!
We put together a list of Japanese makeup brands that we think any J-beauty enthusiast should know. If you’re a seasoned J-beauty lover, you probably know all of these brands. But if you’re just getting to know the world of J-makeup, this list is for you!
And if any of these brands pique your interest, you can click on the brand name, product names or browse through our Japanese Cosmetics selection to get your hands on Japanese makeup from the brands on our list (and some of the more minor yet beloved J-makeup brands)!
Shiseido
Shiseido really stands out for the amazing research, technology and traditional ingredients that go into their products! Image via Instagram
Let’s start with the largest Japanese beauty brand in the world–Shiseido. Shiseido is a long-standing J-beauty brand that is famous for their amazing research that contributes to products that are hard to beat overall in terms of efficacy. Shiseido themselves have a great variety of high-quality makeup (and skincare) products, both for women and men.
However, they also have several brands underneath their umbrella, including Elixir, Maquillage and d Program. And while these brands have made a name for themselves. In terms of what a J-beauty lover needs to know, the two standouts are Cle de Peau Beaute and Majolica Majorca. (Although Elixir is making a name for itself for its aging care.)
Cle de Peau Beaute
Cle de Peau Beaute is really a pillar of luxury in the world of Japanese cosmetics. Image via Instagram
Cle de Peau Beaute is one of Japan’s most luxurious makeup and skincare brands, which is reflected in the price point. However, despite the high price, this Shiseido brand still sells like hot cakes with its high-quality formulas, amazing ingredients and effective results.
For makeup, their Luminizing Face Enhancer (a stunning highlighter) and their Eye Color Quad shadows are particularly well-loved makeup products.
Majolica Majorca
Majolica Majorca is a popular brand for young women with its affordability and magical girl feel. Image via Instagram
If Cle de Peau Beaute is the high-end Shiseido brand, Majolica Majorca sits at the opposite with affordable but super cute makeup products. It has more of a whimsical academia vibe to its packaging, giving it an elegant feel despite the low price.
Their Magic Scope Eyeshadow is their most popular item, with the line featuring single-color, shimmer eyeshadows (including different varieties of shimmer) that are so cute!
Kanebo
I'm a huge fan of the Kanebo Scrubbing Mud Wash while some of my friends have really enjoyed Kanebo's eyebrow pencil. Image via Instagram
Kanebo on its own has a selection of skincare and makeup products, with their skincare products really shining. However, when it comes to makeup, their brands Lunasol and Kate are the real makeup powerhouses.
Lunasol
Lunasol is often perfect for a vibrant, colorful yet refined look. Image via Instagram
Lunasol sits as one of Kanebo’s higher-end brands with a higher price point but with a great quality to match. Their eyeshadow palettes tend to be the standout, with their Eye Coloration Eyeshadow being an extremely highly rated product on @cosme. Their lipsticks, glosses and base makeup also tend to create buzz online!
Kate Tokyo
Kate Tokyo is a staple of youth culture with great formulas, affordable prices and an awareness of the trends young women love! Image via Instagram
Kate, or Kate Tokyo, is the more affordable Kanebo brand that stands out for its youthful, fashion-forward vibe. Their Lip Monster line is their most popular, coming in a variety of shades, textures and finishes. Their eyeshadow palettes are also popular thanks to how easily one palette creates a full on-trend Japanese eye look, such as the Mellow Brown Eyes Palette or the Popping Silhouette Shadow.
Canmake
Canmake is famous the world over for striking the perfect balance between affordability and great quality. Image via Instagram
Canmake is one of those brands that both general beauty and J-beauty enthusiasts really love. In Japan, it’s made a name for itself with affordable yet highly effective and beautiful skincare and makeup products, best known in Japan as a drugstore brand for teens and college-age women. However, beauty lovers really love the quality and cuteness of this brand.
Their Cream Cheek Blush, Creamy Touch Liner and their Petit Palette Eyes shadows are the standouts, with the Mermaid Skin UV Gel being a popular skincare product!
RMK
RMK is one of those brands that is perfect for adding a pop of color to your everyday look! Image via Instagram
RMK dates back to the late 90s and is built around makeup that has a sweet spice to it and is perfect for both everyday and for standing out. Their base makeup actually stands out in Japan, such as their award-winning Flawless Coverage Plus Liquid Foundation. However, their Face Palettes, lipsticks and blushes are also popular choices for women across Japan.
Suqqu
Several of Suqqu's products have been winning awards for years, especially from 2021-2024. Image via Instagram
Suqqu opened up back in 2003 and has really taken off in both the skincare and makeup game. Their makeup is popular for its unique mix of Japanese style color and modern boldness which is perfectly captured with their popular, award-winning Signature Color Eyes shadow, Blurring Color Blush and Vibrant Rich Lipsticks.
Fun Fact: RMK and Suqqu are owned by the same company.
Three
Three is all about creating positivity and increasing self-expression with the use of makeup! Image via Instagram
This is another newer brand, starting back in 2008 with a concept of paying respect to nature and taking a more natural approach to skincare and makeup. One of their most popular products is the Glam Tone Color Custard, a multi-purpose blush, lip tint and shadow that won the number one middle-price product from @cosme. The Stargazing Eye Shadow Quad and the Shimmering Glow Duo R (a cute two-tone blush) are also best sellers for Three.
Shu Uemura
Shu Uemura is one of those brands that has become a mainstay worlwide, especially when it comes to cosmetics and skincare. Image via Instagram
Shu Uemura is iconic in the world of makeup and skincare, with their cleansing oil being a fan favorite and their eyelash curler being name-dropped in the first The Devil Wears Prada. Besides the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, their Pressed Eye Shadow, Kushi Brow and Hard Formula Eyebrow pencils stand out among their eye products.
Their Unlimited Lasting Liquid Foundation, Kinu Care Lip Cream and the Unlimited Mopo Loose Powder are also popular options!
Club Cosmetics
Club Suppin's powders are some of the best sellers on our site for several reasons, but especially for makeup fixes and UV protection! Image via Instagram
Club Cosmetics has a surprising history, dating all the way back to 1903! Their mission is to bring beauty to more and more people, which they accomplish with their Club Suppin and Daisy Doll lines. While we love both, their Club Suppin face powders have stood out as a favorite among Japanese beauty lovers for its UV protection, usefulness in makeup fixes and more, especially for the Club Suppin UV Shield Pact!
Koh Gen Do
You might recognize Koh Gen Do from their really cool Mahjong Tile Eyeshadows they were selling a few years back! Image via Instagram
Koh Gen Do was released in 1986 with the idea of releasing makeup and skincare with a natural feel that is kind to the skin and addresses people’s needs. You may know this brand from the once viral Mahjong tile eyeshadow. However, it has also made its name just by making high-quality skincare and makeup products, like their 3D Eyeshadow palettes and Liquid Rouge Lasting Color Balm.
KissMe (& Heroine Make)
The character on the front of Heroine Make's packaging is from the popular manga and anime series The Rose of Versailles, which recently had a movie release. Image via Instagram
KissMe is a brand that tons of people recognize from the long-lashed The Rose of Versailles character featured on their Heroine Make line. While the Heroine Make line does include primer and sheet masks, it’s mostly popular for the variety of mascara, eyeliner, eye brow pencils and eye makeup remover. The mascara is especially popular and is their most popular product, which Kiss Me has expanded on with their Heavy Rotation line!
Addiction
Addiction Tokyo's eyeshadows really are absolutely gorgeous! Image via Instagram
Addiction is a great beauty brand that focuses on uniqueness, boldness, impressive color and refined texture. This idea extends to all of the makeup products, with Addiction standing out for their The Single Eyeshadow, a single-color eyeshadow that comes in matte, cream and pearl, and their The Eyeshadow Palette. Their The Blush and The Foundation lines are also popular for their quality and vibrance (for the blush).
Decorte
Decorte is another luxurious option for a refined version of of the soft girl look! Image via Instagram
Decorte, or Cosme Decorte, is a popular beauty brand that sits on the higher end and strives to bring beauty to the world as a representative of Japan. And while their Liposome series is famous in Japanese skincare, they also have a variety of makeup products that are amazing. The Eye Glow Gem Skin Shadow is a very popular item, being in the @cosme Hall of Fame. Their Loose Powder, Zen Wear Liquid Foundation and Tone Perfecting Palette are a few of their other award-winning items!
The Zen Wear is one of Decorte’s most popular makeup products and has very high reviews, especially the Glow version! Image via Instagram
And that’s our list! There are plenty of brands that we wanted to include, these are the need-to-know for anyone getting into the Japanese makeup world! Make sure to check out our blog for more info coming soon about smaller Japanese beauty brands, need-to-know Japanese skincare brands and more to come!
