The Return Of J-Beauty

It may have been eclipsed for a time by the novel offerings coming out of Korea, but Japanese beauty brands are enjoying a comeback, fuelled by fresh appreciation for the simplicity and dependable quality of their products.

- Goh Yee Huay

For a long time now, much F of the beauty industry's spotlight has been trained on K-beauty and its array of novel, buzzy products, like liquid-powder lipsticks and snail mucin masks. While its popularity shows no signs of waning, one of the pioneers of Asian beauty is making a discreet return from the sidelines to prominence.

Since a few years ago, Japanese skincare and makeup, or J-beauty, has been gaining on its Korean counterparts in both popularity and visibility. In China, demand for J-beauty is on the rise despite the pandemic. According to the Japan External Trade Organization, China's imports of Japanese cosmetics in 2020 jumped over 30 per cent from the previous year to S$5.8 billion surpassing the S$4.5 billion from South Korea.

In Singapore, Japanese brands have been steadily making their entrances in the market, or are expanding their operations. Meeth, for instance, is a new luxury skincare outfit based on mineral-rich deep sea water fro Last month, it opened its first brick-and-mortar outlet in Plaza Singapura. Late in 2020, skincare brand MT Metatron said to be a favourite among doctors and Japanese celebrities - opened its first flagship store in Singapore at Isetan Scotts. And so did high-end skincare line Est. Recently, Sunohada, a new brand designed specially for sensitive skin, was also launched in Singapore. And health and beauty retailer Welcia-BHG recently announced its plans to bring in more Japanese brands across all beauty categories, seeing it as the best way to spur growth.

J-BEAUTY IS TIMELESS AND FUSS-FREE. ITS PHILOSOPHY HAS ALWAYS BEEN LESS IS MORE.

AMANDA NG, HEROINE MAKE ASSISTANT BRAND MANAGER

THE MANY DRAWS OF J-BEAUTY