Makeup in Japan

Makeup is one of the most popular items purchased in Japan. Its main audience is women, and billions of products are sold per year. About 50 years ago, Japanese women wouldn't wear makeup (or wear minimal makeup) to work. Now, however, a more professional look needs to be obtained. A huge part of makeup for Japanese women is to subtly enhance certain features.

In Japan, many cosmetics shops have employees and staff members that specialize in makeup. They help you out and suggest many different types of makeup depending on your eye shape and face shape. For example, close set eyes should have dark eyeliner in the corners to make it seem like they're farther apart, and wide set eyes should have black eyeliner on the outside creases of the eyes. When I went to Japan, I went to a large mall in Tokyo with many floors. One of the floors had a huge makeup department. Very similar to American stores, the store was organized by different types of makeup. Eye makeup was in a different place than face washes, and nail polish was in a different place than perfume, etc. At each section an employee was stationed to help customers. These employees dished out free samples and suggested the best products for their customers.

Makeup in Japan was very expensive, but it was worth it. Japanese makeup is usually very high quality. When I tried to find information about this post, the first page on Google was full of "Top 10 best Japanese makeup you HAVE to try" lists. Japanese makeup is known for being extra long-lasting, extra smoothing, or just overall a better product depending on what it is. For example, there is a foundation called BB cream that is especially popular. BB stands for Blemish Balm and it was originally made for women with skin issues such as acne or scarring on their face. BB cream was originally made by surgeons, but now it's sold at general stores. The "best" BB cream is a Korean brand that's extremely popular in Japan.

Makeup is very popular with teenagers and women of all ages. Many women want smooth, blemish free skin, big eyes, and very subtle blush to look young.

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