5 Japanese Beauty Products to Try in July

No need to let your face melt like the Wicked Witch of the West this July with these hot products for keeping your make-up, hair and skin fresh all day long.

K-Palette Essence In Eyebrow

Price: ¥1,400
Where to buy? Available at most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: Packed with 20 essence ingredients that treat the eyebrows and skin during wear
Best for: Those who don’t want their defined brows fading or disappearing halfway through the day

Japanese cosmetic brand, K-Palette, are gaining popularity around the world with their amazing 1 Day Tattoo eyeliners, that truly do what they say. It’s exciting to see that K-Palette are expanding their product range, and applying this stay-in-place technology to eyebrow products.

The 3-in-1 Essence in Eyebrow contains a fine eyebrow pencil that makes defining the brow and giving it shape quick and easy. A smooth eyebrow powder, which is contained in a clever chip applicator, is gently swiped along the brows for a soft, full brow effect. Finally, the screw shaped brush is perfect for grooming and softening the brow for a flawless natural effect.

I’ve found K-Palette’s 3-in-1 Essence In Eyebrow product to be the best eyebrow liner in terms of resistance to sweat and it’s ability to stay in place all day. Even in the super humid Tokyo weather, this product looks as it did when I first applied it in the morning, and I had to remove it with cleansing water at night.

Esprique Cool BB Spray 50+

Price: ¥2,100
Where to buy? Available at most Japanese drug stores and convenience stores
Beauty brownie points: Shrinks the appearance of pores with it’s cool touch
Best for: Everyday wear

For everyday makeup it’s hard to beat a good BB cream, and in summer even more so, as daily UV protection is a must. Esprique’s Cool BB Spray is the perfect product for hot summer work days, as it ticks all of the essential boxes: wearable medium coverage, quick and easy to apply and high SPF coverage. Add to this its clever cool-to-the-touch sensation, which is not only extremely pleasant on a hot day but shrinks pores so that they are easily covered by the BB cream.

The spray application of a BB cream is also quite unique. To use, simply spray the BB directly onto the sponge provided and apply to the face in a gentle sweeping motion from the centre of the face to the hair line. The long wearing, sweat and water resistant formula seals the deal – this is the perfect everyday BB cream for the humid Tokyo summer.

Lululun 1 Mask

Price ¥1,500 (5 masks)
Where to buy? Available at most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: The special three layer mask fits the face perfectly and stays in place so you can multitask instead of having to sit and wait
Best for: Prepping skin to look its best for any occasion

Lululun, who are much loved for their fun range of reasonably-priced everyday face masks, have now developed a series of special care luxury face masks simply called 1. Lululun 1 masks contain a beauty micro oil that is designed to plump the skin making it more radiant, hydrated and super soft. The three layer millefeuille mask feels luxurious when compared to the regular range of Lululun masks, and has been carefully designed to fit the face comfortably, adhering well to the skin to prevent slipping.

AHA By Cleansing Research Exfoliating Wash

Price ¥1,000
Where to buy? Available at most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: Refreshing apple scent
Best for: Clearing up and preventing summer skin breakouts on the face, décolletage and back

During the humid summer months, one of the most common skincare concerns is breakouts. As the pores open more in the humidity, sweat and dirt easily accumulate within them, creating a breeding ground for zits. Even areas such as the décolletage and back are more prone to breakouts in summer.

I love this AHA cleanser to use in the shower at the end of the day to thoroughly cleanse the skin. Its gentle formula contains papain enzymes, kiwi extracts and a fine scrub to gently exfoliate the skin and cleanse any sweat or grime that has built up in the pores. With regular use your skin will be looking clear and healthy.

Botanist Refresh Shampoo

Price: ¥1,400 (490ml)
Where to buy? Available at most Japanese drug stores
Beauty brownie points: Natural botanical ingredients
Best for: Those who like a cooling feeling on their scalp when they shampoo

Looking to make the boring daily task of shampooing your hair a little more enjoyable and refreshing? Botanist have released a special range of cooling shampoo called Refresh for the hot summer months. Botanist Refresh contains natural mint to give a cool sensation on the scalp as you wash. This pleasant and revitalising shampoo is the perfect pick-me-up for your morning shower, as the cooling mint scent and tingling feeling on the scalp definitely helps to wake you up! It comes in two formulations: Moist and Smooth. Moist is perfect for those who have damaged or thicker hair types and want to reduce volume, and Smooth is designed for thin or fine hair styles that want a smooth finish but soft volume to the hair.