Japanese makeup is an ancient method of enhancing beauty. It is believed that evidence already existed since 3000 BC in Egypt.
In Japan around the seventeenth century it was common for women to pass a heavy dough of rice powder, called oshiroi. And nowadays makeup is still present in Japanese culture in both women and men.
A curiosity is that in recent years the cosmetics market in Japan has decreased by 11%, but the men's makeup sector has grown by 4% in 2021. It is believed that the growth is due to the amount of video calls people are making during the pandemic.
And there are the items that can't be missed to compose a good traditional Japanese makeup.
Let's see the 13 most popular makeup styles in Japan!
Ever wondered why Japanese women don't shave their pubic hair? Click below to also read our article: Why Japanese women don't usually shave.
Table of Content
1 - Basic makeup
This makeup is great for those who want to go out and take pictures for social networks because it's simple, you can see that the person is wearing makeup, but it doesn't give the feeling of mass rush. The secret is in the good preparation of the skin and in the details such as very light eyeshadow, light lipstick and well defined lashes with a good mascara.
2- Suppin – clean face
Another makeup used mainly by Japanese women is makeup to look like you have a clean face. This makeup is called Suppin Makeup (すっぴんメイク).
Who doesn't want to look good all the time without blemishes, pimples or dark circles?! This makeup is used to hide imperfections and highlight what's beautiful without looking like you're really makeup.
3 – Gyaru
Gyaru (ギャル) this makeup highlights the eyes and serves to make the appearance closer to a doll. This style is already starting to get out of the ordinary, but nothing prevents you from wearing this makeup and going to buy bread.
Everyone has their own style; if you feel comfortable wearing this makeup in your daily life, go for it. Being Gyaru is also a lifestyle and fashion; we recommend reading our article about curiosities of Gyaru.
4 - Idol Style
Idol Style is a technique used to make the appearance more childlike, so it works ideally if the young woman is under twenty years old or if she is older than she looks younger than her actual age.
Idols are quite popular in Japan, usually being young schoolgirls who become famous for singing, dancing, or appearing on television. We recommend reading our article about Idols do Japão.
5 - Anime eyes
As the name implies, Anime eyes is the makeup made to make the eyes look very similar to those we see in anime. Who never found that kind of eye beautiful, right?!
The secret lies not only in makeup but also in the contact lenses that are also a craze among the japoneses. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and the japoneses dedicate a lot of effort when it comes to creating the eyes of anime characters.
6 - Harajuku eyes
This style is for those who like colorful makeup and recently the style has been used in Brazil for simple artistic makeup.
The proposal is colorful eyes with designs around them and even the collage of colored stones around the eyes to give a cuter appearance. We recommend reading our article about Harajuku Fashion.
7 - School makeup
Also coming from the world of anime, the school uniform and cute appearance is a fever among the Japanese! As schools are very strict about clothes and makeup, many use it in cosplays or even after school.
The same happens with the saias curtas das colegiais on the street, they usually roll up their skirts after leaving school. In some schools, the japonesas use light makeup.
8 - Gyaru eyes
Gyaru eyes is the technique of trying to give the impression of bigger eyes with the help of makeup and contact lens! You can make it big by wearing lenses that are the same color as your eye to give it a natural feel.
But obviously you will be able to notice because this characteristic is present in anime characters. In Japan, they won't look at you oddly if you adopt this style.
9 - Sweet Lolita
Have you heard of Lolitas? This is a fashion style that emerged in Japan in the 70s and 80s. This style is part of kawaii culture. They are basically people who dress in the style of dolls, with flared dresses with lace, curly hair or bangs.
Sweet Lolita is a Lolita with cuter features, uses lighter and more discreet tones such as rosy ones. There are also other styles of Lolitas.
10 - Gothic Lolita
The difference between Sweet Lolita and Gothic Lolita is basically in the color chart. She doesn't shy away from the idea of looking like a human doll, but with darker makeup with darker shades like black. But it doesn't come out of the light makeup proposal.
Contact lenses are used for darker eyes and darker clothing. And it looks more seductive than cute.
11 - Geisha Makeup
The makeup of the Gueixas, Geiko or Geigi as they are also called has a more cultural aspect and deviates from the idea of basic everyday makeup. This aspect goes beyond just putting on makeup; it is a lifestyle.
They wear kimono and must remain single. And as the stages of life go by, her makeup style changes. Geishas use foundation with rice powder or lead and the objective is precisely to leave the face very white.
On the cheeks, the blush is dark pink and the eye shadows will be according to the age of the woman, being the red used by the younger ones.
12 – Cosplay makeup
Have you ever been in character for a cosplay event? For this type of event, there are not many rules, the cool thing is to try to look as close as possible to a character from the geek universe.
To look like the character in addition to makeup, you must be whimsical with clothes. And there is no age or gender limit for that.
13 – Makeup for men
As incredible as it may seem in Japan, there is a male group that is adept at makeup. Even that number rose 20% among Gen Z men.
As everyone wants to look good and beautiful on social media, most men choose makeup to look good in these media. They use more natural makeup. Some even paint their nails depending on the video they are going to make.
According to the publication Hot Pepper Beauty Academy, Japanese men aged between 15 and 19 spend 5,607 yen per month on basic cosmetics, while young people over 20 invest 5,410 yen in the same period.
What makeup style would you wear?