I’m a Beauty Editor and These Are the Japanese Beauty Products I Bought While Visiting Japan for the First Time
Fani Mari
Fani Mari shares standout beauty finds from her recent travels.
After years spent dreaming of Japan, 2026 is the year I made it happen (as part of my honeymoon, no less). I knew I wanted to immerse myself in the culture and try all the food I could, but a big part of the itinerary was naturally beauty shopping.
While K-beauty is more popular in Europe, I believe J-beauty has many hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems. I can relate to Japanese beauty more than Korean, as they prefer more minimal, straightforward routines, focusing a lot more on hydration and skin repairing. Read on to discover all the Japanese beauty products that caught my eye when visiting, and where to shop them.
Where to Shop Beauty in Japan
These two stores were my favourites, and I’m sad I went there on my last day and not sooner. They aren’t beauty stores, though their selection is great, but they also have amazing stationery shopping. In terms of beauty, I found many brands I didn’t see in other stores, including Takami (soon to arrive at SpaceNK).
This is our equivalent of Boots; it has loads of popular J and K-beauty products, and I got quite a few products on my list, including this stain remover for clothes.
This store in Harajuku is huge; I could only navigate the ground floor as it was packed and very overwhelming. The best part is they have a big ‘haul of fame’ stand, so you can quickly see what’s trending, why, and which products have received awards from COSME. This includes both Asian and Western brands.
Although more expensive than other stores, Don Quijote has tonnes of products available. If you’re after viral products (like VT Cosmetics, Medicube, Biodance), you can find them all under one roof.
A multi-storey electronics store that has quite a wide selection of beauty and wellness tech devices. Bear in mind, plugged-in devices like hair dryers won’t work as well in the UK, as Japan has a lower voltage. I was intrigued by the various eyemasks with microcurrent functions, but ultimately decided my beauty tech collection is full.
In terms of beauty experiences, I sadly didn’t have time for a facial, but I had to try a Japanese head spa, and it was nothing short of incredible, both for my scalp and my soul. I asked my lovely Japanese therapist, Asuka, what her top skincare and beauty products are, and she shared these two: Orbis Wrinkle Bright UV Protector SPF 50+ PA++++ sunscreen and Excel Extra Rich Serum in Powder.
I had to try them both, but sadly, the powder wasn’t available in any shades that suited my skintone. That’s the biggest downside with J and K-beauty: they don’t cater to most skin tones. Scroll on for the beauty products that came home with me in my (overweight) 30kg suitcase.
Japanese Skincare to Shop
Gentle, suitable for daily use, and packed with rice extract to soothe and hydrate the skin. What’s not to love? I picked up a few as gifts for my friends. Each pack includes 10 sheet masks.
Microneedling in a bottle? Yes please! I was super intrigued to try it out, as I haven’t seen this technology before. I got the 300 version, which contains 237,500 reedles cica and can be used every 3 days. There is also a 50, 100, 700 and 900 version.
Shop my Japanese Skincare Haul
Japanese Makeup to Shop
This is extremely long-wearing. I wish they did blue or other bright colours, but they only have black, greige and various shades of brown. The liner tip is 0.1mm, and the staying power is amazing.
I had these on my list for years, as they are meant to be amazing. The Japanese are well known for their steel manufacturing, which includes knives, nail clippers and lash curlers! I have the Shu Uemara ones, so I am keen to compare the two.
Shop my Japanese Makeup Haul
Japanese Haircare to Shop
A super viral mask that I’ve wanted to try for a while. It’s available on many European websites, but nothing beats the low prices you can get when in Japan. This contains royal jelly, PCA, squalane and pearl peptide to moisturise and nourish dry or colour-treated hair.
A flyaway mascara for frizzy hair (like mine!) that smells like peaches. I am curious to see how this works, as I generally use the Got2b mascara for my flyaways (and brows), but find it to be a little crunchy.
Shop my Japanese Haircare Haul
A product that’s viral but I don’t get the hype after seeing it up close is ReFA, specifically their hair brushes and combs. Their store in Ginza, Tokyo, is stunning, but I wasn’t as impressed by their brushes.
There are three popular designs: the heart comb, the brush, and the ion brush, which is meant to be used on wet (or dry) hair during washing to stimulate the scalp. Their design is very cute, but up close, the brushes and combs were lightweight and seemed very cheaply made. I tried to brush through my thick hair in-store, and I simply couldn’t.
A final thought worth bearing in mind if you’re planning a trip: the Japanese are deeply respectful of others. Because of this, they don’t wear perfume or heavily scented body lotions. I recommend avoiding using such products if you plan on visiting Japan.
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