SOPHIE SAYS
ELLE beauty director Sophie Beresiner tackles your beauty woes and fragrance dilemmas
Introducing J-Beauty (that’s Japanese beauty) – and the products to invest in
Q.WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN K AND J-BEAUTY? DO I NEED BOTH? CAT, HUDDERSFIELD
A. ‘Need’ is not a word synonymous with K or J-beauty. It’s more like ‘want’ or ‘oooh’. K – aka Korean – beauty was The Thing a couple of years ago, and is responsible for the sheetmask phenomenon and ten-step cleansing routine, to name just two. J-for-Japanese beauty is the latest Asian influence to sweep our beauty shelves. So, because I am nothing if not thorough, I went to Tokyo to visit my ELLE Japan colleagues and ask them your very question.
Content editor Aki told me, ‘We are inspired by French women. We want to enhance our natural look. In Korea, it’s more about changing your look.’ Basically, J-Beauty is the more grown-up cousin to Korea’s trend-focused principle. With that in mind, I went shopping. Man, that was an experience. Aki told me she loves water lotion, which is the J-equivalent of essence – a K-thing similar to a hydrating toner/serum.
Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion, meanwhile, is a cheap Japanese drugstore staple that is stratospheric in the blogosphere and, lucky for us, available on Amazon with a small mark-up (cheaper than flying to Tokyo and easier to hunt down, let me tell you). It’s hyaluronic-heavy, so it holds water in the skin and may well contribute to the ‘glass skin’ the Japanese love (naturally luminous, poreless and plump). SK-II is another J-fave that Aki is very excited to tell me about. I tell her I already know! The brand’s Facial Treatment Essence has been a cult favourite here for years.
The biggest thing to note with J-Beauty is the lack of rules. While Koreans love a lot of steps, Aki tells me she cleanses her face with water in the morning (me: ‘What brand makes that?’ Her: ‘I mean just water. From the tap’) and only uses soap in the evening. How French!
Many brands you already know look to Japan for inspiration; it’s the unique combo of advanced technology and kooky ideas. Beauty Pie Japanfusion Deep-Treatment Serum is a huge seller here, and the new Givenchy Le Rouge Liquide has a J-beauty-inspired sponge bullet for a perfectly soft, more natural application.
Later, while I have a coffee at Bread, Espresso & (its soufflé-style French toast is famous), I notice the waitress is wearing soft pink blusher high up, just under her eyes. I make a note to try this at home. It’s cute.
Finally, I end up at Tokyu Hands for a beauty supermarket sweep. It’s overwhelming and I have no clue what anything says. I grab a heated lash curler, because Val Garland picks hers up in Japan, and a bunch of unidentifiable stuff I’ll need to Google Translate later. And Matcha Kit Kats, obvs. The water lotion I’ve bought can counter the glycation from all the sugar, right? Arigato, Hada Labo Lotion, arigato.