Asian trends
Oriental Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a trend to watch for the coming years in Asia as it will surely keep on growing and is in synch with many local aspirations of consumers.
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July 8, 2020
Japan is known for being a country of innovation and quirkiness. In the beauty industry, it is most commonly known for the layering techniques used by women to apply their skincare products and achieve a flawless complexion. Over the years, Korean Beauty has been all the rage, letting us (in the western world) believe that Japan was not at the forefront of cosmetic innovation.
However, this assumption could not be further from the truth and can mainly be explained by the fact the Japanese brands target Japanese consumers. Products are made for the local market, using ingredients known by the local population. As a result products don’t often get recognition outside the country borders.
Here are two brands loved in Japan and that have made it to the western markets. Their products add color correction element to lips and nails.
UZU – 38°C/99°F Lip Glosses & Lipsticks
The name 38°C/99°F refers to the “ideal temperature of lips”, with products designed to give a perfectly healthy, slightly warm tone lips look.
Star ingredients:
– End Mineral®︎, an ingredient that contains high-density negative ions to add a slightly blush to the color of the lips.
– 19 billion La Flora EC-12 lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria work to support the skin’s natural flora balance, keeping lips moisturized naturally.
Lip glosses are taking on color-correcting concealers role, ie: Sheer Green will tone down naturally bright lips.
Lipsticks are designed to accompany a busy lifestyle, promising a perfect look with a single stroke application thanks to a micro aero bubbles technology. First edition came in a very short range of six colors each with different texture.
What we love : lip gloss taking on the concealer function along with self-moisturizing probiotics inside.
UKA – Color Tailoring Nail Polish
UKA focuses on organic and natural products, with their original range being nail care. Uka Base Coats were born from the idea that the color of the hand can be adjusted by creating a specific shade of nail color. These products work as both – base coats and nail polishes that can be layered together creating unique shades, which control the color pretty much like foundation primers. Instead of trying to correct the skintone, whether blue-ish, redd-ish, or yellow-ish, they match the colors of the nails to the natural tone of the hands so the hands look much prettier.
The brand has also launched “base coat filters” in blue, violet, yellow and pink to further adjust tones of colors.
Formulated with a serum to maintain healthy nails UKA Base Coat contains an ingredient with oxygen permeability, which gives a light, comfortable feeling without tightening or burdening the nails, making it stress-free. Products are phthalate-free, formaldehyde-free, toluene-free.
UKA also added a non-acetone nail polish remover to the range. The bi-phase formula contains jojoba oil, tea tree oil, amino acids, hydrolyzed silk, and keratin and is scented with lavender and vanilla.
What we love : the layering allows to wear as little or as much as you want and to really tailor the nail polish color to your liking and skintone.
If you want to learn more about trends and innovative ideas from around the world, feel free to contact us !
Monia MERABET & Iwonka BANCEREK
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