Top-Quality Japanese Makeup Tools: 3 Japanese High-End Brands You Need to Know

The beloved brand Yojiya has existed in Kyoto - one of Japan’s most important cultural centers - for more than 100 years. The most recommended makeup tool for sale at Yojiya is a very simple but incredible product called Aburatorigami (1 pad of 20 sheets for 330 JPY (excl. tax)), a small sheet of paper capable of absorbing excess oil from the skin without smearing the makeup underneath. It is the sort of beauty product that only a city renowned for its traditional performing arts like kabuki and geisha culture would be able to come up with. Due to its compact size, no bigger than the palm of a hand, you can carry it around with ease and fix your makeup whenever you need. The white design you see in the picture is that of the classical package you find for sale in stores around Kyoto. In their Haneda Airport and Narita International Airport branches, you can find the Aburatorigami Aloe (1 pad of 20 sheets for 440 JPY (excl. tax)) version instead. Try it on your own skin to understand why these thin little wonders have been used and loved for more than 100 years!

Said to be very effective when used in skincare, silk has been a big part of the beauty rituals of maiko (apprentice geisha) in the old capital of Japan for a long time. Designed by Kyoto Silk and made in Japan, the lineup of silk puffs "Habotai Silk Tama no Hada Puff" (chirimen crepe fabric 1,300 JPY (excl. tax)) is a skincare product with more than 20 years of history. Using it is very simple: just wash your face as you usually do and pat it with the silk puff before rinsing. If you do this every day, you will get rid of blackheads, and your skin will look lustrous and smooth, just like a Japanese maiko. The silk puffs also make for great gifts due to their authentic Japanese look. Visit Kyoto Silk’s main store at Higashiyama Kodaiji to learn more about their products.

Kazurasei has been producing haircare products for more than 150 years. From beautiful “kanzashi” (ornamental hairpins) to camellia oil for keeping the hair strong, lustrous, and hydrated, Kazurasei offers a variety of products that are a must for those who want to keep a flawless hairstyle. The brand’s Tsugekushi (2,106 JPY and up (excl. tax)) is an outstanding boxwood comb that can be used anywhere and produces almost no static electricity, treating your hair with utmost care. Be sure to visit one of Kazurasei’s stores when you are in Kyoto.