The Japan Series: Shopping for Cosmetics in Tokyo

It might sound slightly sad...but shopping for cosmetics in Japan was one of my favourite things we did. Their drugstores are crazy, department stores filled with brands unknown to me, and I stumbled across some fab stand alone cosmetic shops too.  Here are my top places to hit up for a make up binge in Tokyo:

Matsumoto KiYoshi: This store was the Boots/Superdrug of Tokyo.  But unlike our drugstores, it was cram packed with products and the point of sale was incredibly flashy and over the top. But I sort of loved it. They stock most Japanese drugstore brands along with more high end offerings from Shiseido, DHC etc. Matsumoto KiYoshi is not particularly foreigner friendly as most packaging is in Japanese, but for an authentic experience this is definitely the place to go.

Harajuku: If you want to shop for anything remotely girly, head to the Harajuku area of Tokyo. Takeshita Street is filled with teenagers wearing the more extreme Japanese fashion, from girls dressed as life sized dolls to cyber punks and anime look-a-likes. It's worth a trip just to see the amazing outfits, hair and make up Harajuku girls wear, but Harajuku also has some great stores for cosmetics. Don't miss Missha, the Korean brand home to some of the very best BB/CC creams.

Just around the corner from Takeshita Street is Omotesando, a really high end shopping street home to MAC and various designer brands with make up lines, so you pretty much get the best of both worlds in Harajuku. PS - if you managed not to laugh at the word Takeshita, you're a better person than I am.

Plaza: Plaza is filled with various products from around the world, including a HUGE cosmetic section.  They had loads of British/US brands, so if you live in Tokyo this is the place to go for Rimmel, Maybelline, L'Oreal etc.  They also stock Etude House, a Korean brand that has great sheet masks and quirky packaging, and Dolly Wink lashes which I'm told are the false lashes of choice in Japan. I saw a Plaza in Shibuya 109, and also one near Ginza Station.


Shiseido Parlour, Ginza: I never actually bought anything here, but it was such a nice store to wander around. Shiseido own lots of Japanese brands at varying levels of luxury, so there was something for all budgets in here. I particularly enjoyed looking at all the whitening powders/creams they stock here - very Japanese.

Mitsukoshi:  Tokyo has HUNDREDS of department stores. Most are run/owned by the transport companies (weird!) so tend to be located near train stations. One of my favourite department stores for beauty was Mitsukoshi in Ginza. Reminiscent of Selfridges or Harvey Nichols this was a typical department store beauty hall.

You could shop in Tokyo's cosmetic stores for weeks and never cover them all. Saying that, there are some pretty special things to do in this wonderful city that don't involve make up, so hopefully this has helped refine your beauty hit list.

K x