Don’t Sleep On The Japanese Beauty Brand Taking Over TikTok

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The beauty industry is all about newness. So much so that we're often guilty of overlooking longstanding brands in favour of the bright and flashy (especially when a new skincare line seems to be unveiled every day). So when we spotted Japanese beauty brand Shiseido trending on TikTok, we knew we had to take another look.

Shiseido is far from new. In fact, it’s 150 years old and has probably outgrown the ‘cult brand’ label to become a household name. Established in 1872, it was effectively Japan's first Western-style pharmacy, the grande dame of J-Beauty, which pioneers science with a luxury beauty and a holistic approach, not to mention a deep respect for traditional Japanese ingredients. We can even thank Shiseido for being the first brand to synthesise skincare staple hyaluronic acid in 1984.

The only caveat: Shiseido is not the most affordable of brands. Its skincare products start at $51 for a small bottle of WASO Shikulime Gel to Oil Cleanser and stretch up to $199 for the Vital Perfection LiftDefine Radiance Serum. 

So why, then, is social media all aflutter? Right now TikTokers are obsessed with the sunscreen, serums and moisturisers. To find out why, we tried out five of Shiseido’s skincare bestsellers over a month. Read on for our honest thoughts.