CreatripTeam

In Tokyo, Korean beauty brands are drawing crowds and causing stock shortages across major retailers. At Mega Don Quijote in Shibuya, K-beauty stands featuring brands like Lilybyred, Amuse, and Manyo Factory saw products such as PDRN (salmon DNA) serums and ampoules sell out. Drugstore LOFT and specialty stores in Shin-Okubo also showcased Korean skincare and color cosmetics—brands like WakeMake, Hince, Rom&nd, and DaisyC—attracting young Japanese shoppers testing tints and blushes. Korean contact lens labels such as Hapacristin and Orenz expanded the “total beauty” trend beyond skincare. Retailers report higher Japanese prices than Korea, and brands use limited Japan-only releases and K-pop star images to draw customers. Industry observers say K-beauty’s success now rests on product quality and color variety rather than only K-culture hype.