International Make-up Brands...

[koneko]

I don't think there is a thread like this, and I am very curious, as I am going to visit Asia in the springtime...

I was wondering which brands come from which countries? I was thinking perhaps they would be cheaper in their respective countries? Or is that not true? Are Japanese brands still very $$$ in Japan?

This is what I know:
Japan:
Shiseido- Cle de Peau
Kose- Cosme Decorte
Kanebo
Shu Uemura
Fancl

Korea:
Laneige
Amore

But I don't know about many others... like IPSA, KP, [email protected], Sofina, and I know there are a lot more, I just haven't discovered them yet! and also the mini-lines for the big companies (like Pied Nus)

In the US, I know EL owns almost everything... the rest belongs to Lancome, I believe! Then there are the European lines, which I am just learning as well.

I thought this might be a nice way for us so we know which lines are all connected. Well, at least for people like me!

[Vonn]

Re: International Make-up Brands...

Originally posted by koneko
But I don't know about many others... like IPSA, KP, [email protected], Sofina, and I know there are a lot more,

Just to help you out a little here. IPSA, KP and Sofina are Japanese brands. [email protected] is from Taiwan

[seba]

Korean:
Amore owns Laneige , Mamonde, Amore Pacific etc.
LacVert
Etude

Japanese:
Kanebo owns T'estimo, Revue, Freya etc.
Kose owns Fasio, Visee, Rutina etc.
Shiseido owns Pied Nus etc.
Sofina owns Raycious, Aube etc.

And YES, it's hella more expensive buying cosmetics in Japan, even for Japanese brands :roll: !!

[Aphrael]

I'm pretty sure Shu is much cheaper in Japan than elsewhere - the e/s used to cost only 1000 yen, which was about S$15, but this was a couple years ago. May have gone up, but Shu is not an expensive brand in Japan.

[koneko]

thank you everyone! am writing down all these notes! i don't know most of the asia-only brands, but look at all the photos here, and they are so pretty! i can't wait to see them all!

[angelstar]

cosmetics is more expensive in japan? really? are we talking about retail stores only or are we also including the airport dfs?

btw, does anyone know what m/u lines narita airport carries, and whether any of them are cheaper then what you pay either in sg or in the us? thanks!

[koneko]

Hmm... I have another question.
For each line that Kanebo, Kose, Shiseido owns... what is the hierarchy?

I know Kanebo Naive is drugstore... but what is Kate and T'estimo?

Etc.

I'm confused!!

[Aphrael]

Kate is also drugstore, while T'estimo is mid-high end. For Shiseido, Cle de Peau is the highest priced line. There isn't really a fixed hierarchy - Kanebo is one of Japan's leading manufacturers of cosmetic and skincare products, and it spews out new lines all the time.

[visee]

I think it really depends on which brands you get in Japan. A lot of the Japanese mid-end counter brands like Kose (Visee, Luminous, Rutina), Kanebo (Testimo, Freya), Shiseido Pied Nus etc are also sold at the drugstore chains like Matsumoto Kiyoshi, which have 20-30% discount sales. So it adds up to being cheaper than in SG. I got the Pied Nus Liquid Eyeliner for 2,352yen (approx S$36.50) which is cheaper than the retail price of S$47 here.

Brand like Fancl and Haba are sold at convenience stores, and I think the prices are slightly cheaper too. And there are loads of cheap and very interesting drugstore brands to buy there too!

If you get cosmetics from the department stores like Isetan, Seibu etc, the prices would be equivalent or more expensive than in SG. I remember the prices for Paul & Joe were more pricey than SG. And prices for Giorgio Armani makeup were astronomical! I think the cream blush was more than S$90 after conversion.

Narita airport - I think I saw the usual counter brands in the DFS area like Dior, Guerlian, Chanel, Estee... but didn't really check out the prices. But I should think that for non-Japanese brands, it should be cheaper at our own Changi DFS.