It is a truth universally acknowledged that Japanese makeup is of high quality. Possibly a bit boring – not known for the most exciting colours – but very well made: elegant textures, refined finishes, great staying power. My overview post on the more expensive items I bought in Japan has been long in coming, but I wanted to make sure I’ve used everything at least once, so that I have some first impressions to share.

Koh Gen Do foundation. Of everything I bought, this has possibly been on my want! list the longest, as Aqua Foundation has cult status among the beauty lovers of the Internet. It wasn’t that easy to find: I got mine from Tokyu Hands and I’m glad I did. It’s a beautifully luminous, lightweight base that is great for everyday. The shade range, as often in Japan, is abysmal (I’ve got number 113 and I could wear at least three shades of the seven), but if you’re fair-skinned and love a natural finish, this is a very good option.

Cle de Peau foundation and concealer. There are some people who know their stuff who say Cle de Peau foundations and concealer (especially the latter) are the best. I’m not sure if I dare go that far, but they certainly are of extremely good quality. If you want proper coverage but cannot stand thick foundation, Cle de Peau Radiant Creamy Foundation delivers (I’ve got shade 10 in both). You need a ridiculously small amount to do the entire face and can easily build it up without any mask-like feeling. The finish is not as radiant as the name suggests, but it’s definitely not flat matte either (keep in mind that I cannot do matte at all, so my scale is skewed). If the texture of the foundation is wonderfully refined, the concealer is unreal. It feels very light and luxurious and you need only the lightest layer for serious coverage. My problem is that I’m not good at applying concealer, so even the best ones don’t work as well as I’d like (for some helpful tips, see here). The other problem is that Cle de Peau is expensive, even among the expensive Japanese high-end brands.

Suqqu eyeshadow quad. Another thing I cannot apply properly is eyeshadow – as you might already know, I prefer eyeshadow sticks. But I was not going to leave Japan without a Suqqu quad: there are people who own all of them, as the quality and colour selection are legendary. I bought Yoihagi (21) and yes, even an ignoramus like me can tell that the shadows are incredibly soft and fine. They almost blend too well, I need to be careful if I want the shades to stay distinct. Beautiful stuff. And yes, expensive.

Addiction eyeshadow, liner and blush. While Cle de Peau and even Suqqu can be bought outside Japan, Addiction is difficult to get abroad. It was founded by a makeup artist Ayako and one reason I like it is that the colour selection is wider and more adventurous than generally in Japan. If Suqqu has iconic quads, Addiction has a wonderful range of single shadows. I bought Shangri-La (094), a gorgeous metallic red: it’s difficult to wear with my pasty complexion, but the shadow itself is beautiful. I also got a burgundy eyeliner (Tokyo Story) – in this case, my love for the colour and staying power is somewhat overshadowed by the difficulty of application (that might be just me, though). Finally, there’s the liquid blush in Tadzio (06) that I at first thought was a nail polish. Not sure it surpasses my love for the cheap Canmake blushes, but it is very nice and different and goes perfectly with everything here.

Three lipgloss, eyegloss and pigment. Despite all the Holy Grail makeup items above, my absolute favourite luxury purchase turned to be a complete surprise, something I almost didn’t buy. Three is a beautiful Japanese brand little known outside the country, but I’ve always been drawn to it. Their Shimmering Lip Jam (in Dreamers Awaken) is my current favourite lip product: it just makes my lips beautiful. Wet-looking rather than shiny, the colour is a warm transparent rose: my-lips-but-so-much-better. I also bought two eye products: Whisper Gloss in Wanderlust Deamer and Shimmering Colour Veil (loose pigment) in Lilac Wine, but I much prefer the lip gloss.

I wanted to keep the length of the post manageable, but if you’re interested in something, I’ll gladly elaborate.