Japan’s high quality and cost-efficient cosmetics are popular among anyone who has an interest in beauty and fashion, no matter inside or outside Japan.

For such beauty items, the Shibuya branch of the lifestyle shop Tokyu Hands’ has a dedicated section on floor 2C, known as “Beauty Line”, which has a wide variety of brands to choose from.

Here, one can encounter the store’s “Beauty Concierge”, staff that specialize in recommending and giving advice on their beauty products. That’s right, for this time’s article we’ll be discussing from a pro’s perspective the top 10 recommended beauty products in terms of quality, functionality, and cost-performance.

This nail polish takes care of your nails just like taking care of one’s complexion. ”Rather than just bare nails” as their motto, this nail polish is a lot thinner than the usual top coating or hardener. And it even dries quickly!

The secret to its natural look is the mix of jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and macadamia nut oil. If you apply it to bare nails, the thin membrane serves as double protection against chipping, breaking, and dehydration. Toluene-free and scent-free, this nail polish is designed to be gentle on nails. One try and you’re more than likely to not want it off.

With the belief “Even as tragedy strikes, the Heroine must always look perfect” as their pledge, the brand “Heroine Make” is popular for continuously creating decently priced yet high-functioning products. Among their impressive lineup, this eyeliner was recommended, as its support with its long-lasting duration without blurring makes it stand out amongst its peers in terms of maintenance. With a moderate amount of spring, the 0.1mm superfine brushes they use are suitable even for the tip of the lashes at the corner of the eyes. Their newly released super keep polymer helps brighten one’s pupils by accentuating beauty lines for long periods. Use it with the 5mm extra in Super Waterproof Mascara which packs an intensity that pairs well, and you can have beautiful eyes fit for a heroine!

In the wide-ranging sheet masks corner, this mask that uses traditional Japanese root vegetables can be spotted. The Okinawan carrots are great for sagging skin!

Dull Skin, blackheads, oily pores, dry pores, rough skin, and the list goes on. Resolving such skin problems which require a lot of care... with the power of root vegetables!? Or at least, that’s the idea behind the facial mask “Bihada no Chozōko Root Vegetable Extract Mask”. Carefully chosen root vegetables from west Japan are taken and blended with care in this product. The minerals, vitamins and saccharides from Japan’s local root vegetables, in other words their nutritional value, are not only good for eating, but are also great in skincare products that work from outside your skin. This mask contains a hearty amount of such nutrients that help give beautiful skin. A fastidious Japanese product. It swiftly and neatly adheres to the skin, steadily permeating through your skin.

These bath salts come in many variations from their packaging to the contents, something unique to the country of hot springs. Perfect for a souvenir.

Kiku-masamune, a sake brewery known throughout Japan. These bath salts by the sake maker, who started in 1659 in Kobe, is known as the “Beauty Alcohol Bath”. The fermented husked grains of rice are filled with moisturizing components, which explains why since long ago Japanese women would prep their skin with sake and blissfully soak themselves in a wine bath. To be able to enjoy such extravagance so easily in a single use is one of the appeals of this bath salts, not to mention the five different scent variations it comes in, which includes citrus, sake and umeshu. Using it in your bath will gradually warm both your body and soul, giving you plump and healthy skin. This, is a fine exemplar of Japanese bath salts.

Starting with sake lees, these skin care cosmetics are made from various Japanese foodstuffs including red beans and tofu. Trying out every single one is a temptation in itself.

The Sake Lees Pack has been growing popular in Japan in recent years. Sake lees are byproducts of the sake manufacturing process and can be bought at your local supermarket. However, it seems to have use as a tone-up and ageing care item as well. As a raw foodstuff, it’s rather hard to take home, but if it’s this pack you’ll have no problems at all. Simply apply and spread it across the face after a face wash and leave it for five to ten minutes, after which washing it off is all is needed. These sake lees, manufactured by the trough squeezing method which have been unchanged since long ago, uses natural moisturizing agents to remove old keratin and give way to clean, bright skin. They also have products made from red beans and tofu, a good Japanese cosmetic that serves as a great souvenir.

Whether you’re cooking a meal or doing the dishes, kitchen work chapping the skin is a common problem. For those worried about that, this “Pro business-use Hand Cream” is sure to solve your problems. Cooking teachers and hand models alike use this long-selling item, which retains skin moisture yet pleasantly leaves out any stickiness. Only natural moisturizing components are used in this, so it’s appropriate before or halfway through cooking preparations, a truly convenient strength to have. Oleic acid, a substance similar to natural skin oil, is also used a lot in their main ingredient: hybrid sunflower oil. If you’re looking for the hand cream to surpass all hand creams, this is the top recommendation.

These delicate Japanese colors were inspired by the palette of the ever-changing seasons in Japan. The “Gofun Nails” are a manicure based on traditional Japanese colors used in traditional Japanese painting. It is a Japanese cosmetic made by a shop long involved in the Japanese paint business. While Japanese paintings are known for their subtle hues, the paint used in this manicure “Gofun” is made from scallop shells grinded into a fine powder, reminiscent of a pearl’s shine. With nothing but natural ingredients, this fine article colors and protects your nails with a gentle warmth. It also doesn’t use any organic solvents, so the usual odor of paint is absent as well. Not only does it dry quickly, it also comes off easily with alcohol.

The “Oisesan” brand gained its popularity by word-of-mouth. The brand has its headquarters in the outer shrine of the Grand Ise Shrine, a prominent power spot located in Ise city in Mie Prefecture.

Said to be the birthplace of the Japanese spirit, the Grand Ise Shrine is the home of the “Oisesan” brand, who specializes in traditional designs and spiritual products. Just like how one washes their hands whenever they visit a temple, Japan has a constant practice of “purification”.

As such, salt is used to exorcise malice, and this spray allows you to use it whenever you please. Sun-dried salt is paired with essential oils like frankincense and rosemary. For situations like “I’m in a bad mood...” or “I can’t get into the mood...”, puff this item once and a cleansing aroma will wash over you.

The natural hair and skin care specialist is a purveyor of beauty salons. While they are popular for their organic shampoo and hair coloring products, the “Head Spa Brush” is worth a special note. Produced by a head therapist, it utilizes a mix of pig fur and nylon, ridding the hair of static and setting your cuticles in order. It also massages your scalp, so by just brushing up from your side to the top of your head, then from the back to the top of your hair again, your expression loosens up instantly. Using it daily may also help you age slower…?

“A simple design kept as minimal as possible to keep the price low. It also comes in a travel-use size, a great option to use overseas.”

A representation of the creator’s spirit of Tokyu Hands, this new line of products are their original skin care series. Embracing the concept of the pure, unadultured self, “muqna” is thorough in moisturizing the skin. Moisture and moisture retention, with no additional colorings, mineral oils, paraben or alcohol, it’s a great choice for people with sensitive skin. With gentler or more refreshing options, you can also use it depending on your skin condition or the seasons. The minimalist container is also free of artificial scents, so it’s a fair option for mens’ cosmetics as well. Lastly, it is amazingly cost efficient, a great choice for family-use.

Naturally, there is a tax-free counter available in-house as well. Spend over 5000 yen (before tax) and you can head over to the counter on level B2!