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How To Get The Trendy Japanese 'Igari' Look: A Complete Guide To Makeup Application In Japan

Created 10/31/2023 3:56:37 PM in fashion | beauty |

Step into the enchanting world of Japanese 'Igari' makeup with our concise guide. From plump lips to softly curved eyebrows, embrace the charm of Japan in your beauty routine. Ready to elevate your makeup game? Explore Japanese beauty with Mariam.




 

Introduction

When we think of Japanese makeup, we immediately picture cute blush spreading from cheek to cheek and across the bridge of your nose, wide puppy eyes, naturally colored plumped lips, and flawlessly radiant glass skin. This iconic style is known as the ‘Igari’ makeup, named after the renowned Japanese makeup artist Igari Shinobu. It has become a trending look embraced by many women in Japan and has also gained immense popularity beyond the country's borders. 

 

Curious to learn more? Keep reading for an in-depth look into how Japanese women skillfully apply their makeup, starting from the very base of their face to the blush, lips, eyes, and more!


Plump Lips: Adding Volume & 3D Effect to Your Pout

Close up of a woman's lips with the plump look

Plump and natural lips have always been a timeless lipstick trend in Japan, guaranteed to instantly achieve that adorable cute effect. While thin and inconspicuous lips were once the sought-after look for Japanese women to appear more feminine, today, plump lips are the go-to choice for Japanese women of varying ages, offering a perfect blend of youthful vibrance and grown-up sophistication without going overboard. 

 

To nail the Japanese plump lips look that adds volume and creates a 3D effect to the lips, opt for bright, tropical fruit-inspired lipstick colors. Baby pink, coral, and orange-red, finished off with lip gloss, continue to be the top favorites for achieving a cute and minimal Japanese-inspired lip look. If you're aiming for a more mature look, incorporating nudes like brown or plum can be a great choice.

 

Flawless Flush: The Ethereal Look of Cheek-to-Cheek & Nose

Headshot of a woman with flawless flus look

The craze for Japanese blush has spread like wildfire, appealing to those seeking to rock that ‘kawaii’ anime-inspired look. The Japanese blush technique revolves around achieving a natural, flushed appearance on the face, rather than using harsh and exaggerated techniques.“Blush is best at lifting and plumping when it’s used on the high points of the face," explains celebrity makeup artist Hannah Martin. "Carrying this product a bit further out and eventually adding a touch on the lobe of your ears makes it look more like a natural flush too, as the traditional ‘W’ shape can be seen as harsh.”

 

You've got a bunch of sweet blush colors to nail that look – for cool-toned skin, go for pink or purple-based shades to achieve a natural flush. And if you want that extra pop on your cheeks, red or orange-based hues are the way to go.


Natural Coverage: Minimalist Makeup Starts at the Base

Woman with a natural coverage make up look sitting in a room with the sun shining in through blinds

Japanese women's fondness for minimalist makeup begins right at the base. They often choose light coverage foundation or BB creams to achieve that natural and seamless look, providing a perfect canvas for the rest of their makeup. 

 

While some women choose to skip the concealer step, others still opt for a bit of concealer application, spreading it under the eyes area to cover any bags and around the nostrils, aiming to apply it as thinly as possible. 

 

There's nothing over the top here, especially considering their renowned skincare routine, which already gives them flawless glass skin to start with!


No Smokey Eyes: Natural Eyeshadow with Dazzling Shimmer 

Close up of woman with smokey eyes make up

Japanese women are famous for their love of the doll-eye look, aiming to enhance their eye shape using eyeshadow while steering clear of dramatic smokey eyes. Instead, they prefer to apply natural eyeshadow shades on their lids, and a touch of gorgeous shimmery eyeshadow never goes wrong!


Softly Defined Eyes: Subtle Eyeliner Approach

Close up of woman with softly defined eyes make up look

When it comes to daily makeup in Japan, some women prefer to ditch their eyeliner to achieve a natural look. However, others opt for a brown eyeliner or powder to subtly line along the natural eye shape and blend it (no bold or sharp eyeliner here!)


Minimalistic Mascara: Just Enough Amount to Enhance Eyelashes

Close up of woman's eyes with minimalistic mascara make up look

Mascara is an essential part of Japanese makeup to achieve that adorable wide-eye look. However, it’s also crucial not to go over the top with mascara to stay in line with the rest of the minimalistic look – one or at most two coats of mascara are usually enough to get the desired effect.


False Lashes Allowed: Effortless Touch of Doll-Like Glamour

Close up of woman's eyes showing fake eye lashes

Despite their reputation for preferring the simple 'no makeup makeup look,' Japanese women do like to switch things up occasionally. It's not unusual to see them add a touch of glamour to their makeup, and false eyelashes are a popular choice to achieve an instant eye doll effect!


Softly Curved: The Japanese Method for Eyebrows

Close up of woman's eye with softly curved eyebrows

Japanese girls have a unique approach to eyebrows, aiming to exude an 'approachable' vibe while avoiding arching their eyebrows dramatically. They also steer clear of tattooing eyebrows as they believe that overly dark or sharp makeup can be too overwhelming for others. Japanese style makeup thus focuses on creating a natural look with softly curved eyebrows.

 

The beauty of this Japanese method is how well it complements almost any face shape, and it's an absolute breeze to pull off. All you need is an eyebrow pencil or powder in shades that match your hair, such as dark brown or chocolate brown. Just tidy up your eyebrows, follow their natural curve with the pencil or powder, and give them a finishing touch by brushing with an eyebrow brush. It's that easy!


From Japan to Your Doorstep: Order 100% Genuine Makeup Now! 

Now that you've grasped the fundamentals of achieving the cutest Japanese makeup look ever, the only thing left is to get 100% authentic Japanese makeup to absolutely nail the look. And the best part? You don't even have to travel to Japan! 


With just a few clicks, you can have all the makeup from the country delivered right to your doorstep, thanks to the e-commerce platform ZenPlus which connects global customers with Japanese online retailers, making shopping for hard-to-get Japanese products a piece of cake!

 

 

About The Writer

Meet Mariam - a freelance writer whose heart beats for the captivating world of Japanese culture. She's fascinated by the breathtaking cherry blossom trees, the irresistible traditional dishes and snacks, the timeless fashion, the adorable natural makeup, and of course, the world-famous anime, just to name a few of her passions. Now, with boundless creativity and determination, she aims to deliver the most valuable content for readers to offer them a glimpse into her passions in life.

10/31/2023
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