Japanese Beauty Trends Transition in Heisei Era - Page 2
Previous pageHeisei Years 16-20 (2004-2008) - Decorative makeup for femininity.
This period, when the recession and economic gap became more serious, saw an increase in desire for marriage perhaps due to a sense of insecurity. Spouse-hunting surged, along with an increase in women's "awareness of wanting to be popular and liked by others".
Romantic fashion with frills and laces and fast fashion that allowed for trying new trends instantly also expanded. Additionally, the internet spread rapidly and bloggers quickly posting their fashion trend tips garnered attention.
Makeup with natural shades became popular as those colors nicely blended with one's original skin tone. Brown eyeshadows and pink-beige lipsticks were favored. "Decorative makeup", which creates a natural look yet emphasizes femininity, skyrocketed. Women applied eyeliner around the eyes and layered mascara with false eyelashes to make bigger, brighter eyes, and put on gloss blush or layered lipstick and gloss to create an effortless "decorative" look. Beauty enthusiasm was boosted as women cleverly incorporated other items such as black contact lenses and eyelash extensions into their makeup.
Heisei Years 21-25 (2009-2013) - Nuanced soft, adult cute style.
The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011 during this period. Amid the deepened recession, society had become divided into "winners" and "losers" in various aspects and changed people's mindsets. However, the earthquake altered the values of society and consumption behaviors as a whole. SNS grew rapidly in the pursuit of accurate information and a growing sense of "bonding".
Women asked themselves what they actually need and consciously adjusted their consumption trends toward their needs. Fashion also shifted to something more natural and relaxed, creating a new trend of "easy and soft" style. During this period, KAWAII culture and fashion among young generations attracted attention from the world, and “kawaii” became an international word commonly used around the world. In Japan too, the sense of "kawaii" expanded to influence even adults and the expression "otona kawaii" (adult cute) became accepted.
Likewise, effortless natural makeup became the trend. Makeup such as "eye bag makeup", applying pearl highlights to the lower eyelids, and "yuagari (after bath) cheeks" with blushes on the upper cheeks became popular.
Popular hairstyling was a natural style including soft, fluffy hair that was permed or curled with an iron or with the hair ends wrapped inward to convey an airy feeling.
At the end of the Heisei era, there were positive signs of economic recovery as an increasing number of tourists visited Japan. Millennials expanded their presence, welcoming and purely enjoying new out-of-the-box values.
1980s and 1990s fashion such as high-waisted bottoms, sweaters worn around the neck, and sneakers became popular as a symbol of revival. Internet content including user-generated videos and video-sharing social media networks, etc. spread worldwide, more users enjoyed posting selfies, and many influencers made their debut.
Adult-like looks with keywords like "lady" and "style" were the hallmark of this period. “Natural thick eyebrows” such as short, thick eyebrows in bright colors were reminiscent of makeup from the economic bubble period. Long-gone bright lipsticks such as red, rose, and vivid pink were also back on the streets.
Bob hairstyles became popular, and see-through bangs, which were thinly trimmed and once popular during the economic bubble period, were revived.
New era from Heisei: Hair and makeup trends in the future...
Going forward, more women are expected to enjoy diverse values in fashion and makeup, stepping beyond something categorized as “XX style” in the past. It will become the era where women will not stick to one trendy styling, rather, they will be more willing to choose the one most suitable to themselves from widely available information.
In hair and makeup, "personalization" to distinguish individuality is expected to accelerate. People will be enjoying more "diversity," choosing a style according to their moods and life events, etc., and ways of expression and choices will further expand.
For example, "futuristic" fashion and makeup, which were popular in the late 90s, will be revived in a new form. It focuses on texture rather than shapes or colors, aiming for a smooth, bare-faced look, and conveys freshness by creating a cool yet innocent image with the application of shiny, pearl colors to the eyes and lips. It also aims to convey a playful look with colored eyelashes as an accent.
Text and photos provided by Shiseido.