The Kanebo we know and love is new again

Tokyo, Japan — Japanese beauty brand Kanebo, which began with facial soap 80 years ago and a cosmetic line created in 1936, may have been a staple on our mothers’ dressers and vanity tables but, after a long and colorful history, Kanebo has reinvented itself in time for its 80th anniversary on September 15, 2016.

With new skincare and makeup lines using the latest technologies, plus a sleek new counter design and a global muse by the name of Arizona Muse, this ain’t your mother’s Kanebo any longer.

“We’ve made charming products that transcend function by appealing to the senses,” said Kanebo president and CEO Masumi Natsusaka. He recalled past Kanebo hits like Ginza Red lipstick, Lady 80 and the Milano Collection, a “magic powder that was very popular and selling for many years.”

Today, Kanebo has released not only a New Ginza Red but is innovating on the skincare front with its concept of “Chrono-Beauty.” As the first in the industry to introduce the skin analyzer 30 years ago, the company predicates its skincare on the rhythms and changes in the skin. Thus, while the rest of the industry is focused on a daily regimen of products for morning and evening, Kanebo aims to go beyond that and provide optimal care for the skin when it needs it — tuning products customized to meet a client’s daily, weekly, monthly, and even lifelong skincare needs.

“Chrono-Beauty counseling will be the core of our activity in the future,” Natsusaka said. “We want to provide a total sensory experience with cosmetics that are fun to use, and an ‘arigato credo’ of being closer to our customers. Our beauty counselors will find out their wishes and come up with ideas in response.”

Kanebo’s current portfolio of brands includes Lunasol, a range of light-reflecting makeup that has developed a cult following in Asia (in the Philippines it’s available at Rustan’s); Freshel, intensely moisturizing skincare at affordable prices (available at Watsons); Kate Tokyo, makeup in trendy colors aimed at a younger market (available at Watsons); Impress, high-quality skincare geared towards achieving finely textured, clear, firm and translucent skin (available at Rustan’s); and Sensai, luxury skincare based on Japanese Koishimaru silk (not available here at present).

Under the new Kanebo global brand, Impress will eventually be discontinued (by mid-2017, so score your favorites now), but the good news is that with the upcoming skincare line, you’ll be getting not only Kanebo’s 80 years of expertise in beauty, but also products at lower, midrange price points, in a category they’re calling “new prestige.”

A Real Muse

The new ad campaigns show American supermodel Arizona Muse as a realistic beauty icon attired in everyday wear; company honchos say they hired the young mother because her life story, which has not been without challenges, mirrored Kanebo’s own.

The company went through a rough patch a couple of years ago when a whitening line caused vitiligo-like blotches to appear on customers’ skin. Kanebo was forced to do a massive product recall and paid for the transportation and treatment costs of all the consumers affected.

At the brand re-launch Natsusaka was remarkably transparent and apologetic about the issue, and eager to rebuild the relationships of trust it had shared with its clients.

Masaya Kojima, senior manager of Kanebo’s Skincare Product Development Group, said they test all of the products, even on themselves, to ensure their safety (the new Fresh Day Cream is an early favorite, even among the company men), and Natsusaka announced they will give out 1.5 million samples of the skincare and makeup base for potential customers to try.

Kanebo invested heavily in R&D for its new skincare line, which aims to provide moisture and firmness that lasts all day. To achieve the youthful skin texture of a baby, Kanebo studied vernix, the creamy substance that covers newborn babies and keeps their skin protected and hydrated. After finding that vernix is made up of lipids that contain fatty acids, Kanebo infused its day and night creams with this “baby-soft oil formulation” that captures moisture and prevents it from escaping.

Flow And Glow

On Sept. 15, the company’s 80th anniversary, Kanebo will roll out well-edited collections of skincare and makeup in Japan (40 SKUs vs. the typical 100 SKUs of other brands) that are all about “flow and glow” — the skincare about the flow of water, while the makeup promises a glow that seems to radiate from within.

Thus, the skincare packaging, created by French designer Gwenael Nicolas, was inspired by a waterfall, and highlights French artistry mixed with the Japanese’s meticulous attention to detail, from the textures and aromas to the way the container lids cradle the cream spatulas and the sound each lid makes when closed.

Here, a sneak peek at the upcoming skincare and makeup collections:

• Kanebo Fresh Day Cream SPF 25 – A moisturizing morning cream that protects skin from UV damage and leaves it refreshed and comfortable.

• Kanebo Night Lipid Wear – A night cream that repairs damage caused during the day, moisturizes your skin while you sleep and makes it more elastic.

• Kanebo The First Serum – A serum that thoroughly moisturizes the skin, creating a fresh, radiant veil.

• Kanebo Moisture Flow/ Moisture Flow Rich Lotion – A moisturizing toner that melts into skin and prepares it to receive the treatment products.

• Kanebo Bouncing/ Bouncing Rich Emulsion – A nourishing emulsion that rebalances the oil and water in your skin, leaving it hydrated and brimming with moisture.

• Kanebo Softening Cream Cleansing – A cleansing cream that glides onto skin to thoroughly remove dirt and makeup.

• Kanebo Mellow Rich Oil Cleansing – A cleansing oil that swiftly dissolves dirt and makeup.

• Kanebo Refreshing Creamy Wash – A rich foam that gently removes dirt from the skin.

Makeup With Inner Light

Kanebo, whose expertise in light manipulation through makeup was already evident in its cult Lunasol brand, has not only brought that to its eponymous collection but also employs 5R technology — 5R being a range of hues centered on the color red that Kanebo found was most flattering to both Asian and Caucasian skin tones, giving the complexion a naturally healthy glow.

The result? New Kanebo eye shadows, blushes and lipsticks in timeless colors that enliven the skin and make the wearer look her most radiant.

• Kanebo Glow Primer SPF 10 – A makeup base that evens skin, imparts a soft glow, and allows foundation to adhere longer.

• Kanebo Full Radiance Foundation SPF 25 – A liquid foundation that conceals dullness and veils skin with a glowing, radiant finish. Best applied with Kanebo’s Frame Adjust sponge.

• Kanebo Control Finish Powder – An airy powder that sets foundation, conceals pores and diffuses light for a velvety, translucent finish.

• Kanebo Moisture Rouge – These lipsticks look bright in the tube but go on sheer and ultra-moist, in six shades ranging from natural beige to coral pink to deep red.

• Kanebo Selection Colors Eyeshadow – Each palette contains five colors and textures that work together to create a look of “inner light” in Cool Monotone, Stylish Brown and Gently Pink.

• Kanebo Dual Eyeliner – This dual-purpose eyeliner has a pencil on one end and liquid liner on the other.

• Kanebo Pencil Eyebrow – These soft pencils with attached brush in neutral brown or gray make it easy to fill in brows.

• Kanebo Variant Brosse (Cheeks) – These blushes in Coral Petal and Pink Petal feature two shades: a key blush color to create a healthy-looking complexion and complementary shimmer to add glow.

* * *

The new Kanebo skincare and makeup collections will be available in Japan starting Sept. 15, and in the Philippines mid-2017.

Kanebo Lunasol makeup and Impress skincare are available at Rustan’s, Freshel skincare and Kate Tokyo makeup are available at Watsons.

* * *

Follow me on Facebook (Therese Jamora-Garceau), Twitter @tjgarceau and Instagram @tj108_drummergirl.