We often have massages from our customers/ potential customers as “I went to Japan and found the brand of…, do you deal their…?”. I feel happy seems you liked nice experience in my country. That’s so nice to visit other countries cosmetic counters. I just remind I really liked to visit cosmetic counters in the States when I was a student.
Here are some tips to enjoy Japanese cosmetic counters, especially department stores, you may go in this Summer.
Tips from my experience
Clothes
You don’t need to wear gorgeous. Be neat and clean. I do not recommend being there looking as if you were a backpacker (even you are). Oh, shoes. Sneakers are OK, but beach sandals are odd in Japan.
Makeup
I know most of my audiences are crazy about cosmetics. Makeup? Skincare? I am a skincare monster!
If you wanna buy skin care items only, my recommend is make your face up. Foundation/ blush/ lips/ eyes. They are the “signature” of you are using cosmetics.
Why I say those things? Ah, I went to Hong Kong and on the way home, I went to cosmetic counters in Tokyo to buy for our customers, and for myself too. I like walking the city, and HK is adorable, but not a fashionable place, I was almost a backpacker with a suitcase. Makeup? No… It was just heavy for backpackers. The stores treated me not really nice. That’s unusual experience for me, since I was a student! I was shocked.
I went to Taiwan, and on the way home, I also visited the same cosmetic counters. Taiwan is also lovely, but not pretty much a fashionable place too. Yeah, I was (almost ) a backpacker in there. Before leaving the airport, I made my face up usually I do in Japan, and change clothes usually I do in Japan too. I felt as if I were costuming “Japanese”. So funny. Anyway, they changed the attitude… I was treated quite nice, and as used to be. I was also surprised.
They are tips from my experience.
Tips from seeing foreign customers
Seeing foreigners in the counters, and there are also some tips from Japanese. Usually Japanese hate seeing you are doing without explain why. I try to explain some.
Go alone
My first tip is going to the counters by alone.
Why? When you bring your boyfriend or friends who has less interest on cosmetics, where will they be? You may say there are chairs. That’s true. But the chairs in the counters are only for the customers. You are not only one person who wanna buy. When your group, mostly they are not buying cosmetics, is occupied the counters, other consumers can not buy.
Do not open the caps!
If you are going to the department cosmetic counters, items are showing. They are testers. You can use freely, but do not touch them by your finger. That’s bad hygienic. But I know some Japanese girls do that. Yeek!
When you go to drug stores, there are some testers. You can try the testers, but do not open the box/ caps what there are no testers. You wanna try? You can not. Payment first, and you can not ask refund. Unfair? Hmm.
Beauty Councilors do not speak English
Usually, Japanese beauty councilors do not speak even English. When I was on the counter, there are lots of Chinese came to the counter. According to my BC, language is one of the headache things. Sadly, they do not understand neither English nor Chinese… Cantonese or Korean? Unfortunately.
That’s not pretty much easy for those who do not speak Japanese, but there are lots of kind BCs.
I always with pens, small notes, and google translate when I go out of Japan. They help me pretty good.
You can refuse to buy their recommend
Whether department stores or drug stores, BCs often recommend to buy extra items. You can refuse to buy what you do not need. In my experience, the BCs in the drug store counters tend to push really strongly…
Enjoy your stay in Japan!
