Embrace your inner geisha and indulge in the innovative and elegant products Japan has to offer.

While there was a time when we considered Paris the epicentre of beauty and sophistication, there's a new destination that seems to hold the answers: Japan.

Today's cosmetic market is a distinct departure from the days when European blondes were seen as the beauty standard. Japanese cosmetics are beautiful, sophisticated and whisper of traditional beauty secrets. Their image of exotic allure stems from the geisha and a renewed pride in their own looks and style, embodied in brands such as Shiseido, Shu Uemura, SK-II and Pola.

Japan's long history of appreciating beauty is evident in the geisha culture though to their traditional crafts. Their spa culture is thousands of years old and utilises traditional ingredients such as volcanic mud, wakame seaweed, rice bran and nightingale droppings (a favourite of geisha and kabuki actors that is said to brighten the skin). Despite being renowned for their innovative technology, Japanese brands still offer a holistic approach, using elements of traditional Eastern medicine and aromachology.

Immaculate and creative packaging is incredibly important in Japanese products, while we're captivated by this we're also buying into the intriguing stories the land of the rising sun is selling us with our purchases. Say Konnichiwa to a new era is cosmetics!

Bella Beauty Magazine #18