Shiseido’s Maquillage set to expand on successful serum foundation with cushion format

The Maquillage Dramatic Essence Cushion Glow will launch on August 21.

It will contain the same ingredients as the original Dramatic Essence Liquid, including water lily extract, hyaluronic acid, collagen, glycylglycine and glycerin.

The brand claims that the serum is able to improve skin texture while the foundation minimises the appearance of pores.

According to its own consumer research, visible pores have been the top skin concern among consumers in their twenties and thirties for six consecutive years.

According to the Japanese drugstore brand, it has shipped a cumulative total of 2.75 million units of the Dramatic Essence Liquid since it launched in 2022.

The product was ranked as the top mid-priced foundation by the local beauty review platform, @cosme, in 2023.

Shifting makeup preferences

Maquillage’s move to expand its serum foundation lineup comes at a time when consumers are becoming increasingly discerning about base makeup products like foundations, concealers, and primers.

According to @cosme’s recent analysis of the reviews on its platform, consumers are shifting their base makeup preferences, including foundation, towards high-end brands.

This bucks the trend for the preference of affordable makeup products in general.

The analysis noted that consumers may perceive makeup to have ‘direct influence’ on the skin, which pushes them to spend more for quality products.

This is further influenced by the increasing desire to enhance one’s natural beauty, driving the trend for more natural makeup.​

Maquillage believes that the continued success of Dramatic Essence Liquid was driven by the increased awareness of self-care, which was motivating consumers to “invest” in the future of their skin.

This year, the firm’s own market research reveals a notable shift in consumer attitudes towards makeup post-COVID-19.

Increasingly, people are prioritising skin care investments to maintain healthy, beautiful skin. Conversely, makeup products, foundation in particular, are now perceived as a burden on the skin.

The research indicated that approximately 70% of consumers either prefer not to use foundation or are reducing its usage. Instead, many are turning to concealers or tinted primers as preferred alternatives.

Skin benefits encapsulated in makeup

The formula is based on Shiseido’s Serum First Technology, which encapsulates the makeup ingredients within the serum, allowing the skin care ingredients to reach the skin first before the makeup spreads on the skin.

The brand said this technology enables the delivery of “moisture deep into pores and the stratum corneum”.

Maquillage utilises the same technology found in flagship brand Shiseido’s Revitalessence Skin Glow serum foundation.

CosmeticsDesign-Asia previously reported​ that the serum foundation helped to capture a large share of new customers for the brand.