On a quiet street in Tokyo’s fashionable Minami-Aoyama district, a small museum glows with a single shade of red. But it isn’t any glossy lipstick red you’d find in a department store or beauty counter. This color—beni—is rarer, softer, and more complex. Under direct light it gleams crimson, but when you tilt it slightly, a greenish sheen blooms across its surface. This delicate shimmer has captivated Japanese women for centuries, and for 200 years it has been at the heart of Isehan Cosmetics.
Today, Isehan is most notably known for its brands that marry heritage with innovation: Kiss Me, its long-standing flagship; Heroine Make, the cult-favorite eye makeup line famed for waterproof, long-lasting mascaras and eyeliners; Heavy Rotation, a go-to for perfectly defined brows; and Sunkiller, a sun care range beloved for its high SPF protection in lightweight, wearable textures. Beyond these modern icons, Isehan still preserves its roots through Komachi-Beni, the traditional safflower-based rouge crafted in the same meticulous way it has been for generations—bridging the artistry of Japan’s beauty past with the demands of its present.
A House Born in Edo
In 1825, the city we now call Tokyo was still Edo, a cultural capital alive with artisans, merchants, and entertainers. Among the merchants of Nihonbashi was Han’emon Sawada, who built his reputation on a single, highly-prized product: beni.
This was no ordinary cosmetic. Made by extracting pigment from safflower petals, beni was a lacquer-like shimmering crimson pigment that shifted to a subtle green when the light hit it just right.
Cheryl Tan Chua, President and Brand Manager of Beautybox Corp.—the official distributor of Isehan in the Philippines—shared the origins of beni through an Instagram story: “Beni is a red pigment extracted from safflower petals. The key ingredient of beni is the safflower, said to be native to the Middle and Near East, and introduced to China via the Silk Road.”
In the Edo period, beauty was closely tied to social status, cultural expression, and even spirituality. But this vibrant red carried meaning beyond beauty. Beni was a sign of sophistication and grace among women of the upper classes, worn as a delicate wash over the lips. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, beni was believed to offer physical benefits—promoting healthy blood circulation—while also serving as a protective charm to ward off misfortune and evil spirits.
Making beni, however, was as much ritual as labor. Around one thousand safflower blossoms were required to produce a single small pot, and every step of the process—steeping, filtering, layering—had to be done with precision. The final product was painted on with a fine brush in thin layers, allowing users to control the depth of color from barely-there blush to a rich, jewel-like stain. Women of the time applied it not just to lips, but to eyelids, creating a luminous effect in candlelight or sunlight.
Isehan’s artisans mastered the craft early, developing a reputation for quality so strong that the brand has never abandoned its original methods. Made purely from rare beni, Isehan’s Komachi-beni is a refined continuation of this tradition. Named after Komachi, a symbol of classical Japanese beauty, this beni is still handcrafted today using the exact techniques and porcelain pots from the Edo period. This careful preservation allows Komachi-beni to maintain its signature greenish shimmer and luxurious finish.
Today, it remains the only company in the world that still producing hand-made Komachi-beni exactly as it was in the 19th century—same careful process, same porcelain pots, and that unmistakable greenish shimmer when the light catches it.
The Living Museum
While many beauty houses have long moved on from their earliest formulas, Isehan has kept its oldest tradition alive. And rather than locking this heritage away in an archive, Isehan has turned it into an experience you can step into. The Isehan Beni Museum in Tokyo’s Minami-Aoyama is part gallery, part working studio, and part time capsule. Here, visitors can learn about how artisans extracted brilliant pigment from the safflower petals and produced beni. Displays of antique beni pots, mid-century lipstick molds, and decades of KissMe advertisements can also double as a crash course in Japanese beauty history and culture.
To celebrate its 200th year, the museum is rolling out Love Cosmetics! Returns—a special exhibition running until September that’s part nostalgia trip, part beauty playground where you can expect rare product displays, hands-on experiences, and a perfectly symbolic ticket price of 200 yen in honor of 200 years.
From Edo Rouge to Modern Icons: The KissMe Era
By the mid-1930s, Japan was moving at a new speed. Its trains became faster, fashion turned bolder, and beauty had stepped out of the corners of one’s home and into stores. Isehan, already famous for its luxurious beni, saw that women still wanted beauty with meaning, but they also wanted it quick, portable, and ready to go.
In 1935, Isehan shook up Japan’s beauty scene when it launched KissMe Saffron Rouge. Still made from safflower petals, it took a centuries-old crimson and turned it into something you could slip into your handbag. The name, bold and just a little daring, was a departure from the demure branding of the era.
KissMe also broke ground in how beauty was sold. At a time when face-to-face sales were still the norm—a salesperson carefully presenting products one-on-one—KissMe became the first company in Japan to experiment with a self-sales system. Shoppers could pick up, examine, and choose products themselves, a small but radical shift that made cosmetics feel more accessible and personal.
Soon KissMe was expanding into pressed powders, lipsticks, and eyeshadows, each one marrying Japanese precision with a hint of Western beauty influence. Advertisements from the time captured stylish women with glossy waves and arched brows, showing how the KissMe woman was both of-the-moment and ahead of it.
Decades later, one of its most famous offshoot brands came into the spotlight: Heroine Make. Launched in 2005 and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, it was a line that eventually became legendary across Asia for its dramatic, long-and-curl mascaras that were best known for their lasting power. Rain, humidity, even tears couldn’t budge them! Beauty lovers tested them through summer heatwaves, monsoon rains, and late nights, only to find every lash still perfectly in place.
It’s no wonder Heroine Make also became a cult favorite in the Philippines, where the heat and humidity can usually undo lesser formulas in a few hours.
As Chua noted, “Filipinos already love Japanese-made products and they’ll be even more impressed once they discover Isehan’s long heritage of beauty and quality. Plus, with the summer weather in Japan and the Philippines being so similar, it’s no surprise that its iconic product, Heroine Make mascara, is a go-to. Its waterproof formula is made to last even in our heat and humidity.” In beauty forums, travel guides, and hauls, it’s often named as a must-buy from Japan.
Though Heroine Make is a standout, Isehan’s line-up offers much more. There’s KissMe Mommy!—the name alone hints at who its suited for. Created with mothers (and their little ones) in mind, its sunscreen line is built for sensitive, easily irritated skin, with formulas gentle enough for daily family use. Heavy Rotation, on the other hand, is all about brows, with smudge-proof mascaras and pencils that deliver natural-looking shape and tint in one sweep. And Sunkiller—true to its name—is the brand’s answer to relentless summers, with barely-there sunscreens that hold up in even the stickiest weather.
Each brand answers a different call in everyday beauty—nourishing care for sensitive skin, makeup essentials that work hard, and reliable sun protection built for the daily grind. But across them all, you’ll find the same Isehan signature: thoughtful, dependable formulas rooted in a 200-year legacy.
Staying Relevant at 200
At a time when beauty trends come and go, Isehan proves that some things get better with time. Two hundred years in, this is a brand that knows how to honor its roots without getting stuck in the past.
“In a world where new brands pop up everyday, having a 200-year history means a lot,” Chua points out. “It tells people that the brand has stood the test of time, that it’s consistent, reliable, and here to stay. That kind of legacy builds trust, and for many consumers, its exactly what makes a company like Isehan worth believing in.”
We’ve seen how Isehan doesn’t rest on heritage alone. Its ability to innovate with purpose—like developing Heroine Make’s long-lasting mascaras tailored for humid climates, or creating KissMe Mommy’s gentle skincare formulated for the sensitive needs of mothers and their children—reflects an intimate understanding of changing lifestyles and regional demands, particularly in Asia.
Isehan’s thoughtfully diverse lineup shows their nuanced understanding of beauty that’s shaped by culture, climate, and lifestyle—key to why the brand continues to win over beauty lovers well beyond Japan’s shores and expand steadily across many other parts of the world without losing its authentic identity.
And much like the timeless glow of beni that has endured through centuries, Isehan’s legacy is grounded in a foundation that adapts gracefully without losing its essence. Its unique blend of heritage and innovation ensures the brand remains both relevant and iconic amid today’s constantly shifting beauty landscape.
Shop the Legacy
Experience the heritage of Japanese beauty celebrated through Isehan’s KissMe.
KissMe Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara Advanced Film
P795, Lazada
KissMe Mommy! UV Aqua Milk
P525, Lazada
KissMe Heavy Rotation Eyebrow Pencil
P595, Lazada
KissMe Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence N
P495, Lazada
Video courtesy of Cheryl Tan Chua. Photos from Isehan Beni website.
