game-changing makeup worth buying on your next trip to japan
+ how I use it to get that flushed, pouty nina park beat for NYE 🪩
Hi! Emerging from my holiday haze/post-Heated Rivalry psychosis to share a makeup newsletter for all your NYE needs tonight. First, a few admin notes:
I’m giving away souvenirs from Japan to 4 paid readers. To enter, leave a comment about what you’re proud of from 2025, or simply restack this post. I’ll pick winners raffle style, and will reach out via the comments section here to arrange shipping next week.
Annual subscriptions are on sale for $50 for the next 24 hours. This is the last sale I’ll do in the foreseeable future, as the Molehill is growing in 2026 to bring on occasional guest contributors :)
I’ve spent winter break testing out all the beauty products I scooped in Japan, and made a list of which ones are worth the hype.
Taking account of everything I bought was a bit sobering. Not in a bad or guilty way. It’s just that I kinda mentally blacked out when I was doing the actual shopping, and then everything was packed away in those tax-free plastic bags until I got home.
It wasn’t until I cut open the bags and lined up all my lip glosses and blushes neatly on the kitchen table that I could truly comprehend the scope of my shopping spree.
And about that spree! It took place at a fluorescently-lit Cosme store (similar to Sephora). I had 2 hours before dinner and was determined to make the most of it. I remember sweating through my down puffer jacket, darting between narrow aisles with my increasingly heavy basket, eyes flickering frantically between shimmery grids of eyeshadow pots and pictures of sun-kissed monolidded models like an deer in flight or fight mode.
As it happens, Nina Park makeup was trending online in December, at the same time I was testing out my new makeup.
Park is a makeup artist known for doing these really flushed, pouty looks on celebrities like Greta Lee, Lily Rose Depp, Margaret Qualley, Zoe Kravitz, all the Hollywood it girls of the moment etc.
I latched onto this Greta Lee look because (1) it’s a helpful template for East Asian features and (2) I love the blush + freckle effect. This is my ideal makeup!!!
After two weeks of practice, I feel like I’ve nailed the Nina Park beat (to my own level of satisfaction, at least!).
So I’m going to walk you through all my steps and tricks, which heavily feature the makeup I got in Japan. This is how I plan to do my NYE makeup, but I’ll add a swipe of glittery eyeshadow.
You definitely do not need anything I mention—I’m sure a similar effect can be achieved with whatever you already have in your makeup bag—but, these are products that make a big difference, in my opinion.
There are no affiliate links in this post: while many products are available through online retailers like Yesstyle and Stylevana, I’ve never used those websites myself, and they don’t carry all the colorways I mention. I cannot vouch for any one specific online shopping experience.
Ultimately, this guide is best suited for an IRL shopping experience. Whether it’s at a local store that carries makeup from Asia (fingers crossed for Tokyo Central Market opening in Emeryville) or an upcoming Japan trip (you’ll get far better prices than online), these are the game-changing products I recommend.
Top highlights include:
the blush that Jenna Lyons would have her makeup artists bring back from Japan, according to Marisa Meltzer’s book ‘Glossy’
a pigmented lip liquid that is SO perfect for the Nina Park pout, I’m 100% going to restock on this every chance I get
a foundation brush-meets-design object that works especially well for lower nose bridges
Ok, first up is: