Any beauty lover can attest to the fact that nothing beats a trip to your neighborhood beauty store. Smelling Chanel no. 5, sampling the season’s trending lipstick shades or browsing the aisles to find your next favorite foundation. 

While shopping online has its perks, the experience of shopping for cosmetic and skincare products in person is certainly unmatched. If you’re still looking for the best stores in town to stock up your beauty bag, have a look at this roundup of our favorite beauty hot spots in Tokyo.

1. @Cosme Tokyo

@Cosme (read “at Cosme) is one of the biggest beauty ranking and shopping websites in Japan. They also have a couple of physical stores where beauty lovers can browse for the latest trending items but the most impressive is by far their Harajuku flagship store, which spans over 1,300 meters and three floors. It offers an engaging and interactive experience with features like a private area for personalized skin advice, “Tester Bars” to sample the latest products, multilingual guides and a special lounge for their app members. There is also a dedicated corner when shoppers will find the top-rated products recommended by fellow beauty lovers. The enormous selection of international and Japanese brands includes lineups from Orbis, Tom Ford Beauty, Clarins, Armani Beauty, Givenchy and many more.

Address: 1-14-27 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku

2. Fruit Gathering

Fruit Gathering is a beauty-focused select shop. It is known to house rarer foreign brands such as Make Up Forever and Bare Minerals as well as popular Japanese brands. The selection here is smaller but is very well curated and showcased. The staff is trained to help you find the best fit for your skin type and preferences and shoppers can also book a 30-minute blow-dry experience if they want extra pampering. 

Notable locations include Roppongi Hills, inside Shinagawa Station and the Ginza Inz.

3. Skinholic

Located in Okubo‘s Korea Town, Skinholic is a one-stop-shop that specializes in offering the very best of Korean beauty and skincare from popular and lesser-known brands including Tony Moly, Innisfree and Etude House, to name a few. Explore and compare products from various brands under a single roof instead of hopping around Takeshita, which is probably how many of us first shop for K-beauty. 

Address: 1-12-15 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku

4. Ginza Mitsukoshi

For when you feel like really treating yourself, head to Ginza Cosmetics World located in Ginza Mitsukoshi. Here you’ll find the crème de la crème of high-end and luxury makeup brands such as Chanel and YSL Beauty but also a solid lineup of familiar high-street brands like Nars and Clinique. Shoppers who need a little more guidance navigating the selection can benefit from a personalized consultation.

Address: 4-6-16, Ginza, Chuo-ku

5. Ainz & Tulpe

Ainz & Tulpe is relatively new to the game but is steadily expanding across Japan from humble beginnings in Sapporo, Hokkaido. This beauty and health store is worth checking out for its curated selection of budget-friendly items and brands and promises a more elevated experience than shopping at just any other drugstore. Notable brands you’ll find here include Dazz Shop, Canmake, Lips and hips, One Skin and Cezanne. The store also has an extensive skincare and healthcare section featuring everything from face masks to hair accessories, loungewear and fragrances.

Notable locations include Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station and Ikebukuro stores.