Shiseido Description

Browse Shiseido's comprehensive beauty collection, featuring makeup, skincare, and fragrances from one of the world's most established cosmetics companies. Shiseido was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1872 by Arinobu Fukuhara, former head pharmacist to the Imperial Japanese Navy, who opened Japan's first private Western-style pharmacy in the Ginza district. The name Shiseido comes from a passage in the Chinese classic I Ching (Book of Changes) meaning "praise the virtues of the earth which nurtures new life and brings forth new values", establishing the company's philosophy from its inception.

Shiseido began selling cosmetics in 1897 with the launch of Eudermine, a softening lotion that marked the company's transition from pharmaceuticals to beauty products. In 1917, Shiseido introduced Rainbow Face Powder, a face powder with seven colours in a period when white face powders were the norm in Japan. The company founder's son and second president, Shinzō Fukuhara, took over in 1913 and dedicated extensive resources to design and advertising, establishing Shiseido's reputation for both product quality and visual presentation. The ground-breaking Miss Shiseido program started in 1934, which gave women across Japan the chance to study and work at a time when such opportunities were scarce.

The company is one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022. It is the largest cosmetic firm in Japan and the fifth largest cosmetic company in the world. The extensive range includes foundations, lipsticks, mascaras, eye palettes, skincare serums and creams, hair care products, and fragrances. Shiseido owns numerous brands and subsidiaries worldwide, including Clé de Peau Beauté, NARS, and licenses for several designer fragrance lines, maintaining its position through continuous innovation and research while honouring its heritage of blending Eastern aesthetics with Western science.