Ayari Yanagida, right, and her friend show off their custom lipsticks on Oct. 1 in Shibuya. They mixed pigments selected from 50 possible colors.
12:15 JST, November 10, 2023
All 50 bottles of different pigments were placed on a table. When a small amount of blue pigment was added to red and gold pigments, the color changed to a vibrant and deep pink that resembled a rose petal. This sounds like a painter creating a new color on a palette; however, it is the process of making a lipstick.
Now that all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, people are regularly going out without masks. As more women enjoy wearing lipstick again, a specialty lipstick store called Lip_Room in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, is becoming popular because it allows customers to create custom lipsticks.
Production begins with choosing the pigments that are mixed to get the desired color and mixing lip balm, a basic ingredient of lipstick, with the pigments. After the color is created, the clay-like mixture is dissolved and poured into a mold. After the mixture has solidified, place the mixture in a container. Then your personalized lipstick is complete. You can add scents according to your preference, such as rose and coconut.
A store employee explains the laws and regulations, such as that the handmade lipstick may only be for personal use.
Hoping to create a lipstick in an autumn color, 25-year-old Ayari Yanagida, an employee of the company, visited the store with her friend in early October. She spent about an hour enjoying the process of making a lipstick while receiving instructions from the store staff. “I love the lipstick because I made it. I want to use it with great care,” she said proudly.
The store opened in August 2022 with the prediction that once the COVID-19 outbreak was over and people no longer had to wear masks, demand for lipstick would increase. After the status of COVID-19 under the Infectious Diseases Act was downgraded to Category V in May, the number of customers visiting the store increased significantly. Atsuya Kawaura, 29, president of the company that operates the store, said with a smile: “I hope people can fully enjoy makeup after the pandemic.”
How to make lipstick
1. First mix some pigments of your choice with lip balm, a basic ingredient of lipstick. The trick is to grind the mixture thoroughly.
2. Dissolve the mixture in hot water in a liquid state, pour the liquid into a lipstick mold and wait for it to cool.
3. Once the lipstick has completely solidified in the mold, place it in a lipstick container and your lipstick is ready.
