Tokyo: A Place of Inspiration

Welcome to Tokyo. This vibrant and dynamic city is the inspiration for our Spring 2019 collection because of it’s endless energy and creativity, truly a hub where trends are born. The old and new meet face to face in this fashion-forward destination.

This is not a place where locals do things by halves. A destination where the world’s beauty trends are foraged and being kawaii (cute) is almost a duty. Heels are high, hair is glossy, eyelashes are calligraphic sweeps of black silk, and nails are always on the next level. A nucleus of fashion, beauty and of course nail art, we look at why Tokyo is such a center for innovation.

Watch OPI Tokyo Demo Video

FASHION

From Harajuku girls to Comme de Garcons, incredible street style and more – Tokyo is synonymous with fashion. With one of the most vibrant fashion scenes in the world, Japanese style has been the subject of many books and internet fandom over the years.

When we think about Japanese fashion trends, our imagination often turns to over-the-top street stylings seen in the Harajuku district of Tokyo. From the boutiques of Nakameguro to the high-end, concept stores of Ginza, the couture landscape in Tokyo is certainly eclectic. Known for its fast-moving crazes and constant state of flux. Fashion here changes often and metamorphoses into new styles and zoku (tribes) – you’ll find everything from cotton candy hair to Lolita style and paired back denim.

Despite being the birthplace of some of the world’s most iconic designers, we are definitely street style obsessed. Since the dawn of KiraKira, the desire is to add more, more, more. Whether this means wearing sequins in the daytime, cowboy boots with fish-net socks, a range of primary colours, or even something as simple as wrapping a belt around a pair of track pants, subtlety is not the answer. Experimentation is fundamental to Japan’s street style savants, and they brazenly clash unexpected colours and push the boundaries of the industry.

BEAUTY

Move over K-Beauty, we are all about J-Beauty (Japanese beauty for that in-the-know). Skincare is at the heart of Japanese beauty routines, as they believe health lies in a healthy skin base. Whereas in Western cultures we focus on fixing any skincare issues, Tokyo locals look to prevention and anticipation.

Japanese beauty brands are major trendsetters, they are often the first to have formula breakthroughs and use science-based evidence to improve skin health. Just step into a Japanese beauty store and you’ll find first-of-its-kind products, like Shiseido’s new Day Cream which uses Neuro Technology (yes, that means the brain), to help reawaken and reboot the skin to be more receptive to products. It’s not just skincare though, the makeup here is incredible due to long-lasting formulas and amazing textures.

That’s not to say it’s all calm and skincare perfection, as always with Tokyo you’ll find some more niche beauty fads on offer. From snail slime facials (which claim to help skin produce more collagen and elastin), to using horse oil for chapped skin, there are no limits. Our personal favourite has to be Ugisu No Fun, a facial including bird droppings from a nightingale. Let’s just say Tokyo’s anti-ageing techniques are more niche than the norm.

OPI Tokyo Collection Nail Colours

Tokyo has long been pushing the boundaries in the world of nail art. You can get pretty much anything you want on your tips, from over-the-top 3D art to subtler diamanté designs. If you want to be fashionable in Tokyo, perfect nails are a requirement. Locals visit nail salons on a monthly basis (more often than most of us visit the hair salon) and favour GelColor over standard nail lacquer for its quick drying and long-lasting formula.

The Tokyo Collection features 12 new shades in classic Nail Lacquer, Long-Wear Infinite Shine and GelColor formulas.

The colours in this collection are:

• Rice Rice Baby
• Another Ramen-tic Evening
• Arigato From Tokyo
• Hurry-juku Get This Color
• All Your Dreams in Vending Machines
• Samurai Breaks a Nail
• How Does Your Zen Garden Grow?
• I’m on a Sushi Roll
• Suzi-san Climbs Fuji-san
• Tempura-ture is Rising!
• Kanpai OPI!
• Chopstix and Stones

Subtly is also not the answer. You’ve probably seen them on Instagram: long nails covered in more Swarovski crystals than you could ever imagine or Hello Kitty faces protruding out of a French mani. Pierced, bling, bubbles or 3D, nothing is too much and salons often mould 3D creations by hand to create true pieces of nail art. OTT and OMG nails win the day when it comes to nail culture in Tokyo. Japanese anime fans will get their favourite character’s hand painted on before conventions to stand out when they meet their heroes.

Tokyo is so famous for nail art that nail artists will come from all over the world to learn these craftsmen-like techniques in Shibuya, the district where you’ll find most of our favourite nail salons. Clients often receive a personal consultation before their treatment similar to a therapy session to make sure they leave satisfied.

Now that you have a healthy dose of creative inspiration for Tokyo, you’re ready to get out there and explore! Read some of our other vacation guides inspired by our collections, and don’t forget to share snaps of your nails all decked up in #OPITokyo on social media.

Shop OPI’s Tokyo collection today.