5 Budget-Friendly Tokyo Makeup Picks (CANMAKE + K-Palette)

Tokyo's drugstore beauty aisles are where a lot of J-beauty trends start, and CANMAKE has been one of the category's most consistent budget names for color cosmetics. We picked five everyday products — a color-correcting SPF gel, a lengthening mascara, a liquid liner, a mineral powder, and a plumping lip tint — that we see requested often, and laid them out in the order you'd actually reach for them in a routine. A quick note upfront: four of these five are CANMAKE, and one (the mascara) is from K-Palette, a separate Japanese drugstore brand with a similar budget-friendly, Tokyo-beauty-counter positioning. We're including it here because it fits the same everyday routine, not because it's a CANMAKE product.

Across all five, the common thread is easy, low-effort application — gel-based sunscreen instead of a heavy cream, a tint instead of a full lipstick, a mineral powder instead of a heavy-coverage foundation.

Does a color-correcting SPF gel actually replace a tinted primer? For the CANMAKE Mermaid Skin Gel UV below, the color-correcting pigment is built into the SPF gel itself, so it can double as a light base step — details below.

Step 1 — CANMAKE Mermaid Skin Gel UV: A Color-Correcting SPF50+ Gel

CANMAKE's Mermaid Skin Gel UV in shade C01 Cica Mint is a color-correcting sunscreen gel: the mint tint is designed to counter redness while the gel provides SPF50+ PA++++ broad-spectrum protection. Apply it as the last step of skincare and the first step of makeup — it goes on before any color cosmetics, since it doubles as both sunscreen and a light color-correcting base.

[[product:canmake-mermaid-skin-gel-uv-c01-cica-mint]]

Step 2 — K-Palette 1Day Tattoo Lash Up Mascara: A Lengthening Mascara From a Different Tokyo Drugstore Brand

This is K-Palette's 1Day Tattoo Lash Up Silky Long Mascara in shade A-02 Brick Brown, part of the brand's long-running "tattoo" mascara line, named for its focus on holding curl and length without breaking down over the course of the day. The brick-brown shade is a softer alternative to jet black. We're flagging clearly that this product is made by K-Palette, not CANMAKE.

[[product:k-palette-1day-tattoo-lash-up-silky-long-mascara-a-02-brick-brown]]

Step 3 — CANMAKE Lasting Liquid Liner: A Precision Felt-Tip Eyeliner

CANMAKE's Lasting Liquid Liner in 01 Black uses a felt-tip applicator built for a thin, precise line, and "Lasting" is the operative word — the formula is built to resist smudging and hold its line through a full day of wear. It's a straightforward black liquid liner rather than a specialty formula, aimed at everyday use.

[[product:canmake-lasting-liquid-liner-01-black]]

Step 4 — CANMAKE Oil Block Mineral Powder: An Oil-Absorbing Setting Powder

CANMAKE's Oil Block Mineral Powder in 01 Clear is a translucent, mineral-based setting powder formulated to keep absorbing surface oil as the day goes on, rather than controlling shine only in the first hour or two after application. Being a clear shade, it's meant as a finishing step over makeup or bare skin rather than as coverage — the difference shows up most by mid-afternoon on oil-prone skin.

[[product:canmake-oil-block-mineral-powder-01-clear]]

Step 5 — CANMAKE Muchi Puru Tint: A Plumping, Hydrating Lip Tint in Butterscotch

CANMAKE's Muchi Puru Tint in 01 Butterscotch combines a lip stain with a plumping sensation on application, and is formulated to feel hydrating rather than drying as it wears — a helpful distinction if you've found other plumping formulas leave lips feeling tight. Like other tints, the color is designed to stain the lips for longer-lasting color than a standard lipstick, in a warm shade that suits most everyday looks. (★要確認★ the hydrating claim should be double-checked against the current product page before publishing.)

[[product:canmake-muchi-puru-tint-01-butterscotch]]

Tokyo Makeup Picks at a Glance

What "PA++++" and "Color-Correcting" Actually Mean

• PA (Protection Grade of UVA) is a Japanese sunscreen rating separate from SPF; PA++++ is the highest UVA-protection tier currently used on Japanese sunscreen labeling.
• A color-correcting formula tints the skin — for example, a mint-green tone to counter redness — while it's worn, rather than covering it the way a foundation does.
• An "oil-block" powder is formulated to absorb surface oil throughout the day, which is different from a powder that's simply matte on application.

FAQ

Is the mascara made by CANMAKE? No — the 1Day Tattoo Lash Up Mascara is made by K-Palette, a separate Japanese drugstore brand. We included it for its similar budget-friendly positioning, not as a CANMAKE product.

Which of these products has SPF? Only the Mermaid Skin Gel UV, at SPF50+ PA++++; the other four are color cosmetics without a stated SPF.

Is the lip tint the same as a lipstick? No — a tint stains the lips for longer-lasting color, while a lipstick sits more on the surface and typically needs more frequent reapplication.

What order should these go on in? Start with the SPF gel as your last skincare step, then build color on top: mascara, liner, a dust of the oil-block powder to set everything, and the lip tint last.

Why Shop With Smikie Japan

Four CANMAKE pieces and one K-Palette mascara make up a full, low-effort everyday face here, laid out in the order you'd actually apply them. Browse the full J-Beauty Makeup collection, or check our Sunscreen picks for more SPF options. SPF values follow the package — reapply through the day for best protection.