‘Exceptional colour retention’: Shiseido’s latest ‘Water Sensing’ colour tech to debut with Maquillage in November

Maquillage Dramatic Essence Rouge is set to arrive in stores in Japan on November 21 with seven shades.

The upcoming product was designed with Shiseido’s new Water Sensing Technology, which was developed to meet current consumer demands for lipstick.

According to the firm's survey results, consumers have identified moisturisation ability, glossiness, and transfer resistance as their top priorities in an ideal lipstick that would give the ‘dewy lip’ look.

While attributes like longevity still remain important to consumers today, they are also prioritising the comfort of the lips. This is due to the pervasive use of transfer-resistant lip products during COVID-19, which could be uncomfortable due to their long-lasting nature.

A new approach

According to the company, its breakthrough technology “collects colourants” ​upon application on the lips.

It forms a network by detecting and reacting to the moisture that naturally evaporates from the lips. This network configuration, resembling loops, effectively prevents individual colourants from separating and ensures long-lasting colour adherence to the lips.

“Our innovative Water Sensing Technology was designed to capture colour material upon application to the lips. When this material senses water evaporating on the lips, it transforms into loop-like structures. These colourant loops, being water-compatible, effectively gather and adhere to hydrophilic surfaces like the lips, forming a robust network structure of colourants This process leads to exceptional colour retention,” ​the firm explained.

Unlike conventional lipsticks that rely on heavily adhesive oils or filming agents to secure colour, this new technology refrains from solidifying the coating.

As a result, it achieves a lipstick formulation that is both lightweight and smooth to wear while maintaining exceptional colour retention for up to eight hours, Shiseido claimed.

“To further enhance colour retention and transfer resistance in lipsticks, we've developed a lipstick that excels in both oil resistance and smudge resistance, fundamental functions of lipsticks. This new lipstick is engineered to offer even more impressive colour retention and a reduced likelihood of transference.​

“Traditionally, this challenge has been tackled by solidifying the coating film with a sealing agent, eliminating fluidity. However, this approach can lead to a less satisfying application experience. Therefore, in this instance, we've taken a novel approach to maintain the fluidity of the coating film while elevating colour retention and smudge resistance to a higher level.”​

Shiseido has been developing transfer-resistant glosses for over a decade, starting in 2010. Two years ago, it developed hybrid oil control technology to reduce the occurrence of colour transfers.

This technology was used in a range of Maquillage lip glosses​ it launched in October 2021.