Beyond Coverage,
Toward Living as Yourself:
70 Years of Shiseido Life Quality Makeup

INDEX

Standing by Each Person: The Commitment That Has Sustained SLQM for 70 Years

In 2026, SLQM marked its 70th anniversary. One of the earliest initiatives of its kind in Japan, it has continued to support people with deep skin concerns by responding to their individual needs.

Today, SLQM forms part of Shiseido’s sustainability strategy and operates in five countries and regions: Japan, mainland China, Singapore, Taiwan, and France. It has become one of Shiseido’s most representative social initiatives.

By 2030, Shiseido aims to support one million people through “empowerment through the power of beauty.”^*1 As the company works to create a society in which everyone can live as themselves, SLQM is one of the initiatives that most clearly embodies this commitment.

Ozawa, who works to support people live in a way that feels true to themselves as the person in charge of the Perfect Cover brand, describes SLQM as “an initiative that embodies Shiseido’s values.”

Aoki: “I began to feel that I wanted to support people who had given up on wearing makeup. Some people are suddenly confronted with facial paralysis, vitiligo, or appearance changes caused by cancer treatment and become unable to leave their homes. Watching them gradually begin to look ahead again is what keeps me going. Feeling that I may have been able to help someone also gives me strength. As long as I remain healthy, I want to continue doing whatever I can to support people here.”

Ozawa’s first encounter with SLQM, meanwhile, came through LAVENDER RING,^*2 an initiative supporting cancer survivors.^*3

Ozawa: “I saw hair and makeup artists and beauty consultants working closely with people with deep skin concerns. I watched their expressions change through makeup and saw smiles appear on their faces. Witnessing those moments made me want to become involved in the initiative myself. I later requested a transfer, and since 2024, I have been working extensively on SLQM.”

SLQM’s history has not been built through product development alone. In the 1990s, Shiseido began expanding individual consultation services in collaboration with medical institutions, and insights gained through these consultations contributed to the evolution of its products and techniques.

Today, SLQM brings together the products, technologies, and professional beauty expertise Shiseido has developed over many years to provide support tailored to each individual.

Ozawa: “Standing beside people throughout their lives through the power of beauty—that is what SLQM does. I believe it is an initiative that embodies Shiseido’s approach as a company.”

Products and techniques are not the only things that have been passed down over the years. SLQM has also carried forward a commitment to stand beside the person in front of us and help them take a step in a way that feels true to who they are.

Respecting diverse values and offering beauty that helps bring out each person’s potential—this steady accumulation of individual encounters is what has allowed SLQM to grow into an initiative with a 70-year history. Its journey will continue into the future as Shiseido works toward realizing “empowerment through the power of beauty.”

1. *1: An initiative that uses makeup to foster a sense of self-efficacy through the power of beauty and supports everyone in living as themselves.
2. *2: Shiseido, in collaboration with Dentsu Inc. and the non-profit organization CancerNet Japan, operates LAVENDER RING with a mission to bring smiles to all cancer survivors. The color lavender is used as a prominent feature as a symbol representing all cancer types. Despite cancer being a prevalent disease, there are still many prejudices and misunderstandings towards cancer survivors in society. Thus, Shiseido started collaborating with companies, organizations, local governments, and medical institutions to promote a correct understanding of cancer and expand the circle of understanding in Japan in 2017.
3. *3: LAVENDER RING uses the term “cancer survivor” to refer to anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, including those undergoing treatment, under observation, or in remission.

Beyond Concealing, Toward Being Yourself

Aoki: “Covering the area that concerns someone is important, but that alone is not enough. We also consider how to bring out the person’s own features and direct attention away from the area that has been covered. Sometimes our recommendations extend beyond makeup to hairstyles and wigs. We listen to when they would like to use coverage, the kind of life they want to lead, and the difficulties they experience in everyday life, and then think through the options together.”

In today’s society, where diversity is increasingly respected, Shiseido places importance on offering choices that reflect each individual’s wishes. Whether or not to cover the skin is a decision for each person to make.

Some clients, for example, choose to use coverage at work or when going out, but not when they are with family members or close friends, where they feel comfortable showing themselves as they are.

Supporting each person’s own choices and becoming a natural part of their everyday life is another value that SLQM has long upheld.

This support is made possible by products and techniques that have been refined over many years. The foundation products at the heart of the dedicated Perfect Cover series have continued to evolve to provide both high coverage and a natural-looking finish.

Ozawa: “Our researchers and hair and makeup artists have worked together to refine both our products and our beauty techniques. The ability to bring science and creativity together in the development process is one of Shiseido’s distinctive strengths.”

Awareness of vitiligo has gradually increased in recent years, but many people continue to struggle with the condition. Shiseido is therefore working to strengthen both its communication and its support.

Aoki: “Someone may arrive looking down, but by the time they leave, they are sometimes smiling. To me, that is the power of makeup. When the area that has been troubling them becomes less noticeable, they may begin to think, ‘Perhaps I could go out more,’ or ‘Maybe I could meet people again.’ Every time I witness that change, I am reminded of the significance of this initiative.”

What SLQM provides is not simply a makeup service. It expands the choices available to people with serious skin concerns and encourages them to take a step forward in a way that feels true to themselves.

That is the value that has been passed down over the past 70 years.

Supporting People Take the Next Step—and What Comes After

Over its 70-year history, SLQM has worked with more people than can be counted.

Another encounter Aoki has never forgotten was with a woman preparing for her wedding. The woman had a serious skin concern and did not want the relatives and other guests attending her wedding to notice it when she wore her wedding dress. She wondered whether it could be covered and made less noticeable. She attended repeated lessons to learn how to apply the coverage herself before the wedding day.

Aoki: “After the ceremony, she sent us photographs with a message saying, ‘I had the happiest day of my life.’ Hearing those words moved me to tears. We are not changing the skin itself. What we are doing is supporting people pursue the things they want to do and take on the challenges they want to try.”

With the spread of social media and the internet, a wider range of perspectives on beauty is now being shared.

Ozawa: “Compared with the past, society has certainly become more accepting of diverse forms of beauty. Even so, many people still live with serious concerns. That is precisely why I believe it remains important to continue this initiative.

“Support is also growing within Shiseido. Employees who learn about the initiative sometimes ask us, ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ I feel that this initiative, which has continued for 70 years, is now being passed on to a new generation.”

Asked about the moments that make them feel glad they have continued the work, Aoki and Ozawa responded:

Aoki: “For me, it is the moment when a client’s expression changes. When someone says, ‘I think I might try wearing makeup again,’ or ‘I would like to go out for dinner with my friends,’ I feel from the bottom of my heart that I am glad I continued this work.”

Ozawa: “The initiative itself is not the goal. Its value lies in being able to make even a small positive difference in the life of each person beyond it.”

What has sustained SLQM for 70 years is each individual encounter—and the smiles and confidence that have grown from those encounters.

For Those We Have Yet to Reach

In 1956, Shiseido Spots Cover was created out of a desire to ease the emotional pain of people suffering from burn scars caused by the war. Now, as SLQM marks its 70th anniversary, the initiative is preparing to move into a new stage.

Ozawa is focused on making more people aware of the initiative.

Aoki also thinks about the many people who have yet to learn about SLQM.

SLQM has been shaped by the beauty professionals who stand beside clients in the field, the researchers who continue to refine its techniques, the employees who support the initiative, and the many people who have found the courage to visit the Shiseido Life Quality Beauty Center. Together, they have helped SLQM grow into an initiative that has touched many lives.

As we work toward a society in which everyone can live as themselves, we will continue to expand the possibilities of beauty.