"LIPS," a beauty platform operated by AppBrew Inc., has announced the "LIPS Monthly Trend Awards" for September 2026.
The awards select items that are the seeds of trends, based on LIPS' own logic and the votes of "Project LIPS," a group of early adopters in the beauty field.
In September 2026, many new autumn/winter cosmetics appeared. In the cosmetics category, lip items occupied the top spots, with neo-texture and muted colors in particular drawing attention.
Overview of the September 2026 "LIPS Monthly Trend Awards"
The LIPS Monthly Trend Awards honor products that generated buzz on the LIPS platform.
The tally for September 2026 covered 14,312 items that received reviews on LIPS between July 20, 2026 and August 19, 2026.
According to AppBrew Inc., lip items took first through third place in the cosmetics category.
Cosmetics Category: Lip Items Sweep the Ranking, with Neo-Texture and Muted Colors in the Spotlight
In the cosmetics category, "neo-texture lips" that combine the characteristics of both glossy and matte finishes and "muted colors" in calm tones led the trend.
No. 1: JILL STUART Lip & Cheek Blooming Chiffon
A lip and cheek product with a soft, chiffon-like texture took first place.
The result reflects the continued popularity of matte cheeks and neo-texture lips.
There were comments such as "a fluffy soft matte that is easy to use even for people who don't like matte," as well as praise for the cute packaging design.
The company says a campaign offering a cosmetics keychain as a bonus also generated buzz.
JILL STUART Lip & Cheek Blooming Chiffon
No. 2: KATE Lip Monster
Lip Monster, which entered the "LIPS Best Cosmetics 2023 Hall of Fame," ranked second.
The return of the KATE and USJ collaboration brought back deep red limited-edition shades, drawing attention.
The existing shade "18 Melting Honey Peach" also became a topic on social media with comments like "even Lip Monster, known for its many highly saturated colors, has low-saturation colors," which boosted its popularity.
No. 3: ADDICTION Confident Matte Lip
A new lip product characterized by a lineup of 12 muted colors and a soft matte finish.
Its weightless, light feel and blurred finish have won support from people with a strong interest in beauty.
In addition to the feel of use and long-lasting color, the color lineup that raises expectations for autumn makeup was also praised, with comments such as "the dusty color range looks like it will be useful for the coming season."
Base Makeup Category: Items Addressing the Need to Banish Yellow Dullness Rank High
In the base makeup category, products that meet the need to "banish yellow dullness" took the top three spots.
No. 1: KATE Real Shade Stick
The stick-type contour product, known as "KATE's natural-shadow stick," took first place.
Users shared their delight with comments such as "I'm glad I can buy a blue-toned contour that is less likely to look yellow-dull at an affordable price."
It was praised for its subtle color design and easy availability at drugstores, and this is its second win.
No. 2: MAYBELLINE NEW YORK Fit Me Loose Setting Powder
A face powder from the "Fit Me" series, which has a reputation for base makeup that doesn't break down easily.
Some users introduce it with unique catchphrases such as "Maybelline's potato-starch-type powder" and "see-through glow powder."
It comes in four shades: blue, pink, beige and translucent, and comments such as "I'm happy there's a blue in the shade range" also boosted its popularity.
The company analyzes that its finish with little caked-on feel and a natural tone-up (due to makeup effect) matches the recent base makeup trend of preferring a natural skin impression.
Maybelline Fit Me Loose Setting Powder
No. 3: La Roche-Posay UV Idea XL Protection Tone Up Rose+
This UV base, which has gained support since its release last year, ranked for the second time in the "LIPS Monthly Trend Awards."
As the need for UV protection grows, it drew attention, mainly from existing users.
There were comments such as "I like that I can apply it smoothly and go outside right away," and the convenience of combining UV protection with the function of a makeup base is appreciated.
Its pigment design, which raises corrective power while suppressing yellow and red tones, covers yellow dullness and leads to a smooth skin impression (due to makeup effect), which was also welcomed by users aiming for luminous skin.
La Roche-Posay UV Idea XL Protection Tone Up Rose+
Skincare Category: New Products from Established Brands Rank High for Technology and Buzz
In the skincare category, new items that make the most of each brand's technology and buzz took the top spots.
No. 1: SOFINA BASIC+ Lotion
A new line debuted from Sofina offering a toner and emulsion in the ¥1,000 range, and it took first place.
Many people expressed surprise at the balance of price and quality, with comments such as "I was shocked that Kao's technology is packed in at this price."
There are also many reviews about functions such as the "Moisture Turbo Toner" and "Self-Hydration Technology®︎."
No. 2: Yunth Raw PDRN Sheet Mask
A sheet mask containing "PDRN (*salmon extract: DNA-Na (skin conditioning))," a staple ingredient among those with a strong interest in beauty, and "astaxanthin (*moisturizing)," a next-generation ingredient to watch in the context of pre-aging care (*within the brand).
As a comment like "the term 'raw PDRN' got me interested" shows, it drew the interest of users sensitive to new ingredients.
Its price of under ¥1,000 is also a factor in its popularity.
No. 3: MINON Amino Moist Essence Cleansing Oil
A new cleansing oil from Minon that removes pore dirt and clogged sebum plugs.
It balances gentleness on the skin with makeup removal, and became a topic as an oil type appeared in sensitive-skin cleansing, where milk and gel types had been the mainstream.
A LIPS user survey (conducted in May 2024, n=1,708) found that 65% of users feel their skin type is sensitive.
Capturing needs such as "I don't want to give up either makeup removal or gentleness on the skin" and "I want to care for clogged sebum plugs even with sensitive skin" boosted its popularity.
According to LIPS product registration data (comparing September 2023 and September 2026), the number of items for sensitive skin has increased about 1.4 times compared with three years ago, suggesting that the market is expanding at an accelerating pace.
MINON Amino Moist Essence Cleansing Oil
Hair Care Category: From a Buzzworthy Brush to Skincare-Inspired Shampoo and Treatment
In the hair care category, a variety of items ranked, from a brush that is a topic on social media to skincare-inspired shampoos and treatments.
No. 1: MEDICUBE Ribbon Cherry Beauty Shine Brush
A hair brush that became popular mainly on social media under the nickname "Wonyoung Brush" took first place.
It ranked second in the July 2026 "LIPS Monthly Trend Awards" and has now taken first place.
In addition to its function of smoothing hair to a glossy finish, its cute look is also praised, with comments such as "the design is too good" and "just holding it lifts my mood."
The addition of new colors "violet pink" and "red," which expanded the color lineup, was also a factor in its ranking.
MEDICUBE Ribbon Cherry Beauty Shine Brush
No. 2: YOLU Mellow Night Repair Milk Hair Mask
A new hair mask from "YOLU" that combines moisture and lightness.
It responds to needs such as "I want to care for my hair thoroughly but don't want it to feel heavy" and "light-finish items always feel a bit lacking."
Many reviews praise its smooth feel, saying things like "I was moved by how my hair became silky and easy to run fingers through without feeling heavy."
The glittery look and calming scent also made a good impression, and requests from existing shampoo and treatment users to use the whole line led to this award.
YOLU Mellow Night Repair Milk Hair Mask
No. 3: iP§ Skincare Shampoo Moist 1.0 / Skincare Hair Treatment Moist 2.0
"iP§ (iP Section)" is a new hair care brand born from Vicrea, which operates hair care brands such as "&honey" and "THERATIS."
Going a step beyond the earlier idea of "washing with ingredients" to a new hair care experience of "washing as if showering in ingredients," it drew the interest of beauty-conscious people, who said things like "I thought it was so luxurious to be able to wash hair with skincare ingredients."
The company analyzes that many users were also drawn by the stylish bottle design and the impact of the product names.
iP§ Skincare Shampoo Moist 1.0 / Skincare Hair Treatment Moist 2.0
Details of the LIPS Monthly Trend Awards
Details of the LIPS Monthly Trend Awards can be found on the official LIPS website.
LIPS Monthly Trend Awards, September 2026, official website
About "LIPS," the Beauty Platform
LIPS is a beauty platform that launched its service in January 2017.
It has recorded "No. 1 in downloads among cosmetics and makeup review search apps" (source: App Tweak, Japan iOS & Android, total: January 2017 to December 2025).
In July 2026, it surpassed 15 million cumulative downloads (*according to AppBrew; survey period: January 2017 to July 2026; target: total downloads from the App Store and Google Play).
It provides product reviews on makeup and skincare, communication between users, popularity rankings, new product information and more.
