Figure credits: Kao Corporation
Kao Corporation has launched UNLICS, a cosmetics brand for Gen Z men who aspire towards a beauty that goes deeper than personal grooming. UNLICS products debuted on the official UNLICS online retail site, Rakuten and Amazon, on December 1, 2022.
Branded under the “HUNGRY FOR BEAUTY” slogan, UNLICS has started to unveil a lineup of items that satisfy the drive toward beauty. Two products were released on December 1: UNLICS IMPRESS COLOR WEAR, a clarifying makeup base, and UNLICS AQUA HUG WATER, a lotion. IMPRESS COLOR WEAR will be available in four hues to suit the user’s preferred look (4 colors, 3,080 yen including tax). AQUA HUG WATER will delight users with the fresh and youthful feeling it brings to the skin. A month later, on January 12, 2023, the lineup will expand with the launch of five different beauty serums that embrace the skin without feeling sticky or clogged, along with a reusable face towel mask.
UNLICS is a portmanteau of UNLIMITED and CS (an abbreviation of CURIOSITY). The brand responds to the desires of Gen Z men, whose interest in beauty goes far beyond simple grooming. Three of the most popular male beauty influencers in Japan have tied up with UNLICS to take part in all phases of brand creation, from product development to communications.
By launching a cosmetics brand that nourishes the aspiration for beauty in Gen Z men, Kao is striving to realize a society where everyone can seek and express beauty freely, regardless of gender.
Leading Up to the Launch
The market for men’s cosmetics has recently been expanding. Younger men have been the force driving the market, with a 17% rise in the number of teen and twenty-something males purchasing cosmetics from 2017 to 2021 (Kao survey from January 2022). According to a Kao study conducted in September 2019, men are also using more foundation and skincare, in a trend that reflects their changing awareness of beauty.
In a detailed survey of men’s beauty attitudes from January 2019, the most frequent reasons for using skincare and makeup were, “being told I have beautiful skin,” “to feel confident,” and “to feel motivated.” When asked to describe “beautiful skin,” the respondents often came up with qualities like “fine texture,” “soft,” “bright,” and “clear.” Yet many of the men had difficulties in finding cosmetics with the right textures and functions to attain those qualities in their own skin.
According to a study conducted by the Kao Research Laboratories in early 2020, the skin of men in their 20s contains less moisture than the skin of similarly aged women, is more prone to moisture loss, and tends to take on a dark reddish tone.
Product Features
Kao identified “fine texture,” “bright,” “clear,” and “cool” as the skin qualities most desired by Gen Z men. Every product in the UNLICS lineup brings out those qualities by conditioning the skin to a “fine & cool” finish.
The main item in the lineup is UNLICS IMPRESS COLOR WEAR, a makeup base that controls the dark reddish tone and uneven coloring of men’s skin. Users can choose from four different hues according to their preferred look. The makeup base spreads smoothly and evenly on the skin, adding just the right color and texture to achieve the desired “fine & cool” finish*2 .
With decades of experience as a maker of men’s skincare, Kao listens to men’s skin concerns and provides emotional and functional product values to satisfy the aspiration for beauty in Gen Z men.
Source: www.kao.com
