[LIPS Monthly Trend Award] New Standards for Pre-Rainy Season Straight Hair, Translucency, and UV Care. High-Performing Products That Meet Spring/Summer Seasonal Needs Rank High [May 2026]
The beauty platform LIPS announced its May 2026 Monthly Trend Award, highlighting high-performing cosmetics that meet seasonal needs like pre-rainy season hair care, UV care, and translucent skincare. Affordable powders, in particular, are gaining significant attention.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 12:32
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 12, 2026 at 01:37 (13h 4m after Collected)
AppBrew Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Takashi Matsuda) operates the beauty platform "LIPS," which quickly identifies and recognizes emerging trends with its [LIPS Monthly Trend Award].
In May 2026, a lineup of high-performing items that address seasonal needs such as the full-scale start of UV care and humidity before the rainy season are featured. In the hair care category, a "non-setting hairspray" surged to first place, driven by demand for maintaining straight hair before the rainy season. In skincare, "Dove Pearl Shine," which offers "translucent, glowing skin inspired by pearls," and "Yunth," which provides sensitive skin care with "raw azelaic acid," ranked in response to the need for translucency and skin preparation before the UV season.
The [LIPS Monthly Trend Award] selects items calculated based on LIPS's unique logic, combined with the voting results from "Project LIPS," a group of early adopters in the beauty domain. It is an award that quickly identifies and disseminates "emerging trends" that are hot topics not only on LIPS but also on various social media platforms.
■ Key Points of "LIPS Monthly Trend Award May 2026"
"Biore Ouchi de Esthe Deep Clay Face Wash" maintained its No. 1 position in the skincare category for two consecutive months. In LIPS's facial cleanser category, it continues to hold top positions among users in their 20s and 30s, as well as those with dry and combination skin, garnering overwhelming support. LIPS data shows a cycle where reviews on usability and functionality generate further reputation, rather than just being a temporary buzz.
■ About the Aggregation of "LIPS Monthly Trend Award May 2026"
・Aggregation period: March 20, 2026 - April 19, 2026
・Target products: Products reviewed on LIPS within the above aggregation period
・Number of aggregated items: 13,622 items
[Cosmetics Category] Department store new products × Masterpiece revivals. "Fluffy and juicy" lip products are attracting attention as the next generation trend.
<1st Place JILL STUART / Couture Mix Blush Compact>
https://lipscosme.com/products/688214
Updated with inspiration from the iconic packaging at its birth in 2007. A four-color palette composed of two textures freely creates translucent glow and soft flush.
The exquisite packaging design, which evokes the excitement of beauty enthusiasts, is highly praised, with comments like "The packaging reminded me of old JILL STUART blushes, it was so emotional!"
As it will be available as a regular product, voices like "It's divine that this cuteness can be bought all year round" are also heard. The popular color is "02 early bloom," inspired by fresh, newly bloomed flowers.
<2nd Place YVES SAINT LAURENT BEAUTE / YSL Love Nude Lipstick>
https://lipscosme.com/products/689209
A new sensation lipstick, neither matte nor glossy, with "fluffy and juicy" as its keyword, makes its debut. Its watercolor nude colors, which blur softly and spread juicily, are drawing intense attention, with comments like "My bare lips look beautiful."
High support from adult users is also impressive, with comments like "I like the spring-like dewy color" and "The packaging is so cute I want to display it on my desk."
Its perfect alignment with "skin color lips," cited as one of the 2026 trends, was also a major factor in its ranking.
<3rd Place hince / Half Moon Cheek (Cream to Powder)>
https://lipscosme.com/products/688493
From the Korean brand "hince," a new cheek product with an eye-catching half-moon shaped unique packaging appears.
It feels moist like a cream when applied to the skin, but the finish is light and airy like a powder. Many voices praise its performance, saying, "It gives a nuance as if blushing from within" and "The finish that covers pores is also beautiful."
Its high level of attention is expected to continue as an item leading the popularity of "matte blushes," which is the latest trend.
[Base Makeup Category] Affordable "silky powder" vs. Department store "noble powder." Polarizing powder demand and pre-summer UV switching.
<1st Place CANMAKE / Clear Veil Setting Powder>
https://lipscosme.com/products/690044
Ranked up one spot from 2nd place last month. Since its official launch, it has been in short supply in stores and online, creating a huge buzz on social media with comments like "If you can buy it, you win."
The reason for its high popularity as a "department store-level trending powder" is its light texture due to the freeze-dry formulation and its silky finish, as if wearing a veil of powder.
"This quality for an affordable price is unfair" and "Under 1,000 yen, this is definitely a first-string product" are some of the comments expressing surprise at its high cost-performance.
In May 2026, a lineup of high-performing items that address seasonal needs such as the full-scale start of UV care and humidity before the rainy season are featured. In the hair care category, a "non-setting hairspray" surged to first place, driven by demand for maintaining straight hair before the rainy season. In skincare, "Dove Pearl Shine," which offers "translucent, glowing skin inspired by pearls," and "Yunth," which provides sensitive skin care with "raw azelaic acid," ranked in response to the need for translucency and skin preparation before the UV season.
The [LIPS Monthly Trend Award] selects items calculated based on LIPS's unique logic, combined with the voting results from "Project LIPS," a group of early adopters in the beauty domain. It is an award that quickly identifies and disseminates "emerging trends" that are hot topics not only on LIPS but also on various social media platforms.
■ Key Points of "LIPS Monthly Trend Award May 2026"
"Biore Ouchi de Esthe Deep Clay Face Wash" maintained its No. 1 position in the skincare category for two consecutive months. In LIPS's facial cleanser category, it continues to hold top positions among users in their 20s and 30s, as well as those with dry and combination skin, garnering overwhelming support. LIPS data shows a cycle where reviews on usability and functionality generate further reputation, rather than just being a temporary buzz.
■ About the Aggregation of "LIPS Monthly Trend Award May 2026"
・Aggregation period: March 20, 2026 - April 19, 2026
・Target products: Products reviewed on LIPS within the above aggregation period
・Number of aggregated items: 13,622 items
[Cosmetics Category] Department store new products × Masterpiece revivals. "Fluffy and juicy" lip products are attracting attention as the next generation trend.
<1st Place JILL STUART / Couture Mix Blush Compact>
https://lipscosme.com/products/688214
Updated with inspiration from the iconic packaging at its birth in 2007. A four-color palette composed of two textures freely creates translucent glow and soft flush.
The exquisite packaging design, which evokes the excitement of beauty enthusiasts, is highly praised, with comments like "The packaging reminded me of old JILL STUART blushes, it was so emotional!"
As it will be available as a regular product, voices like "It's divine that this cuteness can be bought all year round" are also heard. The popular color is "02 early bloom," inspired by fresh, newly bloomed flowers.
<2nd Place YVES SAINT LAURENT BEAUTE / YSL Love Nude Lipstick>
https://lipscosme.com/products/689209
A new sensation lipstick, neither matte nor glossy, with "fluffy and juicy" as its keyword, makes its debut. Its watercolor nude colors, which blur softly and spread juicily, are drawing intense attention, with comments like "My bare lips look beautiful."
High support from adult users is also impressive, with comments like "I like the spring-like dewy color" and "The packaging is so cute I want to display it on my desk."
Its perfect alignment with "skin color lips," cited as one of the 2026 trends, was also a major factor in its ranking.
<3rd Place hince / Half Moon Cheek (Cream to Powder)>
https://lipscosme.com/products/688493
From the Korean brand "hince," a new cheek product with an eye-catching half-moon shaped unique packaging appears.
It feels moist like a cream when applied to the skin, but the finish is light and airy like a powder. Many voices praise its performance, saying, "It gives a nuance as if blushing from within" and "The finish that covers pores is also beautiful."
Its high level of attention is expected to continue as an item leading the popularity of "matte blushes," which is the latest trend.
[Base Makeup Category] Affordable "silky powder" vs. Department store "noble powder." Polarizing powder demand and pre-summer UV switching.
<1st Place CANMAKE / Clear Veil Setting Powder>
https://lipscosme.com/products/690044
Ranked up one spot from 2nd place last month. Since its official launch, it has been in short supply in stores and online, creating a huge buzz on social media with comments like "If you can buy it, you win."
The reason for its high popularity as a "department store-level trending powder" is its light texture due to the freeze-dry formulation and its silky finish, as if wearing a veil of powder.
"This quality for an affordable price is unfair" and "Under 1,000 yen, this is definitely a first-string product" are some of the comments expressing surprise at its high cost-performance.