Sensai

Sensai: Japanese make-up and skin care

Sensai is a cosmetics brand born in Japan and nurtured in Europe, and its story begins with silk. Our shop carries two black mascaras from the Sensai Colours make-up line: the 10 ml Lash Volumiser 38C and the 8 ml Mascara 38C Volumising in shade MV-1 Black. Both use the 38 °C formulation: the mascara resists sweat, water and sebum yet comes off with warm water of about 38 °C. Below you will find the brand’s story, the Colours line and how the two mascaras differ.

The Sensai story: the hands of silk spinners

The brand began with the hands of silk-spinning artisans. Scientists visiting a spinning mill noticed how unusually beautiful the silk spinners’ hands were. After decades of research they identified a protein in raw silk fibre that has been at the heart of every Sensai product since. The silk is called Koishimaru: it is fine, light, resilient and supple, with a lustrous sheen and a smooth touch. Koishimaru silk was once reserved for the Japanese Imperial Court. Sensai combines its essence with modern skin science.

Koishimaru silk gives a feeling of warmth and moisture at the same time. Garments made from it move with the body and drape closely, like a second skin. It is also known for its ability to promote hyaluronic acid production, an idea that has shaped Sensai’s anti-ageing approach.

The skin care idea of the brand is SILK SKIN, a radiant, silky complexion. Make-up follows the same thought: the mission of the Sensai Colours line is to recreate the exquisite lustre of the finest silk, Koishimaru silk.

The history of Kanebo and Sensai

• 1887. The Tokyo Cotton Trading Company, the predecessor of Kanebo, is established.
• 1936. Kanebo introduces SAVON DE SOIE, the first luxury facial soap featuring ingredients from Japanese silk.
• 1979. Kanebo, the predecessor brand of Sensai, debuts at Harrods in London.
• 1983. Sensai joins the Kanebo line-up with a counselling service inspired by omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of hospitality.
• 1989. SENSAI EX La Crème launches and helps establish Sensai as a prestige cosmetics brand in Europe.
• 2005. SENSAI PREMIER launches with ingredients derived from Koishimaru silk.
• 2013. ULTIMATE, the brand’s top anti-ageing skin care line, launches.
• 2019. Sensai opens in Japan, its country of origin.
• 2023. The Shanghai flagship store opens, east of the Silk Road.

Saho: a care ritual in the spirit of the tea ceremony

The brand’s skin care ritual is Saho. It draws on the hospitality and etiquette of the Japanese tea ceremony and aims to reveal the radiance of silk skin. Saho includes Double Cleansing and Double Moisturising steps, plus a tool called the Double Moisturising Finder.

Sensai product lines

Sensai products fall into four areas: skin care, make-up, hair care and fragrance. The skin care lines are Silky Purifying, Ultimate, Absolute Silk, Expert Items, Prime Solution, Cellular Performance and Silky Bronze. The fragrance line is Sensai The Silk.

Make-up has four lines. ULTIMATE Foundation is a supreme anti-ageing moisturising foundation series, Cellular Performance Foundations combine foundation with a skin care treatment, Foundations recreate the diverse impressions of a cherished silk to let you play with luminosity, and Colours is the line where the mascaras sit.

Colours: make-up that lets you play with luminosity

The Colours line has 23 products: eight for the lips, thirteen for the eyes and two for the cheeks. For the lips there are The Lipstick, Total Lip Gloss and Lip Pencil, among others. The eye range holds the Eye Colour Palette, Designing Liquid Eyeliner, Lasting Eyeliner Pencil, Styling Eyebrow Pencil, Lash Conditioner and six 38°C products. For the cheeks there are Blooming Blush and the Cheek Brush. More eye products can be found in the eye make-up category.

Sensai 38°C mascaras

The number 38 in the name is a temperature. Sensai’s original 38 °C formulation resists sweat, water and sebum, yet it is removed with warm water of about 38 °C. Six Colours products carry the principle: Lash Volumiser 38°C, Lash Lengthener 38°C, Mascara 38°C, Mascara 38°C (Separating & Lengthening), Mascara 38°C (Volumising) and Eyelash Base 38°C.

Lash Lengthener is a glossy black 10 ml mascara with a two-layer Smooth Stretching Formula and a Lash Catching Brush with triangular bristles. Eyelash Base is a 6 ml lash base that coats each lash and emphasises the result of the mascara. In Lash Lengthener the first layer holds spinnable polymers for elasticity and stretches the lashes beyond their tips, while the second layer gives structure and shape. Eyelash Base leaves a thin white wax layer that, combined with mascara, makes lashes look noticeably thicker with more vivid colour. For volume we carry two mascaras.

Sensai Lash Volumiser 38C

Lash Volumiser 38°C is a black 10 ml mascara. The Lash Volumising Film Formula binds to the lashes for full volume, and the Triple Spiral Brush captures each lash individually from root to tip, coating and separating it for a full-fan effect. The formula is intensely pigmented with pure black, and the result looks as if the lashes have been multiplied. See the volumising mascara.

Sensai Mascara 38C Volumising

Mascara 38°C (Volumising) is a black 8 ml mascara in shade MV-1 Black. The smudge-resistant 38 °C formulation contains the Rich Film Volumiser, which thickens each individual lash, and the volume builds instantly, gently and smoothly. It is removed with water of about 38 °C, without friction or stress to the delicate skin around the eyes. See the smudge-resistant mascara.

Comparing the two Sensai mascaras

• Size. Lash Volumiser 38C is 10 ml, Mascara 38C Volumising is 8 ml.
• Formula. Lash Volumiser has the Lash Volumising Film Formula, Mascara 38C Volumising the Rich Film Volumiser.
• Brush. Lash Volumiser has a Triple Spiral Brush that captures the lashes from root to tip.
• Shade. Both are black, and Mascara 38C Volumising is MV-1 Black.
• Removal. Both come off with warm water of about 38 °C.

Sensai services

Sensai also offers SENSAI Advisors, who help choose suitable products, and the SENSAI Salon. Counselling has been part of the brand since 1983. Sensai continues to expand worldwide, and the brand’s website has a store locator that helps find the nearest point of sale. In our shop the brand’s products are collected on one page, which makes choosing between the two mascaras simple and clear.

Frequently asked questions

Which Sensai products do you sell?

Our shop carries two black mascaras from the Sensai Colours line: Sensai Lash Volumiser 38C 10 ml (volumising mascara) and Sensai Mascara 38C Volumising MV-1 8 ml (smudge-resistant mascara).

What does 38C mean on Sensai mascaras?

The number is a temperature: the mascara comes off with warm water of about 38 °C, while the Sensai 38 °C formulation resists sweat, water and sebum. Sensai Lash Volumiser 38C is made on this principle, see this black volume mascara.

How do I remove Sensai Mascara 38C Volumising?

Wet the lashes with water of about 38 °C. No rubbing is needed. Sensai Mascara 38C Volumising MV-1 is removed exactly this way, see the smudge-resistant mascara.

What is Koishimaru silk?

Koishimaru is a fine, light and resilient Japanese silk that was once reserved for the Japanese Imperial Court, and the Sensai story begins with it. Recreating its lustre is also the mission of the Colours line, which includes our Sensai Lash Volumiser 38C (black volumising mascara).

Is Sensai Colours only eye make-up?

No, the Colours line has 23 products: eight for the lips, thirteen for the eyes and two for the cheeks. The eye products are in the eye make-up category. Our shop also carries Sensai Mascara 38C Volumising MV-1 from this line (smudge-resistant mascara).