SK-II STUDIO, a film studio owned by the global skincare brand SK-II, has released a new animated anthology series entitled VS in collaboration with the world’s top athletes. It features six stories with athletes taking on pressures that threaten to dictate their destiny in order to #CHANGEDESTINY.

The Animations

‘VS Trolls’ featuring Simone Biles

‘VS Obsession’ featuring Liu Xiang

‘VS Pressure’ featuring Kasumi Ishikawa

‘VS Rules’ featuring Mahina Maeda

‘VS Limitations’ featuring Hinotori Nippon

‘VS Machines’ featuring Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo

SK-II STUDIO’s VS series is a collection of six animated films based on the life experiences of six Olympic athletes: Simone Biles, the gymnast who has won the most medals worldwide; LiuXiang, a world-record swimmer; Ishikawa Kasumi, table tennis player and two-time Olympic medalist; Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo, badminton duo and Olympic gold medalists; Mahina Maeda, surfer; and Hinotori Nippon, the Japan women’s national volleyball team. Each athlete explores what it means to take destiny in their own hands, overcoming societal expectations that dictate how perfect we should look and act.

Each short film explores a different societal pressure experience by women: online trolls, pressure from those around us, looks, rules on what’s considered beautiful, limitations imposed by others, and seeking perfection like machines. Each is represented as a ‘kaiju,’ a form of giant monster seen in Japanese movies.

The VR series combines animation with live-action woven together through multiple genres like sci-fi, action, sports, and more. It invites award-winning studios on board including Imaginary Forces, Passion Pictures, Platige Image, and C3, as well as original music by guest artists John Legend, Lexie Liu, and others.

The animated series released worldwide on May 1, 2021 on SK-II’s official  YouTube channel. A virtual premiere was also held on the brand’s Twitter page, and an in-person premiere took place in Hainan, China with a pop-up store at Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre in Sanya in partnership with China Duty Free Group. It also saw the opening of SK-II City, a virtual city built by SK-II where visitors can watch all six films in a the virtual SK-II Cinema. It’s also home to the SK-II Mall where users can buy products, and they can also enjoy a backstage tour of SK-II STUDIO.

SK-II STUDIO was established in March this year in an effort to further promote SK-II’s #CHANGEDESTINY campaign to support female empowerment over social pressures. The VR series comes as part of this with a string of positive messages.

Kate Spade New York is set to drop a limited-edition handbag collection in collaboration with their recently-appointed global ambassador Naomi Watanabe on November 25, 2020.

Naomi Watanabe is a Japanese comedian, actor, and fashion designer who is representing Kate Spade New York for 2020. Her collection with the brand is a celebration of women and loving life. It has a bright and positive face to it, making the Naomi Watanabe, who’s career is centred on inspiring people with positivity, the perfect face of the collaboration.

<naomi watanabe x kate spade new york capsule collection> From Left: large tote in dark orchid ¥53,000 (H28 x W40 x D20cm), medium camera bag in deep umber ¥35,000 (H12 x W18 x D4cm), micro camera bag in pomegranate juice and dark orchid ¥15,000 (H8 x W11 x D4cm) (All pre-tax prices)

The capsule collection features three handbag styles branded with the iconic interlocking spade symbol.

The dark orchard tote bag is made from curled fur comes as a stylish over-sized pick.。

The medium and micro-sized camera bags come with a cross-body strap so can be conveniently carried hands-free. They come in two vivid colours, deep umber and pomegranate juice, which are fitting for the coming holiday season.

All three designs are fitted with special tags with Watanabe’s sign printed on them.

Check out the promotional video for the collection.

Naomi Watanabe | Comment

“As soon as we did the shoot for the first campaign, I knew I wanted to continue this partnership with Kate Spade. Things kind of naturally went in that direction which led to this collaboration. I went on to talk about the collection with Nicola, and we both knew we wanted to incorporate colour and humour into it, as well as positivity about life. That’s where this collection came from.”

Global skincare brand SK-II launched three ‘Street Art Limited Edition’ versions of their Facial Treatment Essence on October 21, 2020 and released a commercial to promote them.

SK-II is a Japanese cosmetics brand which launched 40 years ago. Since its establishment, it has been enjoyed by women the world over for its range of high quality skin care products, including Pitera™, the brand’s award-winning facial treatment essence. This same essence is being released once again in three limited-edition versions featuring street art packaging.

The promotional video for the item stars Japanese actress Haruka Ayase, American actress Chloë Grace Moretz, and Chinese singer-songwriter Leah Dou. The video was directed by Grammy-nominated director Andrew Thomas Huang who has directed music video for such talent as Bjork and Thomas Yorke. The three stars in the video each sing Fantasy by Mariah Carey in their respective languages: Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Facial Treatment Essence Street Art Limited Edition (Red/Yellow/White) | ¥22,000 Each (Before Tax)

The packaging designs for the limited-edition product feature a combination of the Japanese furoshiki wrapping cloth style and street art.

Japanese makeup artist brand Shu Uemura has invited Naomi Watanabe on board as the global ambassador for the launch of the new colour and packaging for their “Rouge Unlimited Amplified” lipstick which will hit shelves on September 16, 2020.

Rouge Unlimited Amplified looks to amplify the user’s lip experience with its bold colours. The collection will see a range of updated colours and packaging, including the brown “BR 784 Naomi’s redwood.”

In the promotion for the lipstick, Naomi Watanabe has donned the “Rouge Unlimited Amplified Matte AM BR 784.”

Naomi Watanabe | Comment

“This is a really beautiful colour and gives you a personalised look that you don’t see with other lipsticks. You can use it pretty much anywhere, whether at the office or at a party. As long as you wield this lipstick, you can go anywhere, and do anything.”

Naomi Watanabe is a fashion icon in Japan, promoting positivity and letting people know they can wear whatever makeup and clothing they like. Her message ties in with Shu Uemura’s core concept of individual beauty.

Rouge Unlimited Amplified Matte AM BR 784

The “BR 784 Naomi’s redwood” was specially developed to bring out the tones in the skin of those in Asia. It’s a tailor-made brown inspired by reddish-brown, a popular colour trend. Adding a reddish tinge makes it contrast well against the skin and makes it possible to wear it on any occasion. The brown hue adds a sense of sophistication and balances out the red, so you can wear it both casually and formally. Four different textures of the “BR 784” are available to purchase.

Japanese comedian Naomi Watanabe uploaded a music video parody of Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s song Rain on Me. The original song was released on May 22, 2020 and features on Gaga’s latest studio album Chromatica. It went on to reach No. 1 on weekly charts across the globe, and its music video has over 160 million views on YouTube (as of July 2020).

Lady Gaga “Rain On Me with Ariana Grande” Official Parody

Naomi Watanabe explained that she felt incredible power from Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande when Rain on Me dropped back in May. She described the “motherly presence [of Gaga] that greatly envelops me.” In the parody music video, Watanabe plays the part of Lady Gaga while comedian Yuriyan Retriever takes up the role of Ariana Grande.

The music video was shot after the state of emergency was lifted in Japan. It was directed by Daisuke Ninomiya, who has worked on many music videos for many big artists in Japan such as Daichi Miura and Sandaime J Soul Brothers. It was shot in collaboration with makeup artists, stylists, and manicurists who are close with Watanabe. The music video plays up Watanabe’s iconic comedy while still managing to be as thrilling as the original music video.

Speaking about the music video, Naomi Watanabe said: “I thought it would be amusing to shoot this video as close as possible to the original, and because I like parodies, so we really went all-out with the little details.”

The music video parody received praise from Lady Gaga’s production team for its quality. It currently has 2.5 million views on YouTube (as of July 2020). Check it out and be sure to compare it with the original.

The second cosmetic collection produced by Naomi Watanabe for the Tokyo-based makeup brand Shu Uemura―called the “naomi for shu uemura collection”―will be released in limited supplies from July 20.

The collection includes two colours each of Shu Uemura’s hugely popular satin lipsticks Rouge Unlimited and their velvety Rouge Unlimited Matte. It also includes two colours from their Glow On F which gently blends with the skin and change one’s look in an instant. The blush is served in a limited edition custom case.

From a sublime colour that draws out the charm of a person tenfold to another trend colour that elevates the face to its peak, Watanabe produced each of these original colours from nothing and Shu Uemura manufactured them. This is also the first blush Watanabe has ever produced.

The collection comes as the long-awaited sequel to Uemura’s first collaboration with Shu Uemura when she was appointed an ambassador of the brand. The line-up exhibits Watanabe’s drive to keep on evolving and is an expression of herself today.

What Watanabe was focused on with this collection was ensuring each item easy to use and incorporate into looks while also making a range of exquisite colours you cannot get anywhere else. For example, the deep killer red colour “no.1” is laced with gold glitter to give a shimmering finish to those lips.

“unfollower” balances red and yellow with the saturation altered to create a unique orange that makes your lips the standout feature of your makeup. This colour is perfect when combined with summery eye makeup.

The blush serves to bring out your peak adult beauty in a super easy fashion. It’s for those people who are able to create gorgeous eye makeup but aren’t quite skilled at their cheeks yet. “amber sophistication” doesn’t highlight your cheeks too much but gives just enough to leave you looking sophisticated and urban. “bellini innocence” gives your cheeks a pure look with its coral colour that blends into your skin with its slightly more sweeter-looking appearance.

Naomi Watanabe published a comment regarding her collection: “Hello, everyone! I’m Naomi Watanabe! This summer, I am collaborating with Shu Uemura again to release a section collection! I am super happy to say that we have been able to deliver you all a product that we have confidence in. I hope that through this collaboration with Shu Uemura we can help all those people who treasure each day have the confidence to live life their way. I also hope this lends a little support to your makeup potential. Let’s all be happy and radiate this summer!!”

SK-II just released the a new episode to their new Pitera™ Masterclass video series. The song features award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend singing the song Oh Pitera, an ode to SK-II’s facial treatment essence Pitera.

SK-II has collaborated with numerous stars including James Corden and Chloë Grace Moretz but this marks their first tie-up with Legend. The masterclass series is is the new edition of SK-II’s beauty entertainment series #BareSkinChat.

“I had so much fun writing ‘Oh Pitera’! I was at home and sat down at the piano and the whole song came to me in about 30 minutes,” shared John Legend. “Perhaps it really is a miracle water? It was such a pleasure to join James Corden and the all-star cast Naomi Watanabe and Tangwei to celebrate the wonders of SK II and bring the song to life.”

Global skincare brand SK-Ⅱ released the next entries to their beauty and entertainment video series Bare Skin Chat on May 8.

The two new videos feature appearances from actress and SK-II ambassador Kasumi Arimura and popular comedian Naomi Watanabe. They continue where James Corden and Chloe Grace Moretz left off in Episode 5. In just two weeks of being posted Episodes 1-5 had already garnered over 40 million views online and 1.3 million reactions on social media.

Kasumi and Naomi were a duo that fans could never have imagined coming together. People reacted positively to their hilarious banter.

SK-II #BareSkinChat | Episode 6: Episode 6: Your Bathtub, May I?

In Episode 6, Naomi unveils to Kasumi the secret to beautiful skin: relaxing is a nice bubble bath while listening to classical music. While she’s doing that Kasumi lets Naomi in on her own skin care routine which consists solely of using Facial Treatment Essence. Naomi soon learns that this simple routine is the true secret to soft skin by touching Kasumi’s face over and over.

SK-II #BareSkinChat | Episode 7: #ASMR SHHHHH

In Episode 7, the duo try their hand at making an ASMR video by using Facial Treatment Essence.

Be sure to catch up with the series and check out the new episodes!

SK-II continues to revolutionise the way customers experience shopping for skincare productcs as it announces SK-II Future X, an upcoming limited-time event that will run from April 24 to 30 on the first floor of Isetan Shinjuku.

At SK-II Future X, shoppers will be able to remove the stress from looking for skin care products in an environment that combines the physical with the digital―and they are free to come and go as they please. This exciting experience will provide plenty of interactive ways of shopping.

“Magic Scan” is the name of Japan’s first piece of AI technology that can measure one’s skin, and it will be used at this event. All you have to do is stand in front of a mirror for about 3 minutes. The tech will determine the condition of your skin, its age, and recommend the right skin care products for you. It does this by paying attention to tremors in the skin.

The SK-II Facial Treatment Essence will also be sold at the event with a limited edition design. This beautifying essence contains over 90% Pitera™, a multiple award-winning naturally-derived ingredient. Shoppers can also enjoy pre-sales of their Facial Treatment Essence Spring Red Limited Edition which isn’t set to go on sale in Japan until May 10. Purchasing these products gets you a go on the Pitera™ Vending Machine which will change the design of your bottle.

Other services will include a 180° selfie booth, an AR wall where you can learn some of the secrets behind Pitera™, and more. If you’re wanting to find out ways to care for your skin then be sure to visit.

Global skincare brand SK-Ⅱ will release the first episode of the new beauty entertainment series called “Suppin Suhada Talk” on 25th March. The official trailer was released on 20th March.

One of the participants in the talk series includes Naomi Watanabe, a famous Japanese comedian who is known is the “Japanese Beyoncé” and has also performed overseas. Another other is James Corden; the host from the American TV show “The Late Late Show”, who is also famous for his carpool karaoke hosting. This will be  James’ and Naomi’s first ever time to take part in the video series! The two comedians will suddenly appear in the bathrooms of famous actresses Kasumi Arimura and Chloë Grace Moretz. Throughout the series, the viewers and comedians will then uncover beauty secrets from the actresses that everyone is dying to know.

From the other side of the closed door, one by one, the four participants burst into a charming or silly pose that they have never shown anyone before. With all their might, Arimura Takahashi and Chloe Moretz challenge themselves to everything from beatboxing to dancing to ASMR. They will also reveal their beauty secrets and try out the SK-II PiteraTM * Essence (facial treatment) which is “just like liquid foundation”.

The first episode of the “Suppin Suhada Talk” series will be released worldwide on 25th March at the same time. After that, a new episode will be released every two weeks to form a sequel. Gradually, the secrets of beauty will be unravelled!

Statements from the participants:

Kasumi Arimura

For this series, I was given the role of explaining the amazing qualities of Pitera™ to Naomi Watanabe ー it’s a pretty heavy role and before the shoot I was nervous thinking about it but after the shoot I felt completely different ー I was relaxed and really enjoyed myself! I was not sure how Watanabe would react during the shoot so I just acted natural and interacted with her in a fun way! I’ll be very happy if everyone watching also feels just as enthusiastic about Pitera™!

Naomi Watanabe

This is a brand I have always adored, so when I first heard the news about being part of the series I was so happy. As a comedian, I had fun interacting with Arimura and incorporating comedy into the introduction of the product ー I think it is a very original idea and made the shoot really fun! Whilst being given the freedom to steer the show, I could really feel Arimura’s enthusiasm to spread the news about Pitera™. It was fun and I learned a lot about SK- II. I say this in the video too but… I think this is something that a god would even purchases!

Chloë Grace Moretz

The video shoot was really fun and the set was overflowing with laughter. I’m pretty sure viewers at home will also be able to sense the fun. There are times when you don’t want to be thinking too seriously about skincare but would rather just have fun!

James Corden

Me being associated with a skincare brand is nothing to be surprised about. I have always been a big fan. Nowadays, SK-II is essential to support my skin every morning and afternoon and evening.

Japanese cosmetics brand SK-II has opened a pop-up shop called SK-II Wonderland at CASE B in Harajuku, Tokyo.

The store lets customers use an AR application that combines Google’s latest AR technology “AR Core” with SK-II’s accumulated knowledge on skin to create skin and skin care themed digital art.

Upon entering the shop you are transported into the colourful world seen on the bottle of the SK-II KARAN Limited Edition Facial Treatment Essence which was made in collaboration with KARAN, an artist from the Netherlands. This artwork comes to life when using the AR app, which is available in English, Japanese and Chinese.

The first floor of the building houses three rooms each with different designs inspired by the limited edition bottles. Using the app opens up the room to a whole world of colours. There are 26 different things to interact with via the app while in the rooms.

You can even find out the age of your skin up at the second floor booth. This is done by taking a photo of  your skin which will be compared to other skin types in SK-II’s information-packed database.

It can be a little nerve-wracking to do it, but my skin is 9 years younger than my actual age, and my cameraman was also 5 years younger, so we were super relieved.

You will also find the “Pitera Table” at the shop which reacts to the KARAN limited edition bottle and people’s movements. It can tell you all about SK-II’s miracle Pitera ingredient.

Of course, there are things to buy at the pop-up shop too, so if you’re in Harajuku before to stop by SK-II Wonderland to enjoy some digital art while finding out the actual age of your skin.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku have released the music video to their latest single Dekadonden which is set to be released on June 6.

A mysterious photo and countdown was posted on the group’s official Twitter and Instagram on May 25, causing much speculation from fans. The countdown stretched to May 30, on which the music video was unveiled. Japanese actress, comedian and fashion designer Naomi Watanabe makes an appearance in the video, who the group members adore.

The video sees the group members taking on the roles of detectives to solve incidents around town. It’s then that they stumble upon Naomi Watanabe, who plays the role of a giant dance queen. They managed to corner her in a car park where an epic dance battle takes place. It’s then that the plot twist is revealed. ‘Plot twist’ in Japanese is dondengaeshi, which related to the song title.

Speaking about the collaboration, the members said: “We haven’t had many guests perform in our music videos, so we are truly honoured for Naomi Watanabe to be that person, whom we love, and to even have danced with her!” During the dance battle sequence, the members are wearing clothes from PUNYUS, a fashion brand produced by Naomi Watanabe and one that the Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku members enjoy in their daily lives.

‘Dance’ is the key word behind this video, and it’s all thanks to Sasuga Minami who created the choreography for it. The unique and powerful dance moves are worthy of note.

Be sure to catch the video for yourself and see the group’s collaboration with Naomi Watanabe, who is a dance queen both in name and in reality.