Astalift Men, which garnered significant attention upon its pre-release at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building October 2019, is now releasing its second limited-edition kit this spring. To speak with Toshiki Toga, former editor-in-chief of Men's Club and brand ambassador, who produced this kit, about the appeal of Astalift Men.

Because I was already a huge fan of Astalift, I was able to express my opinion without hesitation.

Mr. Toga, I understand you were originally a heavy user of the women's Astalift line. Could you tell us how you came to be involved in launching the men's line?

Toga : It was about 5 to 7 years ago, I think, when I was working on a women's magazine project and I said, "Why don't you launch a men's line?" and someone from Fujifilm said, "Actually, we're planning to launch one soon." So I immediately joined the development project. Of course, I'm not a science major, so I can't comment on the ingredients, but I was able to give my full opinion on the feel, scent, and packaging design.

What are the recommended points?

Toga : It's the texture. The original jelly didn't feel out of place even for us men. It's not sticky and absorbs well. Men tend to be hesitant about putting anything on their skin, so it has a light texture that absorbs quickly into the skin, which is what men prefer.
And then there's the scent. I liked the Damask rose scent for women, but I thought we should shift gears if we were going to have men use it. We came up with about six scent options and I was pretty torn, but we went with citrus green. It's refreshing, isn't it?

The packaging is also impressive.

Toga : We spent quite a bit of time discussing this. We wondered, "Is it okay to use black for cosmetics?" We thought about how to convey masculinity while using the brand's signature red color, and we concluded that jet black was the way to go. By creating a color scheme that blends well with red, I think we were able to make it stand out among many other brands and express a sense of luxury and sophistication befitting a leading men's cosmetics brand.

Men's skin, which tends to dry out from sun exposure and shaving, needs plenty of moisture.

For men who are new to skincare, using a whole line of products right away can be quite daunting. If you were to recommend just one product to start with, which item would you choose?




Toga : First up is this jelly! I also use the women's version of this jelly, and in the cosmetics feature in Men's Club magazine, I introduced it with the tagline, "This one product is all you need!" It has a light texture, yet it's moisturizing, so even skincare experts who regularly take care of their skin won't find it lacking.
If you try it and think, "Oh, this feels good," then try the toner and lotion as well. I think you'll discover a different texture than you've experienced before.

If you keep using it, you might become a "handsome man dripping with water" like Mr. Toga.

Toga : I think it's good to aim higher (laughs). But moisture is really important for men's skin. We want to replenish and maintain moisture and oil to aim for healthy skin. Also, this men's line contains two ingredients that are specifically for men's skin. One ingredient that soothes skin that tends to dry out from sun exposure and shaving, and another ingredient that soothes men's skin which tends to have more oil than moisture. It is recommended to use it after shaving or playing golf.

This collaboration kit with Zanellato is another product we're very proud of. I definitely want to get my hands on one!

Why did you choose Zanellato as your collaboration partner for the kit?

Toga : When we were looking for a brand that would suit a clean, casual, basic yet distinctive style for our department store stores, we realized that the only option was the renowned Italian workshop, Zanellato.

It's a brand that's well-known among women as well.

Toga : That's right. Cosmetics are often given as gifts by women, after all. For this bag, we decided to use a new line from Zanellato as the base, and the Italian staff were incredibly enthusiastic about it. Our monthly planning meetings were always very lively (laughs).

What are the features of that bag?

Toga : First of all, in terms of color, we've chosen white, which will be very useful in the coming seasons. In terms of functionality, we've added a card holder inside to keep up with the trend towards cashless payments, further enhancing its quality. I hope you'll use it for weekend outings, just to put your smartphone and key case in. Of course, it's also recommended as a bag-in-bag.

_ I heard that the previous kit was also very popular and sold out very quickly.

Toga : Last time, thanks to everyone's support, it was very well received, and I heard that we received many inquiries from customers even after it sold out.

• Available exclusively and in limited quantities Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building starting April 1st (Wednesday).

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• Astalift Men x Zanellato Spring Collaboration Kit: Limited to 200 sets in total (online store and in-store combined) ¥24,090
• Moist Clear Wash (100g/full size), Jelly Aquarista (60g/full size), Moist Lotion (120mL/full size),
• Moist Emulsion (80mL/full size), Astalift Men x Zanellato collaboration mini bag
• The bag is an improved version with a card holder on the inside.
• Following the success of last autumn's collaboration, this is the second installment. This luxurious kit includes Zanellato's iconic bag in a spring-like white color, along with four other items from the series.
• *These items will also be available in stores from April 1st (Wed) to April 14th (Tue).
  *Quantities are limited, so this offer will end once supplies run out.
• *Please note that the release may be canceled or changed due to unforeseen circumstances.

• Hirokuni Toga

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  He has been involved with the magazine "Begin" (Sekai Bunka Publishing) since his student days, and in 1994 he was part of the founding staff of "Men's Ex" (Sekai Bunka Publishing), becoming its editor-in-chief in 2002. Subsequently, in 2006 he became the editorial director of "UOMO" (Shueisha), and in 2008 he became the 10th editor-in-chief of "MEN'S CLUB." He left his job two years ago to become independent. He is involved with numerous media outlets and luxury brands.

■Event Information
The second collaboration kit between "ASTALIFT MEN" and ZANELLATO will be released exclusively at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building !

■ Cosmetics Catalog


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