デパコス

• Reading: デパコス
• Romaji: depakosu
• Kanji breakdown: From デパート (department store) + コスメ (cosmetics) → department store cosmetics
• Pronunciation: /de.pa.ko.sɯ/

Meaning

Department store cosmetics; high-end luxury makeup brands sold at department store beauty counters.

デパコス is a portmanteau of デパート (department store) + コスメ (cosmetics) and refers to prestige beauty brands like Dior, Chanel, NARS, and MAC that are sold at department store counters. It is contrasted with ドラコス (drugstore cosmetics). The term is fundamental to Japanese beauty culture, where the デパコス vs ドラコス distinction is a primary way people categorize and discuss beauty products.

Examples

1. ボーナス出たからデパコスで自分にご褒美買った。 I got my bonus so I treated myself to some department store cosmetics.
2. デパコスのリップって発色が全然違うよね。 The color payoff on department store lipsticks is on a whole different level.
3. 初めてのデパコスはMACのリップスティックだったな。 My first department store cosmetics purchase was a MAC lipstick.

Usage Guide

Context: beauty, shopping, social media, friends

Tone: aspirational, everyday in beauty contexts

Do Say

• デパコスとドラコス、どっち派？ (Are you a department store cosmetics or drugstore cosmetics person?)
• デパコスは高いけどやっぱり質がいい。 (Department store cosmetics are expensive but the quality really is better.)

Don't Say

• 年配の方に「デパコス」は通じないかも — 「デパートの化粧品」と言い換える (Older people may not understand デパコス — say デパートの化粧品 instead)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking デパコス refers to any expensive cosmetics — it specifically means brands sold at department store beauty counters

Origin & History

Portmanteau of デパート (department store) + コスメ (cosmetics). Became common in beauty media and social media in the 2010s as online beauty reviews and YouTube made cosmetics discussion mainstream.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s mainstream adoption

Generation: Primarily women in their teens to 40s

Social background: Middle to upper class, aspirational

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Department store beauty counters (Isetan, Takashimaya, etc.) are a central part of Japanese beauty culture.