底見え

• Reading: そこみえ
• Romaji: soko mie
• Kanji breakdown: 底 (bottom) + 見え (visible/showing) → the bottom is visible
• Pronunciation: /so.ko mi.e/

Meaning

Pan is showing; having used a cosmetic product so much that the bottom of the container is visible.

底見え is a badge of honour in the beauty community. When someone shares a photo of a product with its pan showing through, it proves genuine love and daily use. The term is especially common for pressed powders, eyeshadows, and blushes. Beauty enthusiasts sometimes do '底見えコスメ' roundups to showcase products they have actually used up, which carries more credibility than a fresh unboxing.

Examples

1. やっとお気に入りのチークが底見えした！嬉しいけど切ない。 I finally hit pan on my favorite blush! I'm happy but kind of sad too.
2. 底見えコスメ紹介するね。全部リピ確定のやつ。 Let me show you my panned products. These are all ones I'm definitely repurchasing.
3. このアイシャドウ底見えするまで使い倒したい。 I want to use this eyeshadow until I hit pan.

Usage Guide

Context: beauty, cosmetics reviews, social media

Tone: proud, satisfied

Do Say

• この下地、底見えするまで使ったの初めてかも。 (This might be my first time using a primer until you can see the pan.)
• 底見えコスメ見せて！本当に使ってるやつ知りたい。 (Show me your panned products! I want to know what you actually use.)

Don't Say

• コスメに興味ない人に「底見え」と言っても通じない (Saying 底見え to someone not into cosmetics won't make sense — it's beauty community jargon)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking 底見え is negative — it is actually a point of pride showing you genuinely use and love a product

Origin & History

Compound of 底 (bottom) + 見え (visible). Coined by Japanese beauty communities in the 2010s, borrowing from the English beauty concept of 'hitting pan.' Popularised on Twitter/X and Instagram through product review posts.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s beauty community term

Generation: Teens to 30s, beauty enthusiasts

Social background: Beauty community jargon

Regional notes: Used across Japan in beauty communities. The Japanese equivalent of 'hitting pan' in English-language beauty culture.