Annayake

Annayake is a cosmetics brand whose products span skincare, makeup and fragrance, presented around a fusion of Japanese beauty rituals and Western research. The brand was created in 1988 by the Japanese cosmetics company Pola as a separate label for the European market, and made its debut in France [5]. Although it markets itself as a "Haute cosmetics brand from Japan" [1], its corporate and manufacturing home is French: the operating company is ANNAYAKE S.A.R.L., registered in Paris [3], and its products are made in France [5].

The brand remains active. A unisex fragrance, Hot Splash, was added to its GODAI collection in 2025 [7], and its e-commerce site carries current promotions and shipping policies.

Annayake began as a European-market venture by Pola, a Japanese cosmetics company, in 1988. Its commercial roots therefore sit in France rather than Japan, a point reflected in how sources describe its origin. The company itself frames the brand as Japanese, describing it on its homepage as a "Haute cosmetics brand from Japan" and crediting Japanese laboratories and aesthetics. The maker and corporate home, however, are French — ANNAYAKE S.A.R.L. is registered in Paris, and manufacturing takes place in France. Founder attribution is not consistently documented across available sources, and no single name is confirmed.

Ownership changed early in the brand's life. In 1994 the Pola group transferred Annayake to Kelemata, a family-owned Italian group [5]. By the time the first perfumes appeared in 2000, the brand belonged to the Franco-Italian Giraudi family [6], which according to one fragrance-industry account also holds Venus, Perlier, Kelemata and Orlane [5].

Annayake builds its identity around an East-meets-West idea. The company describes its approach as "a gift from the East to the West," combining what it calls "the very best of East and West, achieving visible, lasting performance with delicate, gentle care." Central to this is the Japanese layering ritual — applying complementary treatments in sequence to reinforce their effect — and a stated view of "time as creating beauty" rather than destroying it. That outlook is condensed in the brand's tagline, "ANNAYAKE, it means being at peace with the passing of time."

The company positions itself in the prestige tier and says its formulas pair traditional know-how with "gentle yet highly effective active ingredients produced through bio-technologies." Its product range is organised into care lines such as Cleanskin, Hanami, Wakame, Ultratime and a dedicated men's line, alongside makeup and fragrance.

Annayake's catalogue covers skincare, makeup and fragrance. Its skincare is grouped into named lines, with the anti-aging Ultratime range — built around hydration, prevention and correction — among the signature offerings. In fragrance, the GODAI collection takes its name from a Japanese Buddhist concept of the elements and produces scents for men and women [4]; the brand's first perfumes were launched in 2000, and Hot Splash, a unisex addition to the collection, followed in 2025.

The company states that it "does not test any of its products or raw materials on animals and thus complies with current European regulations" [2]. Production is based in France, from where the brand says it operates branches across Europe and the Americas [5].

Annayake is active. Its most recent documented activity is the 2025 release of the Hot Splash fragrance within the GODAI collection, and its website continues to run promotions and standard shipping and returns. The brand is sold across multiple regions, including parts of Europe and North America.