It all began in 1887, when a Japanese silk merchant stopped and said, "Gee, those gals working the silk loom sure have soft hands. What's up with that?" A little lab work revealed that silk was a supreme moisturizer. When their very first product, Savon de Soie, blew out of stores, the beauty ingénues at Kanebo knew they were on to something big. Every drop of their dews slides on with such a silky smooth touch, it's sinful—and to this day, the brand is the biggest soft sell in the biz.