NANA's Official KATE Mascara Collab Returns with New 2026 Collection

KATE is reuniting with Ai Yazawa’s NANA for a new limited-edition cosmetics collaboration featuring fresh designs inspired by Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu, better known as Hachi.

NANA follows two 20-year-old women who share the same name after they meet by chance while travelling to Tokyo, with aspiring punk vocalist Nana Osaki and romance-focused Nana Komatsu eventually becoming roommates in Apartment 707.

Their dramatically different personalities, relationships and fashion have remained central to the manga’s appeal since Ai Yazawa began serialization in 2000, with the series later expanding into anime and live-action adaptations.

This will be the second consecutive year that KATE has collaborated with NANA, with an earlier limited-edition Lash Burst collection in October 2025 featuring separate designs for Nana and Hachi alongside recognizable series motifs including lotus flowers, strawberries and the key to Apartment 707.

For 2026, the Japanese makeup brand’s Lash Burst mascara is being released with two character-themed packages and colors designed around the contrasting personalities of the manga’s central heroines.

KATE and NANA’s new collaboration separates the two characters through its two available mascara shades, with BK-1 Black inspired by Nana Osaki and BR-1 Brown based around Hachi.

The black version is designed to emphasize the stronger, sharper look associated with Nana, while the brown shade offers a softer finish intended to reflect Hachi’s more affectionate and playful personality.

Both arrive in new collaboration packaging created specifically for the 2026 release, continuing KATE’s use of the two heroines as contrasting inspirations for its eye makeup.

The mascara itself uses KATE’s Lash Burst formula, which is designed to provide length, volume and curl retention without creating noticeable clumps.

Two different lengths of fibers are mixed into the formula to build both length and volume across individual lashes, alongside a curl-fixing wax intended to maintain their shape throughout the day.

Its specially shaped brush is designed to hold a larger amount of mascara before removing excess product as it passes through the lashes, helping separate individual strands while increasing volume.

Both colors are waterproof against sweat, water and humidity, as well as oil-resistant, with olive oil included as a conditioning ingredient and a block polymer used to help reduce smudging.

NANA has continued to receive a steady stream of major brand collaborations, including a recent partnership with Godiva that paired the two heroines with character-inspired drinks and exclusive merchandise during summer 2026.

Several launch promotions will accompany the new KATE collection, beginning with an advance lottery through My Kao Mall that runs until October 5 and includes an exclusive NANA sticker for successful applicants who purchase one of the mascaras.

KATE will also hold an X campaign from October 15 to 19, with 300 winners receiving a set containing both the Nana-inspired black and Hachi-inspired brown versions.

A dedicated KATE x NANA collaboration shop will open through My Kao Mall from October 20 to November 19, where the first 500 customers who spend at least ¥4,000 on eligible products will receive an exclusive acrylic keychain.

Similar purchase bonuses will be available through the KATE TOKYO flagship store at Shibuya Sakura Stage and KATE’s official TikTok Shop from October 20, with purchases of one mascara qualifying for a sticker and qualifying two-item purchases offering the acrylic keychain while supplies last.

The limited-edition collection will officially launch in Japan on October 24, with distribution through physical stores and online retailers beginning progressively from October 20.

Both BK-1 Black and BR-1 Brown will be priced at ¥1,540 each through My Kao Mall (approximately $10 / £7) and will only be available in limited quantities.