Launchpad's Lizzy Sherman talks beauty street trends from Japan with Tokyo style blogger La Carmina!
Lizzy: My tour guide mentioned that some women like to dress up in traditional kimonos and get their hair professionally done when visiting the shrines to show their appreciation for the history of the site.
La Carmina: That's correct, there are lots of photo/makeup studios near shrines and temples, especially in Kyoto, that offer makeovers. It can be as basic as a simple kimono and updo. Or it can be as involved as a several-hour process of turning you into a geisha! Someone will do your makeup in the traditional heavy white geisha facepaint, and dress you in layers of kimonos and a stylized wig. This lets both tourists and locals step back in time and appreciate the Japanese traditions -- they literally get to walk in the sandal-ed shoes of geishas. I've never done this but I was on a French TV show that had one of the production staff take part -- she looked completely different! My male American friend also did this geisha/maiko makeover -- there's no issue about men getting it done too. Some tour packages include this experience, so it's certainly something that foreigners seek out, as well as locals.
Lizzy: I noticed women rocking a lot of fun hair accessories around Harajuku. A popular accessory that stood out to me was bows, such as to compliment a pretty braid.
Lizzy: Similarly to Los Angeles, I saw a lot of brightly colored hair colors from rainbow to pastel. Has anything stood out to you as a trending color for this year or for 2015?
La Carmina: I've noticed more blues and greens recently -- in fact, this was my hair color from late 2013 to late 2014. In the past, green and blue dyes faded quickly to a murky color. Today, these dyes are stronger and more effective, so it's possible to create stylish ombres and shade variations (like turquoise or mint greens) that stay in longer. I think we'll continue to see hues like this in 2015. My stylist, Stephanie Hoy at Stratosphere Vancouver, just changed my own hair to a blue-purple-magenta ombre with vampire V-shaped bangs.
La Carmina: I wouldn't say that brightly colored hair is a trend among senior Japanese women, but they are certainly more willing to experiment in Japan than in other Asian cities, such as Hong Kong or Taipei.
Lizzy: I'm a big fan of Japanese nail art and loved all of the creative designs I spotted. While I didn't have a chance to get my nails done, I definitely admired the imaginative nails displayed in salon windows. What are some of the biggest trends in Tokyo nail art?
Lizzy: You mentioned Harajuku being big for nail art. Harajuku has a reputation for risk taking when it comes to alternative beauty and fashion. What are the latest beauty trends you are noticing right now coming out of Harajuku?
Lizzy: What are your favorite Tokyo street trends right now?
La Carmina: Layering remains big in Japan -- such as wearing a shirt, cardigan and poncho with varying materials and hemlines. Colorful or patterned tights and leggings also add personality to an outfit. I love seeing how women of all ages use liquid eyeliner and false lashes to doll up the eyes. Some use makeup to create a "puffy" or "droopy" eye effect, which is considered youthful and cute!
Lizzy: I noticed these "BEAUTY muse" photo booths around Tokyo. Can you tell me a little about these?
La Carmina: This is one of the new purikura (sticker pictures) photobooths. These machines use special effects to enhance your photos for maximum "kawaii" effect: big eyes, doll lashes, pale skin, slim body. You can also choose filters, borders, and digital stickers to decorate the images to your heart's delight, and then print them out or send them to your phone for sharing. I'm amazed at how much the image quality has increased over the years; these manufacturers keep improving purikura technology in order to attract fickle customers.
Be sure to visit La Carmina's blog and Instagram page @LaCarmina for more Tokyo beauty and fashion!
