Traditional Japanese beauty💕💕

Classic Oiran-Inspired Styling with the Kachofugetsu Option

How beautiful! 😍💕

This time, she also added the Kachofugetsu Option (8,800 yen, tax included).
This luxurious option lets you enjoy even more elaborate oiran-inspired styling.

With this option, you can wear a more luxurious obi than the standard plan and choose the Date Hyogo topknot, a traditional hairstyle associated with oiran, at no extra charge!

You can also choose between two makeup styles: “Natural Skin-Tone Makeup” and “Pure White Makeup.”
The makeup look she chose this time was “Pure White Makeup.”

The History of Pure White Makeup in Japan

Pure white makeup is believed to have been introduced to Japan from abroad around the year 700 and became especially popular among the upper classes.

Today, it is well known as a form of traditional Japanese makeup, but similar white makeup styles were actually used overseas even before they appeared in Japan 😲

This style of makeup originally became popular among the upper classes, but with the emergence of oiran and ukiyo-e woodblock prints, it spread more widely during the Edo period.

Oiran became admired for their elaborate sense of style, and it is said that their makeup, kimono, and accessories influenced fashion trends among women at the time.
In terms of their influence on fashion, you might compare them to today’s fashion models.

Originally, white makeup was applied to create a completely white complexion. Later, lighter and more blended applications became popular, and during the Meiji and Taisho periods, products in shades closer to natural skin tones were developed.
This is considered one of the origins of the foundation makeup we know today.

Why Was Traditional Japanese Makeup So White?

Next, please take a look at this photograph.
She looks beautiful from every angle! ✨

By the way, does everyone know why traditional Japanese makeup involved making the skin white?

One commonly cited reason is that it made the face easier for others to see.
When this makeup style became popular in Japan, candles were a major source of light, so indoor spaces and nighttime settings were much dimmer than they are today.

It is said that applying white makeup helped make facial features more visible even in dim surroundings.

Why Red Was Used Around the Eyes and Lips

For “Pure White Makeup” looks, I often use red eyeshadow and bright red lipstick.
There are several meanings associated with the use of red.

First, one well-known reason is its association with protection from evil.😈
In Japan, red has long been believed to have the power to ward off evil. It was believed that harmful spirits could enter through the mouth and eyes, and applying red around these areas was thought to provide protection.

Another reason was to restore a healthy-looking flush and a sense of vitality.

Pure white makeup creates a strikingly pale complexion and removes much of the skin’s natural rosy color.
For that reason, red around the eyes and lips helped bring color and vitality back to the overall appearance.

There seem to be various other reasons as well, so I’d love to introduce them on another occasion😊💖

Two Kimono Looks with the Oiran B Plan

In the previous photo, she was wearing a purple kimono, but in this next photo, she has changed into a green kimono.

With the Oiran B Plan, you can choose two outside kimonos.
For this shoot, she chose the “Purple” and “Emerald” kimonos.

Both kimonos feature intricate designs, making them highly recommended for those who prefer elegant or cool styles!

We also have approximately 18 additional outside kimonos available at our studio.
With such a wide variety of styles to choose from, I recommend the Oiran B Plan for anyone who wants to capture photos with two different looks. 👍✨

Oiran-Inspired Nail Styling and the Color Red

She also added the nail rental option (550 yen, tax included)!

Many people probably associate classic Japanese styles with bare nails💅
Japanese people in particular may have the impression that maiko and oiran did not decorate their nails, and even today, maiko do not wear nail polish.

However, oiran are also associated with the spread of nail styling in Japan!

There are various theories about the origins of nail culture, but one explanation is that styles favored by upper-class women and oiran were imitated and gradually spread more widely.

It is said that upper-class women and oiran of the time used a red dye made from balsam petals to color their fingernails.

For this reason, in Japan, this flower is also known as “Tsumabeni” or “Tsumakurenai,” names associated with its use for coloring fingernails.

Naturally, fashionable items used by the upper classes and oiran could be very expensive and difficult for ordinary people to obtain.
It is said that women and children therefore imitated the look by making nail color from red flower petals they could find nearby.

Just like makeup, red nail color was not only a fashion statement. Red was also associated with protection from evil, which may be one reason it became such an important color.

The Glamorous Reclining Pose and Manaita Obi

Finally, please take a look at this photograph📸

Our studio’s oiran-inspired experience includes a photoshoot featuring a reclining pose!
This glamorous pose is extremely popular with guests from both Japan and abroad.

I think it creates a different kind of beauty from photos taken while standing or sitting😍❤️

By the way, do you know the name of this gorgeous, large obi?

This type of obi is called a “Manaita Obi”. Its name refers to its broad, structured appearance, reminiscent of a board.

This elaborate style of obi was associated with high-ranking oiran and contributed to their striking, luxurious appearance.

Oiran are also famously depicted wearing their magnificent obi tied at the front.
One explanation for this front-tied style is that it helped emphasize the overall sense of luxury.

The kimono, hair ornaments, and other elements associated with high-ranking oiran could be extraordinarily elaborate. Together, these details created the magnificent appearance for which oiran became known.

This opulence also influenced the beauty and fashion ideals admired by women of the time.
In terms of their influence on fashion, oiran could be compared to fashion models today.

Thank you for reading to the end.
I still have a lot of knowledge I’d like to share with you all, so I’ll introduce more in another blog post.

Plan Details

Oiran B Plan

• Price: 22,550 yen (tax included)
• Includes: Hair and makeup, kimono dressing (1 inside kimono and 2 outside kimonos), and photography by a professional photographer (approximately 40 shots)
• Deliverables: 4 retouched JPEG photos
• Time Required: About 3 hours

Kachofugetsu Option

• Price: 8,800 yen (tax included)
• Includes: Date Hyogo topknot, Manaita Obi, and your choice of Natural Skin-Tone Makeup or Pure White Makeup