Attention ladies (and gentlemen)! This is not your typical barbershop
Published: March 6, 2017
I think we can all agree it’s pretty easy to judge the quality of a day based on how smoothly the morning goes.
Is your hair in alignment?
Is your make-up perfect?
If you can answer yes, then your day is already 20% brighter.
We often go out of our way to make the morning grind easier, from funky gadgets to time-saving tricks, but today I found a place that will definitely help smooth out the process♪
Hair & Make Mowa
While beauty experts are often associated with salons and spas, the place I visited is actually a barbershop!
Barbers in Japan are certified at the national level (they have to pass an exam to become licensed) to do something no one else in adjacent fields can:
Facial shaving!
Specifically, what I want to introduce here is facial shaving for ladies.
Gone are the days when this service was just for men. Beauty trailblazers in Japan are catching on to the benefits of “Ladies’ Shaving”, and Mowa is right up there with the trendsetters.
The Ladies’ Shaving course is set at 2,900 yen and an equally tempting facial massage course is on the menu for 4,150 yen. The Special Course combines them together to save you the trouble of choosing, and is also a great deal at 5,150 yen for the whole package.
But wait wait wait, I hear you say. Why would I go to get my face shaved in the first place??
There are actually many benefits to shaving, Ms. Shimizu, the daughter of the current owner, told me. By removing extraneous hair from the facial area and trimming around the eyebrows and temple, you can improve the overall impression of your features. Dead skin cells are also removed by the blade alongside the hair, so there is a detoxing and cleansing element, leaving your skin is brighter and smoother, and making it easier for make-up to stay in place (thus reducing the time spent wrestling with the puffs and brushes in the morning).
Additionally, getting a facial massage helps to release tension from the muscles, improve blood flow, and of course is a great way to relax!
Experience is worth a thousand words. Let’s actually give it a go.
Although Mowa’s interior is designed to be a luscious open space, each customer can be separated by a curtain to help retain privacy.
We start by tucking the hair up and back…
And start the shaving process!
Ms. Shimizu wields her tiny sword of a shaver with absolute care and expert. She, of course, is a fully certified and licensed barber, and is a veteran with 18 years of experience to boot!
The blade actually feels really nice as it makes its way across the skin…
The shaving cream she’s using is whipped by hand to soft perfection.
Each time she layers on the foam, it’s like my skin is being wrapped by a cloud (*＾＾*)
The neck area finished, Ms. Shimizu has me lie down and cleanses my face. She then wrapped a steamed towel around me to rinse away the soap…
So I looked like a mummy for a few minutes (lol)
This steamed towel treatment helps open the pores and is extremely relaxing. Normally the curtains would be pulled, so you don’t need to worry about being seen at your worst (or best?) mummy impersonation either.
Continuing with her steady and certain strokes, the shaving was completed in no time, and we moved on to the massage.
Yup, it felt as good as it looks.
Following the all-hand care, the course includes a facial mask. There are 3 types available: hydrating, cleansing and brightening, so you can choose according to your needs.
Then comes an in-depth pore-cleansing session using a suction cup, and lastly a hyaluronic acid mask and an emulsion finish to perk up the skin!
Wow, it feels so soft and smooth…!
#nofilter
Seriously though, I feel great!
As promised, not only did the shaving session leave the skin indefinitely smoother and brighter, the massage relaxed the facial features and brightened up my expression, too!
Whether it’s as part of a regular beauty routine, or a special treat, I would highly recommend trying something new and giving this shaving service a go.
For those special occasions…
For those who have the chance to wear dresses or kimono (weddings, ceremonies, parties, etc.), Mowa can and will gladly extend the shaving service to your lower neck and back so you can feel silky smooth and perfect in your best outfit!
If you wish to shave only the neck area in preparation for wearing a kimono or yukata, the cost is a mere 1,080 yen; or, it’s 500 yen if you add it as an option to the above-featured facial shaving course.
For preparing to wear wedding dresses (or other dresses with an open back), the cost will go up incrementally with the area needing care. Ms. Shimizu will happily consult with you to decide on the best course of action!
A healing establishment
On that note, while I never would have imagined that a barbershop could be so charming and healing, or that it could double as a beauty salon, this experience was truly a lesson in challenging preconceived notions and trying new things.
If you are also looking to try something fresh to improve how you feel about yourself every morning, why not pay a visit to Hair & Make Mowa!
Oh, and of course they do a fabulous job with haircuts and styling, too 😉
editor： Xianru Shen （Koto City Office Coordinator for International Relations）
