On April 3rd, 2017 my husband and I were in Japan and I took part in a Geisha and Samurai makeover. I was very excited as I had been looking forward to it since my trip the year before that when I had to cancel my geisha makeover on my birthday.
I decided that I had to go back to Japan during cherry blossom season and revisit the geisha makeover. I am so grateful to have had the experience.
The day started with choosing my kimono. I found a lovely pink one but then at the last minute I saw a purple one and decided that I must have it.
The process of dressing me in a kimono took around 15 minutes. They wrapped me in layers of material similar to the kimono and tied a belt around each layer, securing it. They were so tight, similar to a corset. I could barely breathe. Then the outer layer of kimono secured with an obi or sash.
The house where the makeover was located was a three story and there were no railings for the stairs so I had to put my hands out to secure myself whilst walking down the stairs. At one stage I almost fell down the stairs but luckily I made it.
The makeup took around 15-20 minutes and included a white powder, red lipstick that didn’t reach the sides of my mouth, and then once the makeup was done, a black wig was added. The ceremony of it was beautiful.
We then went to the photo studio section where we had professional photos taken. You only received three photos: one each of Philip and myself; and one couple photo.
The rest of the photos were taken by Philip or myself. It was a wonderful experience.