Unlike Western make-up, the Beni is used for multiple areas of the face, which is more akin to a paste than a lipstick. It's dabbed onto the eyes for a soft effect but painted undiluted onto the lips to make them a bright red.
Beni – Crimson The Lips & Cheeks
Beni is not used all over the lips by geisha, but rather to create a flower bud effect. Maiko, on the other hand, simply colors their lower lip. The red Beni is also used to sculpt the outside corner of the eye. It is also used to create a subtle pink contour on the cheeks and nose.
No, as prostitution is illegal in Japan and the geishas are cultural performers who are deeply respected. Geisha never sleep with their clients as it goes against the rules of the organizations they belong to.
The beautiful red lips and eyes of geisha and maiko makeup are made from Beni “紅” which is an extract of the Japanese Safflower. It is also called “Kyoto Red” and the mix contains crystallized sugar.
In ancient times, there was no electricity in Japan, and most facilities were only lit by candlelight. Since candlelight was not bright enough, Geishas painted their faces white to enhance their skin tones and to contour their faces, making their faces more visible and recognizable.
Maintenance: A vigorous pruning after flowering has finished for the season will promote bushy growth and a fuller flush of flowers next time round. Invasiveness: This can be an environmental weed in some areas, so check with local sources to see if this is the case in your area.
Geisha Girl will tolerate light frosts. For best flowering results, plant in full sun. Prune to shape after flowering. Fertilise with a slow release fertiliser after pruning.
The first geisha were actually male, appearing around the year 1730. It was only about 20 years later that female geisha began to appear in the forms of odoriko (踊り子, meaning dancers) and shamisen players, and they quickly took over the profession, dominating it by 1780.
Geisha paint lines on the back of their necks to make it appear longer and slimmer. Such makeup is applied almost every day, as the long kimono for dance requires the face to be painted. For stage performances, even hands and calves are painted white. Usually, oshiroi takes 30-50 minutes to apply.
Geisha and kabuki actors used white makeup known as oshiroi that contained zinc and lead, which likely caused many issues such as skin diseases. Uguisu no fun was used to thoroughly remove this makeup and to whiten the skin. Buddhist monks also used the droppings to polish and clean their bald scalps.
To inflame a doctor's lust for Sayuri (for the impending bidding war for her virginity), Mameha intentionally cuts Sayuri's leg high on her thigh (off camera). Mameha tells the doctor the cut came from a scissors accident; he stares longingly at her leg before stitching it up.
Unlike in the past when geishas were plentiful they are currently on the decline year by year. There were roughly between 40,000 to 80,000 geisha in the early showa period (1926-1989) But currently, numbers have dwindled to around 600 to 1000 geisha scattered across the 40 districts of Japan.
In Japan, geisha are very highly respected because they spend years training to learn the traditional instruments and dances of Japan. Although some western media portray geisha as prostitutes, that's just a myth.
Geisha cannot get married. The rule of this profession is “being married to the art, not a man”. If they want to get married, they have to quit the job. Once they quit, it's usually impossible to come back, however they can debut from the beginning in a different city, under a different name and rules.
Red lip color gained popularity internationally as women's rights movements spread worldwide. As red lipstick symbolized American suffrage, its sway traveled across the pond and then some. British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst donned a red lip, which helped spread the symbolic action among her fellow activists.
A geisha did not sell her body or rely on sex for her income; rather, she sold her skills and company. Geishas were not prisoners of their profession; they exercised free choice in their life. They could take lovers, stay single or get married.
The geisha system was traditionally a form of indentured labour, although some girls, attracted by the glamour of the life, volunteered. Usually, a girl at an early age was given by her parents for a sum of money to a geisha house, which taught, trained, fed, and clothed her for a period of years.
Traditionally, a female Geisha was known as a Geiko and this term continues to be used in Kyoto today. Maiko (Geisha in training) are identified by their bright, long sleeved kimonos and extravagant hair pieces whilst Geiko wear short sleeved kimonos and have a more subtle appearance.
Until an apprentice (called maiko) becomes a geisha, she has to visit a hair dresser each week. Hair styles vary based on the geisha's rank. Full geisha wear wigs for banquets and special appearances. The rest of the time she can wear hair hair in a chignon.
Geiko are allowed to have children and Maiko aren't necessarily “forbidden” (you can't ever forbid people from getting pregnant in genereal) from having children, but it's very very rare today. Maiko are 15 to 21, sometimes 22, and the vast majority of them doesn't want to have children yet anyways.
A geisha is a Japanese female performance artist, traditionally hired to entertain guests at teahouses and social events. During such events, a geisha will sing, dance, perform music, host tea ceremonies, and serve food and drinks - all while engaging in lively conversation.
Who was the youngest geisha? Born as Masako Tanaka, she left home at the age of four to begin studying traditional Japanese dance at the Iwasaki okiya (geisha house) in the Gion district of Kyoto. She was legally adopted by the okiya's owner, Madame Oima, and began using their family name of Iwasaki.
DESCRIPTION: Tall scrambling shrub with small bright leaves, and purple-blue and white flowers on the ends of pendulous branches. Flowers form spring to summer. Originates from Japan.
“Geishas, once praised as 'flowers of Tokyo,' are fading to become nothing, like other traditional cultures,” said an expert in Geisha culture to CNN. “Geishas used to be a big business and part of life, but now it is only surviving as a culture to preserve.”
Fiona Graham is the first Caucasian woman to be accepted into the ancient Japanese geisha tradition. Now known only as Sayuki, she tells Anna Seaman about her new life.