NEW YORK, New York - Beautiful, educated and skilled in the arts of music and dance, Geisha were the true renaissance women of ancient Japanese society. At Manhattan's Shizuka New York Day Spa (7 W 51st Street), Shizuka Bernstein has introduced her latest innovation, a facial that unlocks the secrets of Geisha beauty. The Geisha Facial ($180, 50 min.) uses traditional and natural Japanese ingredients to soften, brighten and nourish the complexion. The most crucial ingredient in this unique facial treatment is uguisu no fun (powdered nightingale droppings), once a secret known only to traditional kabuki actors and the Geisha themselves.
Refined in movement and appearance, Geisha were known for their iconic porcelain complexion-clear, unblemished and pale as a camellia blossom. However, their beautiful appearance came at a price as the lead and zinc in their face powder caused chronic skin problems until the discovery of a unique remedy. Geisha found that uguisu no fun could be used not only to remove makeup but to brighten, heal and retexturize the skin due to its natural enzymes and guanine.
At Shizuka New York Day Spa this ancient and prized beauty secret is artfully revived. Uguisu no Fun is perfectly safe to use on the skin, sanitized through exposure to ultraviolet light before being finely milled to powder. Shizuka mixes this ingredient with delicate Japanese rice bran to enhance its inherent exfoliating and lightening properties. Cleansing and light extraction using her all-natural skin care line (the Shizuka New York Skincare System) further refines skin texture, and the treatment is completed with a hydrating camelia oil massage and a refreshing antioxidant Green Tea Collagen Mask. As with all treatments at Shizuka New York Day Spa, the Geisha Facial concludes with service of gourmet Japanese tea and cookies in the Tranquility Lounge. Shizuka's Geisha Facial modernizes the beauty rituals of the Geisha, making them accessible to everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions :
Why Nightingale Droppings?
Shizuka remembered hearing about uguisu no fun from her mother while growing up in Tokyo. Japanese women have always prized pale, porcelain complexions and Shizuka's mother always stressed proper skincare and limiting sun exposure. When Shizuka was researching new and interesting facial ingredients, she thought back to her childhood and her mother's story about how geisha used nightingale droppings to keep their skin clear and pale.
Are nightingale droppings safe/sanitary to use on my face?
Yes, the nightingale droppings used at Shizuka New York Day Spa are professionally sanitized under UV light and powdered before being applied to the face.
Does the nightingale droppings facial mask smell?
Although the uguisu no fun has a slight musky aroma on its own, Shizuka's special mask formulation neutralizes this aroma, leaving a mild "organic" smell from the rice bran.
Press Features for the Geisha Facial:
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