MITSUYOSHI: JAPANESE COSTUME MAKEUP, WHERE TO BUY NOH BUTOH THEATRICAL COSMETICS. JAPAN PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP ARTISTS.
Japan’s traditional theater — butoh, noh — is all about dramatic, ghostly makeup. Where, o where, can you buy dramatic cosmetics in Tokyo? At Mitsuyoshi, a little shop of horrors in Shinjuku Subnade (the shop-lined pathway below Shinjuku Station East).
In addition to selling specialty cosmetics, Mitsuyoshi offers professional makeup lessons. You can learn how to create intricate geisha, samurai, and leopard looks.
The signature palettes come in all colors of the rainbow. Mitsuyoshi’s makeup brushes are some of the best in the business.
The long, colorful fake lashes… they make my heart go doki-doki!
The products can be a little pricey, so it’s good to invest in a point card. In Japan, most major stores have these “reward” cards that let you rack up points for discounts. Naomi has accumulated a thick stack. (Wonder what the Super Potato is for?)
The Shinjuku Subnade has many fashion boutiques, including Goth-Punk streetwear brand Algonquins.
Cute and colorful, as always.
I’ve always liked Algonquin’s flat boots and decorated bags.
London calling.
Halloween is the best time to be in Tokyo. I was there in 2008, 2010, and probably 2011 for another Pirate mission… the wheels are in motion, my friends!
Bonus: the Subnade has a store that sells… sugary-sweet clothing for dogs.
Where else can you buy theatrical makeup and eyelashes in Tokyo? Okadaya, the fabric and trimmings mega-mart. I have photos and info about Okadaya in this and this post.
Speaking of Japanese horror makeup… Kuroneko, an eerie ghost film from 1968, is playing at the Vancouver Cinematheque from Feb 3-6. The film opens with a gang of samurai forcing themselves into a rural hut and the two women that live there. Fast closeups on the women’s face; long shot of the samurai stepping back into the grove as smoke exits the hut. The stark and chilling imagery — influenced by Noh lighting and dance — continues as the demons seek out their revenge. See the chilling Kuroneko on the big screen or buy the DVD.
Have you ever seen Noh, Bunraku or Butoh plays? Isn’t Japanese theatrical makeup astounding?
Japanese Word of the Day: Cosme = Cosmetics, beauty products
Song of the Day: Elegant Machinery – Black Town (Depeche Mode-ish synthpop.)
SHARE & COMMENT
LIP SERVICE MODELS: STEAMPUNK VAMPIRE CLOTHING & MAKEUP. GOTH & ALTERNATIVE FASHION MODELLING, VAMPIRES MAGAZINE.
While in LA, Sebastiano Serafini and I had the opportunity to be models for Lip Service! We put on fangs and growled for a Steampunk Vampire photoshoot in a private dungeon.
The Lip Service shoot was for Vampyrotic, a magazine to “celebrate our dark sanguinary desires in gorgeously captured photos and video.” We crept into the downtown domination space, Servitu, with our mastermind photographer Mich.
It was impossible to narrow down our clothing choices for the shoot, so we ended up taking several sacks with us (including borrowed top hats and stomper boots). Mich fitted us with vampire teeth, which you first soak in warm water, then press to your canines until they firm up and stay in place.
Servitu Studios was a funhouse of torture equipment, including restraints, medical examination chairs, rusty cages, and a “vacuum bed” that vacuum-packs a person into latex. (Sebastiano: “Should we try?”)
A lamb mask, a pole with a perilous “object” attached… By now, my young “virgin victim” truly has been corrupted!
We settled on the dark aristocratic chair by the window and filled our wine glasses with blood. Our outfits are mostly coordinated from Lip Service’s Step in Time Steampunk collection.
Do you like this look on Sebastiano? I think he looks like a dashing Victorian airship captain.
We had the whole studio to ourselves — and used the opportunity to play.
Despite all my rage, I’m still just a Steampunk Pirate in a cage.
We changed into Nocturnal Rendezvous and Circuit City cyber garments, and climbed to the rooftop. Dusk was falling and the sky was radioactive blue. Perfect for a Power Rangers pose.
Thank you to Mich, Mickey, Bryn, Maria and everyone at Lip Service for having us as models! You can see us featured on the website here. Seba and I also toured the dark fashion company’s headquarters; these photos are coming right up on my blog.
Steampunk Vampires, brass and blood… what do you think of our styling?
PS: Naomi and I have a big new pirate mission in Japan with one of our favorite bands (you’ll know their name!). So much travel and adventure ahead this year… I’m fortunate to be able to work with my friends, and with artists I admire — and have all of you along for the ride!
Want to bring your band, film crew, fashion line or any project to Japan? Need someone to guide, consult, translate? Hire a pirate! (There’s more about our services on the La Carmina & The Pirates website.)
Japanese Word of the Day: Otobai = Motorcycle (Autobike!)
Song of the Day: Informatik – The World Belongs To Us
LA CARMINA
