Leah Salterio

Celebrities gace reopening of first Japanese salon in the country

October 13, 2024 Leah C. Salterio 127 views
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(From left) Priscilla Mereilles, Rikki Mathay, Mami Inomata, Barbie Imperial, owner Kiyosa Kato, Tessa Prieto, Abi Tabuchi
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Makers Mind Production CEO Ivy Barrios (lleft) with beauty queen Priscilla Mereilles
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Kiyosa Kato, owner of Kiyosa Japanese Total Beauty
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Beauty queen Priscilla Mereilles
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(From left) Rikki Mathay, Abi Tabuchi and Tessa Prieto.

JAPANESE businesswoman Kiyosa Kato was looking for a salon in Manila that would cater to her needs. However, since she couldn’t find anything, she decided to put up her own that carries her name.

Kiyosa started her beauty brand in 2014. The event last week was the reopening of Kiyosa Japanese Total Beauty in a two-storey building at BGC (Bonifacio Global City). They were closed for a few months especially during the pandemic.

A beloved name in Manila’s beauty scene recently returned in style. For over a decade, Kiyosa has been a trusted destination for Filipinos seeking authentic Japanese beauty expertise.

Recently, Kiyosa unveiled a completely renovated space designed to elevate your entire beauty experience.

“We are the only Japanese salon in the country,” Kiyosa said. “I want to teach salon owners and supply products to them. We fly in technicians from Japan.”

“There are salons using very dangerous glue for eyelashes. I don’t think it’s comfortable to use that,” Kiyosa added.

Tessa Prieto is Kiyosa’s first endorser when they started a decade ago and until now. “At that time, Kiyosa was already doing nail art, their specialty,” Tessa offered. “At that time, nail art was not yet a fad or a trend.

“They had a skillful Japanese technician who was trained in Japan. They also started doing eyebrows and also the hair is a new addition. To get a little more Japanese, minimalist feel to make you more pretty, to give one an earthy, futuristic theme.

“The lashes can last six weeks without having to be taken off. The owner really exemplifies what the brand is. She is so beautiful. Ten years ago, she started so young. When I’m an endorser, it feels like a family to me. I spend more than what they endorse.”

After ten years, Kiyosa apparently wants to display some new energy, a little more Japanese, minimalist feel.

Tessa calls it “parallel universe,” a brand-new start of her life. Thankfully, she is in a happy zone.

Young actress Barbie Imperial is likewise a brand ambassador, as well as beauty queen Priscilla Mereilles.

Japanese culture is practiced in the salon. The aestheticians bow before the guests. The technicians who do the nails are also Japanese. The salon flies in technicians from Japan, which obviously costs Kiyosa a lot since it is expensive.

The look of the beauty salon is different. The wall paper was already torn and old. They changed the color to all beige and made the look elegant.

Kiyosa also hired a professional Japanese technician to supervise the renovation. He was working in Shibuya. She also hired stylists from Japan.

The unique part of Kiyosa is the Japanese technique in its services. The products that they sell are also imported from Japan, from coloring, gel, eyelash extension, glue.

Kiyosa plans to open more branches of her beauty salon next year. “I want to help the beauty industry to level-up,” she said.

A single mother, Kiyosa gets the help from her sister and even her mother in running her salon. She gave birth to her daughter in 2019 in the Philippines

At present, Kiyosa has three branches. There are two at BGC. Aside from the first branch at F1 Hotel, the other is at Mitsukoshi Mall and another in Makati.

Kiyosa offers the high-quality Japanese service that might satisfy Filipino customers.

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