Japanese beauty salon review: Laporia

I recently went to have a treatment in a beauty salon, Lapôria which is a special salon hidden from view, located in the quiet residential neighborhood of Shirokanedai. Here is my review!

An exclusive hidden salon

The salon inside looks like a private European chateau, with wooden floor and antique furnitures. The quiet intimate yet spacious individual rooms make you forget that we are in the busy city of Tokyo!

A few words on the owner

Ms. Takahashi, owner and therapist from Lapôria has studied molecular biology and used to be a researcher in skin. While she was doing research, her desire of being in contact with people and solve real and live skin issues grew stronger. From there, her carrier as a esthetician started. She has worked in various salons and hotel spas, using her knowledge acquired during her researches. Ms. Takahashi’s aim is to build a strong and beautiful skin on all women.

The plan I chose is a 90min facial treatment called “Le Grand Classique” and a 20min body care “Indiba+”.

After filling the consultation sheet, the esthetician goes through each topic about your skin and lifestyle to have a deep understanding of your skin concerns or what you expect from the treatment.

Body treatment using Indiba

The treatment starts from the body. A warm gel is applied on your back and we pass the patented Spanish technology Indiba radiofrequency around the shoulders and neck. Indiba increases the body temperature of the applied area, enhances blood circulation, and stimulates tissue regeneration. It is used worldwide in hospitals as post surgery, by professional athletes to regenerate muscles and in beauty treatments for skin condition improvement and slimming! This 20 min of Indiba actually got rid of my stiff neck and shoulders.

Facial treatment using Yon-Ka products

After the body, we move on to facial treatment. Lapôria uses exclusively the products from the French cosmetic brand Yon-Ka, born from aromatherapy and phytotherapy.

The treatment starts such as a ritual with deep breathings of aroma scents.

• Makeup-up removal and face cleansing includes a generous final spray mist of Yon-ka lotion which smells delicious of herbs.

• The scrub removes the dead skin and when the facialist let me touch my face after it, it was amazing! My skin was like the one from a new born!! SO smooth! A layer of dead skin can make your skin feel that rough!! Though the smell is very particular. It definitely smells of herbs but it reminded me more of Chinese medicine kind of smell.

• The peeling after, containing both AHA and BHA helps softening the skin.

• The pores extraction on the nose consists in the esthetician actually using her hands to extract pores, which may be a common process in west but not here in Japan!! It’s a little surprising and it hurts a bit as well!

• Massage on the face and decollete: the massage on the face was soft without any strong strokes. It was relaxing and healing. In contrast, for the decollete, shoulders and neck, a more stimulating massage was given.

• The clay mask was applied to cool down and moisturize the face.

We finish the treatment in the same way as in the beginning with the ritual of deep breathing of aromatic oil and stretching.

Result

• Yon-ka: it was my first time trying this brand. In contrast with most of the French brands with too strong chemical fragrances, all the used products smelled nothing else than natural herbs. However some products have quite a particular smell. But it rather inspires you efficacy on your skin. I felt a slight irritation with some products but in the end, my skin didn’t have any issue.

• Treatment: the 20min indiba and 90min facial plan was delightful. The facialist explains you every step so you are always aware of what’s happening to you. The surprising part was the facial massage: although not very stimulating, my face got clearly lifted up with a sharper contour. The touch of my skin after the scrub gave me a lot of excitement.
  The effect of the treatment was felt even more once I got home and applied some makeup on. The finish was so different with a porcelain like skin texture and glow.

• Hospitality: the true relaxation comes from the environment of this quiet et spacious salon and the esthetician’s continuous warm attention all along the treatment; even the cotton to remove makeup is heated so that you don’t feel cold, during the mask, you are given a cousin to put underneath your knees so that you feel more comfortable.

As a conclusion, Lapôria treatment is a very well balanced treatment combining relaxation and efficacy, which is definitely worth trying.

If you book a treatment in Lapôria and say that you read this blog post, you will receive the coupon that Ms. Takahashi is holding, which is 20% discount!

Salon de Beauté Lapôria
Vort Shirokanedai Annex 102
5-18-9 Shirokanedai Minato-ku Tokyo
Tel: 03-6447-7346
Open from 10AM to 9PM, closed on Thursday
http://www.laporia.com/

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