BEAUTY /
THE EXPERTS
March 12, 2015
Twiggy | What are Miho Matsuura's Proposed New Haircare Series & Comprehensive Beauty Salon "Salon de Twiggy"?
Twiggy
Miho Matsuura's New Approach to Beauty
Rediscovering True Beauty: A Return to Our Roots (1)
Miho Matsuura is a hair artist who constantly leads the fashion scene, active not only in salon work but also in magazines, advertisements, and behind the scenes at collection shows and hair shows. Her first hair care series, "Your Sanctuary," launched in 2009, caused a sensation in the beauty industry. Last year, her latest hair care series, "Epicurean," was born, representing further evolution. This spring, the salon also launched a new initiative: the comprehensive beauty salon, Salon de twiggy, on the third floor, offering custom training and treatments. Twiggy proposes total beauty through an approach from every angle. We asked about her vision.
Text by FUJITA Mayu (OPENERS)Photographs by TAKADA Midzuho
Theme: "Return to Our Roots" – The Birth of a Fully Organic Hair Care Series
──What's the difference between the new Epicurean hair care series and the first series, Your Sanctuary?
In the previous Your Sanctuary series, while it was a natural product, we used animal-derived proteins to ensure the lather and smoothness felt familiar to customers accustomed to conventional shampoos. It was considered a 'natural product' by the world, but strictly speaking, it wasn't '100% organic'.
With this Epicurean series, we've created a truly "organic product" using only plant-derived ingredients, completely free of animal proteins. The theme is "return to our roots." We aimed to achieve satisfying lather, texture, and fragrance using only the power of plants.
For example, the shampoo's lather is achieved with over 10 types of amino acids, and the protein source for styling agents uses ingredients derived from peas. Also, while most shampoos are 90% water and 10% other ingredients like fragrances and cleansing agents, Epicurean's water content is 90% rose water made from domestic Damask roses. This provides a smooth texture and a rich fragrance without synthetic perfumes. The fresh scent, reminiscent of morning dew, is something men can use without hesitation.
The hair tonic, introduced alongside the series, is a hybrid. We've been using it in the salon's spa for about two years, and it was so popular that we decided to commercialize it. Developed with Dr. Suzuki of the Skin Clinical Pharmacology Research Institute, an expert who has researched hair growth and tonic agents for over 30 years at a major cosmetics company, this tonic is made with medicinal herbs and botanicals... it really works (laughs). It's an item I highly recommend not only for those who feel their hair lacks vitality now but also for nurturing healthy hair for the future.
Have You Lost Touch with Your Hair's True Nature?
──The Epicurean series can be used not only on hair but also on the body, is that right?
The shampoo can be used as a full-body cleanser, the hair mist as a facial toner, and the gloss gel as a nail treatment. The gel seems to be popular in stores. After applying nail gel around the nails with your fingertips, don't you feel a bit uncomfortable with the residue on your palms and want to wipe it off? I do, and it feels like such a waste.
This gloss gel can be used on the remaining residue on your fingertips to add shine to your hair, making your nails and hair beautiful, eliminating that unpleasant feeling on your hands, and it's incredibly convenient! Similarly, with the mist and oil, you can style your hair while moisturizing your skin – doesn't that feel like a bonus (laughs)? We've also lowered the price compared to the previous series so that you can enjoy them more casually.
By making them usable on the skin, I wanted them to integrate more into daily life. These products not only have organic ingredients that don't pollute water when washed down the drain, but their containers are also made of biomass plastic, which minimizes CO2 emissions when incinerated. Using organic products and considering the environment can feel like a conscious effort, but I believe people will naturally accept it if the things they casually keep around them are actually sustainable. It's wonderful for both ourselves and the planet when such products increase without us even realizing it!
──What does "Epicurean" mean?
It originates from the words of the German philosopher Nietzsche. "Epicurean" is often used to mean "hedonist" or "epicure," but that's actually a misunderstanding.
The word comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, who pursued pleasure in life. The pinnacle of pleasure he arrived at was a luxury called "satisfaction," and the things needed for that "luxury" were a small garden, a few fig trees, some cheese, and three or four friends.──With just these, he could live a very luxurious life.
This is precisely the message I wanted to convey with the Epicurean series. Driven by the desire to be beautiful, we try everything that's said to be good.──Women are curious, and I think everyone is like that... I certainly am (laughs). I believe everyone has tried all sorts of things, but in the process, they often lose touch with their hair's true nature.
Twiggy
Miho Matsuura's New Approach to Beauty
Rediscovering True Beauty: A Return to Our Roots (2)
True Luxury Can Be Found in the Smallest Things
──Could it be that your current hair is not your natural hair quality?
There are hairstyles you might give up on because you believe your hair type is a certain way, or care routines you follow because you believe they're correct, but are they truly the right approach? The Epicurean series is entirely plant-derived, with absolutely no petroleum-based ingredients. We wanted to offer a way to reset the scalp's condition by washing it with a completely plant-derived shampoo.
This is the meaning of "return to our roots." By returning the scalp to its original state, natural hair will grow. The typical timeframe is about three to six months. Once you see the new hair growing, you'll finally understand your true hair type and what it truly needs. After that, it's simple! Instead of unnecessarily giving it excess, just provide what it truly needs. Even hairstyles you thought were impossible for you might become achievable. I want to cherish that possibility.
Just as the philosopher Epicurus found that the luxury of satisfaction, the pinnacle of pleasure, required very simple things, the true luxuries for ourselves and our hair are often quite simple. Discovering a new you by understanding your natural hair quality.──We can remain fresh no matter our age!
Becoming beautiful is a positive act, so the journey should be enjoyable!
──Is focusing on the scalp the shortcut to beautiful hair?
I believe the scalp is something to be nurtured, while hair is fashion. This philosophy guides my current product development and salon work. Hair cells are dead, but the scalp is alive. Just like vegetables, good soil and water are necessary for growing good produce. That's the role of good soil and water – the scalp and rose water. By enhancing one's own immunity and self-healing power, the scalp can be rejuvenated. This significantly increases the possibility of growing good hair as one ages.
As you probably know, regular conditioners are applied to the ends of the hair, not the scalp. Therefore, I believe scalp care through shampoos and tonics is the most crucial for nurturing a healthy scalp and the hair that grows from it.
Honestly, you can use any favorite conditioner on the ends of your hair (laughs). You have your preferred scents, don't you? I dislike the idea of enduring discomfort and being purely stoic. I can't continue anything if I'm not enjoying it myself (laughs). Becoming beautiful is a positive thing, so the process should also be fun and positive!
A Hair Perfume Collaborating with TASAKI Also Launched!
──This spring, you also released a hair perfume in collaboration with the jeweler TASAKI. It contains real pearls, doesn't it?
That's right, real pearls! It's a hair perfume, meant for the hair, but it can also be applied to the skin without any issues. We actually created one before to commemorate Twiggy's 20th anniversary. This time, we've added pearl conchiolin protein as a treatment ingredient.
It's made using only my favorite scents, my most beloved fragrance. Pearls are minerals produced by living organisms, called biominerals. Their composition is similar to seashells, rich in calcium and protein, offering high treatment benefits.
A single pearl in the perfume creates a fantastical appearance! Once the perfume is used up, the pearl will have absorbed the fragrance, so you can take it out and keep it in your bag or wallet to enjoy the scent, or even turn it into a necklace.
Yes, in the end, you can do whatever you like with the TASAKI pearl. While being stoically organic, I want to challenge myself to see how enjoyable and comfortable we can make it!
Twiggy
Miho Matsuura's New Approach to Beauty
Rediscovering True Beauty: A Return to Our Roots (3)
Experience Effectively Combined Menus at Your Preferred Time!
──What is the comprehensive beauty salon, Salon de twiggy, launched this spring?
It's a space-sharing salon where you can experience menus from the hair salon "Twiggy," as well as training studio "Eva cuore body" by personal trainer Yoshito Takahashi, and treatment salon "TE・LUCE" led by top therapist Teruko Miyazawa.
Because our hair types, skin types, and body constitutions differ, personalized care is essential for each individual. At Salon de twiggy, you can experience personalized training, stretching, facial and body treatments, and radio wave heat therapy (Inquar) tailored to your constitution, combined effectively at your preferred time. We've also created a juice bar where you can enjoy organic juices and soups made with Kyushu organic vegetables, known for boosting immunity, sourced directly from the producers. While Twiggy has always incorporated natural elements like EM bacteria in paints for walls and furniture, and natural light and ventilation, the third floor takes this further. In addition to our existing rooftop garden and greenery, we've used natural chestnut wood for the interior walls to create a better flow of "energy."
──Why is a personalized menu necessary?
With the "Epicurean" hair care series, we aim to provide an opportunity to discover your natural hair quality after resetting your scalp, and to understand what your hair truly needs. Similarly, personal training and treatments offer a chance to "correctly understand" bodily misalignments or skin damage that you may not be aware of or might have misunderstood. It starts with knowing, and then approaching the care your body truly needs with professionals.
I myself have been doing personal training for the past 10 years. I'm incredibly lazy, so I can't stick with anything unless it's fun (laughs). When I first started, it was so tough I thought I'd never manage! But the trainer at the time was so entertaining that I managed to stick with it for a year, screaming all the way (laughs). Around the eight-month mark, I gradually started feeling lighter, thinking, "Oh, my body is changing." Just then, I became pregnant. It was my first pregnancy in 13 years, right as I was transitioning into my 40s. It made me realize how fascinating the body is.
What the Body Needs Varies for Each Person
──What do you mean by "fascinating"?
In my 20s, I lived life to the fullest, both work and play, without a second thought about my body. Then, during my 30s, when my child had atopic dermatitis, I encountered Neal's Yard in London and started a herbal lifestyle for my child's sake. Yet, in my 30s, while practicing a herbal lifestyle, I was still dressing in high fashion and frequenting luxury spas. Then, as I entered my 40s, I started exercising, and became pregnant for the first time in 13 years. I had wanted children for a long time but couldn't conceive. I realized that when what the mind desires doesn't manifest in the body, it means the mind and body were out of balance.
Body──I was still focused on appearance, just like in my 20s, without a solid core... My body was craving it, or perhaps waiting for it. About a year after I started training, my mind and body finally aligned perfectly, and I believe that's why I became pregnant.
Interestingly, my friend in London (formerly of Neal's Yard) also became pregnant about six months before I did. She's a dedicated vegan and had always wanted a child but couldn't conceive. After trying various things, she started eating chicken, which apparently helped, and then she got pregnant. What the body needs varies for each person.──So, physical training was what I needed, while chicken was what she needed.
Proposing Stoic Yet Enjoyable Approaches!
Now that you've launched new initiatives, could you tell us about your future outlook?
Beauty exists within health, and health exists within beauty. These two words encompass each other. Therefore, if either is missing, the words lose their true meaning. Based on my 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, I can say that healthy people are inherently beautiful. Our job is to enhance that beauty.
Whether as a personal trainer or a therapist, I want to be thoroughly personal in helping each individual become beautifully themselves. That's the philosophy behind the third-floor salon and the "return to our roots" concept of the Epicurean series.
Creating a hairstyle is about creating individuality. That's why I feel compelled to share so much. Eating and drinking are fundamental. Then, exercise and detoxification. Neglecting any one of these will inevitably lead to repercussions. However, trying to do everything can become stressful, so instead of pushing too hard, it's important to enjoy it! Regarding hair care series, with the Epicurean series, people can get to know themselves, and for the next step, to add something more, I plan to challenge myself with hybrid products again. The content is made stoically, but it should be something you can continue enjoyably and that brings happiness.──I want to continue proposing things like that.
──Thank you..
Twiggy
3-35-7 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 001
Hours | Mon-Thu 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Wed-Fri 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM / Sat 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Sun & Holidays 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Closed Tuesdays
Salon de twiggy
Hours | Weekdays 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM / Sun & Holidays 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (By appointment only)
Tel. 03-6413-1590
www.twiggy.co.jp
