The Japan Series: Yojiya, Kyoto

You'd think by the time we reached Kyoto that I'd be all shopped out. But me being me, I managed to stumble upon an absolute gem of a store in one of Kyoto's Geisha districts, Gion. We went to the Geisha's autumn dance show and were killing time before our pre-show tea ceremony - this little shop was just around the corner from the theatre.

Yojiya was a far cry from the beauty stores of Tokyo - there's no artificial looking products or flashy signs here.  It has a much more natural vibe, specialising in Aburatorigami - better known as blotting papers. The brand's essence is routed in Kyoto, their products were beautifully packaged with a nod to traditional Japan, and the store was quite minimalist.

They mostly stock skincare, but the make up they had was beautiful and reminded me a lot of the bright geisha make up. I can't find any information online about whether they supply make up to Geiko/Maiko, but I wouldn't be surprised. It wasn't the most practical for those of us that aren't geisha, so I managed to resist it!

I only purchased a few hand creams as gifts from here, but the scent of the product takes me right back to Kyoto.  It's hard to place what exactly it smells of, but its beautiful none the less.  Definitely somewhere to hunt out during a visit to Kyoto - the store was packed with Japanese women picking up armfuls of products, which was enough to convince me!

K x