There are no
prominent signs to Boudoir, but if you' in need of a full-body massage, top class
facial, pedicure or waxing from tip to toe, you'll find the place. Threading the maze of
velvet walls hung with gilt mirrors and risque paintings (think David Lynch does a
bordello), Kit
Pancoast Nagamura talked
to owner Marilyn Bloomfield about her holistic approach to the beauty business.
How long have you been in business?
I first came to Japan in 1995 and I set up upstairs from the restaurant Las Chicas. I
arrived with just a box of beauty products and a small massage table that my mother had
bought me when I finished beauty college. Next I worked out of my tiny six-mat apartment.
It took me four years and a lot of hard work to build up a clientele that allowed me and
co-owner Carlos Bonar to open Boudoir.
What sets Boudoir apart from other aesthetic salons?
We offer very personalized service; you're basically treated like a queen, not a number.
In other salons, you might find yourself getting a facial in a communal room, whereas here
it's a private, relaxing affair. We also offer professional skin analysis; here we can
teach you how to achieve a cure with products, treatment, and home care. I've always known
when I opened a salon, I wanted it to be like a beautiful bedroom - a boudoir, not a
sterile, white, clinical place.
Who are your clients?
98% are from the foreign community. They helped me set up my business, so I designed
Boudoir with them in mind. It's a place where people can relax, let their stress out, and
be tranquil.
What's it like working in your salon?
I'm here seven days a week, from 10am to 9pm, Monday through Saturday, and 11am to 7pm on
Sundays. But my employees get two days a week off. Things run very smoothly - there's
never any big drama. We laugh and joke a lot, and things just seem to get done.
What kinds of people are you looking to employ?
Well, first of all, they have to be thoroughly knowledgeable about skin. They also have to
understand that we approach beauty therapy as something more like a medical treatment than
just a session of pampering. We of course want people who are outgoing and caring.
Applicants for therapist positions must have a two-year international degree in either
British CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) or Swiss
CIDESCO (Comite International D'Esthetique et de Cosmetologie).
What are the perks of working at Boudoir?
As we get better and better known, our salon will look impressive on a resume. We'll also
be sending employees to overseas training courses. We offer paid holidays, and the salary
is very good once you build a client base.
For job information contact Marilyn Bloomfield at Boudoir, 2-25-10 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0001, tel/fax 03-3478-5898 or email ms_marilyn@hotmail.com For CIDESCO
certification information check the website at www.cidesco.com
