Tatcha - Showtime Impressions

EDIT: wersja polska znajduje sie pod wpisem angielskim.



Tatcha has finally started to build ripples inwards the Polish beauty blogosphere, hence I approximate it's high fourth dimension for me to write a few words, too, in addition to portion my offset impressions.

So build yourself a loving cup of tea (Earl Grey, hot!) in addition to settle downward for a read.
This is going to move rather long.
Consider yourself warned.

Tatcha had appeared on my radar for the offset fourth dimension around March 2014.

When I offset heard almost this magical "Japanese" company, I directly wanted to know where in addition to how I could acquire my grabby hands on their stuff. Imagine my surprise then, when upon checking the company's website, I learned that Tatcha is headquartered inwards the USA in addition to does non sell its products inwards Japan. And apparently, has no plans to do so.

My bullsh*t detector directly went into overdrive.

I read Tatcha's geisha beauty secrets PR spin in addition to felt a moving ridge of nausea coming over me. Even I, the ultimate bs mistress that I am, tin solely grip hence much idiotic PR drivel inwards i sitting. Please, I beg you, tell me that people don't convey this geisha materials seriously. They can't move that naive. Or tin they?

Still, Tatcha was getting rave reviews in addition to I was becoming to a greater extent than in addition to to a greater extent than curious.
Until I endeavour something, I do my best to maintain an opened upward mind, geisha beauty secrets magically uncovered inwards Kyoto past times a woman, who it seems, can't speak Japanese, in addition to all.

So imagine my surprise when i beautiful early on summertime morning time inwards 2015 I fired upward my gmail and, lo in addition to behold, at that topographic point was a message from Tatcha inwards my inbox.
One immature lady Alexandra was contacting bloggers in addition to offering to ship me Tatcha's introductory Ritual Discovery sampler to sample. Of course of didactics I said yes. I sent immature lady Alexandra my address in addition to waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, I decided to follow up.

Miss Alexandra responded that sadly, Tatcha beingness a pocket-size company, it didn't receive got a budget for working amongst international bloggers. That of course, was a pretty dumb lie. Other international bloggers, inwards Europe in addition to inwards Singapore, were already showing off their Tatcha PR booty on Instagram.
But they were pop bloggers amongst thousands of followers in addition to I was a no-name nobody.

I really hoped that immature lady Alexandra was just a clueless summertime intern, who didn't know whatever better. But no, she's an actual Tatcha PR employee. Scary! She clearly assumed that since I was a no-name nobody rattling far away, lying to me would move pretty harmless.

Well, y'all know, this is them innernets generation. I mightiness move a pocket-size fish inwards a province far away, but nosotros do receive got wi-fi over here. And equally a pocket-size fish beauty blogger, I do follow large fish beauty bloggers. And daze in addition to horror, sometimes nosotros fifty-fifty verbalise to each other. Because the pop kids on the weblog know that inwards guild to remain pop they demand the back upward of (the) hoi polloi similar me.

But apparently, immature lady Alexandra over at Tatcha slept during her PR101 classes. If she had paid attention, hence she would receive got known that uncomplicated "Sorry, our mistake. At this time, nosotros are targeting a unlike audience. Let's maintain inwards touch." was a perfectly acceptable agency of getting out of this situation. No demand to lie. At to the lowest degree that's how nosotros used to grip it dorsum inwards my days.

Anyway, when I saw i of the pop bloggers amongst thousands of followers proudly nowadays her PR sample of Tatcha Ritual Discovery Kit, I left a comment.

Tatcha reacted amongst lightning speed. Suddenly, the companionship was apologizing for the "misunderstanding" in addition to offering to rectify the situation. Pretty poor that it had to come upward to that.

I declined Tatcha's offering in addition to instead did a haul.

This is what I got. Like I told you, despite this unpleasant experience, I was trying to maintain an opened upward mind. My policy has ever been "no dissing until y'all endeavour it".

One skilful affair almost Tatcha is that the companionship sells lawsuit sizes. That is a marvelous idea. Considering how much full-size Tatcha products cost, this is an affordable agency to sample what the build has to offer. And this is precisely what I did. The 2 total size products that ended upward inwards my shipment were freebies. And I actually do appreciate the gesture. One of them, the indigo cream, turned out to move the uncovering of the yr for me.

My shopping list:

• Dry Skin Ritual Discovery Kit
• Revitalizing Eye Cream Travel Size
• Moisture Rich Silk Cream Travel Size
• Deep Hydration Firming Serum Travel Size
• Soothing Triple Recovery Cream (Indigo) Travel Size
• Camellia Beauty Oil Travel Size
• Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask (Single Set)
• Deep Hydration Lifting Mask (Single)
• Classic Rice Enzyme Powder Travel Size (freebie for signing upward for Tatcha's mailing list)

in addition to 3 (yes, three) foil packets that are liberate amongst every order, in addition to which y'all tin select yourself:

• One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil Packet
• Enriching Renewal Cream Packet
• Soothing Renewal Treatment Packet

My guild also included 2 liberate full-size products:
Here is a detailed review of both of these total size products.

• Indigo Soothing Triple Recovery Cream - I beloved this stuff! Could bathe inwards it!

and

• Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35, which is rattling nice, if you've never used a existent Japanese sunblock, but at US$68 for 60ml is non worth it. Especially considering the relatively depression in addition to rattling un-Japanese (for a companionship that plays upward the whole Japanese mystique spiel) SPF.

Tatcha's "origins" even makes whatever Japanese woman, who had the misfortune to hear it, laugh. As it does anyone else amongst fifty-fifty the most basic agreement of Japanese civilization in addition to cosmetic market. "Othering" inwards whatever shape or shape is borderline discrimination. "Othering" to pitch in addition to sell a production is the lowest, most arrogant shape of marketing. And I suppose that is at to the lowest degree i of the many reasons why Tatcha does non receive got a physical presence inwards Japan.

Yet at the same fourth dimension othering of mystical, mythical creatures, such equally geisha for example, makes perfect concern sense, if the products you're pitching are skincare in addition to beauty. The myth, the aura, in addition to the exoticism all assist to sell the magic.

Tatcha identified this niche, created a vaguely plausible even to lend it some basic legitimacy in addition to at nowadays is laughing all the agency to the bank. There's fifty-fifty a existent life geisha inwards the mix, i Kyouka, who made her total fledged geiko debut inwards the Gion Kobu district of Kyoto on Oct 29th, 2012.

She's the i on the right, pictured hither nevertheless inwards her maiko days, from the looks of it.

Image: Wikipedia commons

That fact itself rings all sorts of alert bells to anyone amongst at to the lowest degree a rudimentary noesis of what existent geisha are in addition to how they operate. To position it plainly, self-respecting geisha don't sell their services to western skincare companies. And if they do, they don't desire that fact to move widely known inwards Nihon (reason issue 2 why Tatcha is non available here).

Of course of didactics at that topographic point is a novel breed of geisha out there, equally well. Women, who started inwards the concern equally part-time geisha (usually equally academy students for whom it was just a business office fourth dimension job), eventually graduated to full-time geisha status. They brought amongst them new, thoroughly modern, attitudes to this traditional profession.

On i hand, it's good, because equally the basis goes forward, geisha evolve along amongst it. On the other hand, nosotros acquire individuals such equally Kyouka, who are willing to lend their faces in addition to names to unusual brands, hence long equally it leads to to a greater extent than international exposure for them. In other words, rattling concern savvy, for whom this is just a stepping rock to bigger, brighter things. Because trust me, nosotros haven't heard the finally of Kyouka yet.
I receive got a unusual feeling that a mass detailing the beauty practices of modern geisha, co-authored past times Victoria Tsai (Tatcha's founder), is inwards the works. And along amongst that, the usual media circus. Just hold off in addition to see.
Patience, my friends.

"International" is the telephone substitution give-and-take here, for obvious reasons. Such approach would move laughed at domestically. And besides, Japanese women receive got other, to a greater extent than credible in addition to a lot to a greater extent than experienced, skincare in addition to beauty guru to follow than geisha. The geisha beauty secrets legend appeals to western weeabos in addition to women who receive got never been within a Japanese drugstore.

Tatcha's founder, Ms Tsai, is rattling careful of how she presents her company. She spins her geisha yarn rattling carefully, but anyone familiar amongst the history of beauty inwards Nihon tin easily telephone telephone her bullsh*t.

For example, on Tatcha's website, she says:

The beauty secrets she learned from the geisha introduced her to a unlike approach to skincare — that less is more. Their peel attention philosophy in addition to time-tested ingredients were captured inwards an ancient text widely considered to move the oldest beauty mass written inwards Japan...

Ahhh...

She needed geisha to figure it out? Really! Really?

All she needed to do was become to whatever Matsumoto Kiyoshi (a pop Japanese drugstore chain) in addition to convey a expect at the cleansing isle. But hence nosotros wouldn't receive got the sappy "how Tatcha was born" even in addition to without the "geisha beauty secrets" spiel it would move impossible to accuse the form of prices that Tatcha does now.

And speaking of geisha beauty secrets, kabuki actors role the same techniques. But I approximate "the skincare tips I learned from kabuki actors" wouldn't comport the same dollars signs weight equally mythical geisha. Pity, because super-kabuki performances are a lot to a greater extent than fun in addition to entertaining than what geisha receive got to offer. Be certain to become in addition to sentry i side past times side fourth dimension you're inwards Japan.

The minute business office of Ms. Tsai's words, that "their (presumably geisha's) peel attention philosophy in addition to time-tested ingredients were captured inwards an ancient text..." is just non true.

The text she is referring to, in addition to which she claims recorded in addition to described the peel attention philosophy of geisha, is zip other than "Miyako fūzoku kewaiden" (A Handbook of Cosmetics inwards the Capital) published inwards 1813 (republished inwards 1982).

screenshot source: Amazon.co.jp

It was a compilation of traditional (and non hence traditional) beauty, skincare in addition to makeup techniques to assist the Japanese ladies to expect their best. It was non exclusive to the geisha world, equally Ms. Tsai would receive got y'all believe, though she is rattling careful non to state it outright. She puts the imagery inwards your caput in addition to lets your hear move out the association on its own. By the fourth dimension y'all complete reading the stories on Tatcha's website, y'all are convinced that "Miyako fūzoku kewaiden" holds the keys to eternal life. Or at least, to eternal beauty.

Yet inwards reality, at that topographic point is absolutely zip mythical or mystical almost it.

This is Ms. Tsai's account of how she came to know this book:

I offset heard whispers almost these books from geisha I met piece researching the products that would eventually shape the foundation of TATCHA's peel attention ritual. The techniques they described were time-tested but rarely written downward or shared beyond the wall's of the geisha house. Geisha are serious almost keeping secrets, fifty-fifty their telephone numbers in addition to addresses are non listed in addition to must move procured through several intermediaries.  

Very surprising, since this mass is not, in addition to has never been a secret. Unless of course of didactics Ms. Tsai's geisha friends were playing a practical joke on her, at that topographic point was no demand to secretly whisper almost it, because it is rattling good known to anyone who is interested inwards the history in addition to development of beauty inwards Japan.

And Ms. Tsai isn't the offset who thought it mightiness move a skilful thought to expect for inspiration inwards this erstwhile text. Pola Beauty has been doing it for years. In fact "Miyako fūzoku kewaiden" is required reading for Pola Beauty's researchers.

Also strange are these claims:

As I began my search for this book, I learned that rattling few people fifty-fifty knew of its existence, in addition to that solely a few written copies nevertheless exist. I turned to museums, hoping to regain some documentation or clues almost how to regain it.  

Months later, a researcher in addition to I tracked it downward inwards an antique bookstore. When I finally held the mass inwards my hands, I could barely breathe from excitement. Its whisper-thin pages danced amongst fragile calligraphy, recording centuries of secrets – most of which remain startlingly relevant inwards our modern times.

Odd, because used copies of the 1982 reprint are readily available on Japanese Amazon (just google: 都風俗化粧伝).

But I approximate "an erstwhile beauty manual I flora at Book Off" wouldn't comport the same dollars signs weight equally "a mass of geisha secrets flora inwards an antique bookstore".


So at nowadays y'all receive got reasons 3, 4, 5... seven - xi equally to why Tatcha doesn't receive got an actual store inwards Japan. Japanese women would express mirth hence loud, y'all could hear them inwards San Francisco.

And speaking of San Fran, that's where Tatcha is headquartered.
While the bulk of its products are indeed formulated in addition to made inwards Japan, the companionship is rattling much American. And to move honest, Tatcha is non claiming to move a Japanese company.
That is some other i of those crafty associations that our brains build when they hear the words "geisha" in addition to "skincare".

But just equally the fact that my MacBook was made inwards PRC doesn't build Apple Inc. a Chinese company, the same is truthful almost Tatcha. That its products are manufactured inwards Japan, doesn't build Tatcha a Japanese company. It solely adds another, carefully planned in addition to designed, layer of passable credibility to Tatcha's original marketing points - magical geisha beauty secrets, y'all folks! Straight from Japan, y'all folks!

Ok, I demand a interruption now.

This is the summary of my offset impressions:

Tatcha is an American companionship that sells Japan-inspired, nicely packaged, ridiculously overpriced, but overall quite average cosmetics (Pola Beauty, or fifty-fifty SK-II it ain't, trust me) to mainly western women, who don't know whatever amend (a single bio-cellulose canvas mask for US$28, anyone?).

In the coming weeks I volition move reviewing the products I purchased, tried in addition to used up.
I'm tired now.
My limits of nonsensical geisha PR drivel receive got been reached for the day.

I demand a nap.

To move continued...



PS. Yes, I finally got me my ain domain. Yay for me!




Streszczenie po polsku:


Tatcha wzbudza coraz wieksze zainteresowanie w polskiej blogosferze kosmetycznej i poniewaz dostalam sporo maili z prosba o dodanie wersji polskiej, w koncu sie sprezylam i oto jest.



Tatcha pojawila sie na moim kosmetycznym radarze po raz pierwszy w okolicach marca 2014 roku. Bylam bardzo ciekawa tej nowej "japonskiej" marki o ktorej tak glosno bylo w internecie. Wiec latwo bylo sobie wyobrazic moje rozczarowanie, kiedy po wejsciu na strone firmy okazalo sie, ze nie jest to marka japonska i nie jest do nabycia stacjonarnie w Japonii.

Przeczytalam sobie magiczna historie marketingowa Tatchy i nie wiedzialam czy mam sie smiac czy plakac, czy moze oba na raz. Nie chcialo mi sie wierzyc, ze ludzie moga brac te bujdy o sekretach urody gejsz na powaznie. Chyba nikt nie jest az tak naiwny? Okazalo sie, jednak, ze i owszem...

Ale kosmetyki Tatchy nadal mialy cudowne opinie i bardzo chcialam ich sprobowac, bo mam w zwyczaju miec otwarte podejscie do nowosci. 

Bardzo sie wiec ucieszylam, kiedy Tatcha zaoferowala mi zestaw w ramach wspolpracy. Niestety, jak tylko podalam swoj adres, z krajem "Japonia", oferta ta zostala bardzo szybko wycofana, z wyjasnieniem, ze nie maja budzetu na wysylke poza USA. Oczywiscie bylo to klamstwo, poniewaz dwa tygodnie pozniej blogerki z Europy, Indonezji, Australii pokazywaly na instagramie swoje wspolpracowe zestawy tatchowe. Wytknelam to Tatchy publicznie na instagramie i pani Tsai (wlascicielka firmy) natychmiast przeprosila za "blad" i zaoferowala paczke. 

Z oferty tej nie skorzystalam, bo nie pcham sie tam gdzie mnie najwyrazniej nie chca, i zamiast tego sama zakupilam kilkanascie produktow do przetestowania. Niestety pierwsze wrazenia stycznosci z firma pozostawily raczej nieprzyjemne uczucia.

Marketing Tatchy tylko je poglebil.

Rozumiem, ze tajemnice orientu swietnie sprzedaja produkty. Dodac do tego slowa "gejsza" i "sekrety urody" kosmetyczna magia tworzy sie praktycznie sama. Niestety, jak zawsze w takich przypadkach, calosc oparta jest na... no wlasnie na czym? Na pomysle pani Tsai, ktora nawet zatrudnila gejsze, aby dodac historii swojej firmy autentycznosci.

I tutaj mamy powod dla ktorego Tatcha nie jest dostepna w Japonii. Wzbudzilaby ona pusty smiech i niedowierzanie w najlepszym wypadku, posadzenia o rasizm w najgorszym wypadku.


Pani Tsai bardzo skrupulatnie unika stwierdzenia, ze Tatcha to marka japonska. Zamiast tego chce abysmy same wysnuly takie wnioski. 

Pani Tsai twierdzi, ze sekrety Tatchy pochodza z zagubionego manuskryptu, ktory opisuje sekrety japonskiej pielegnacji. Rowniez twierdzi, ze udalo jej sie odnalezc 10 manuskrypt po bardzo dlugich poszkiwaniach. Dziwne, bo owa ksiazka dostepna jest na japonskim amazonie i zlozenie zamowienia zabralo mi okolo 2 minut. Ksiazka owa nie jest ani zagubiona, nie jest tez sekretem, poniewaz inne firmy kosmetyczne, miedzy innymi POLA Beauty, od dawna wymaga od swoich formulatorow znajomosci historii japonskiej tradycji kosmetycznej. 

Ja doskonale rozumiem, ze tego typu bajki bardzo podobaja sie zachodnim klientom, ale niestety sa to wlasnie tylko bajki.

Tutaj lista moich zakupow:

• Dry Skin Ritual Discovery Kit
• Revitalizing Eye Cream Travel Size
• Moisture Rich Silk Cream Travel Size
• Deep Hydration Firming Serum Travel Size
• Soothing Triple Recovery Cream (Indigo) Travel Size
• Camellia Beauty Oil Travel Size
• Deep Hydration Revitalizing Eye Mask (jedna sztuka)
• Deep Hydration Lifting Mask (jedna sztuka)
• Classic Rice Enzyme Powder Travel Size (gratis za zapisanie sie na liste mailingowa)

and 3 (tak, trzy) probki foliowe (porownujac do azjatyckich sklepow, to chyba jakis zart), ktore mozna sobie wybrac przy kazdym zamowieniu.

• Probka One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil
• Probka Enriching Renewal Cream
• Probka Soothing Renewal Treatment

Oprocz tego w mojej paczce znalazly sie dwa pelnowymiarowe produkty dolaczone jako, nie wiem, moze przeprosiny?

• Indigo Soothing Triple Recovery Cream - 10 krem pokochalam natychmiast. Stal sie moim ulubiencem

oraz

• Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 - jesli ktos nigdy nie uzywal japonskich filtrow, bedzie nim zachwycony. Jakosciowo jedna jest to zwykla drogeryjna baza z niskim filtrem, zupelnie nie warta swej ceny US$68 za 60ml is non worth it. 

Warto tutaj dodac, ze i Indigo Soothing Triple Recovery Cream i Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 to produkty amerykanskie, made inwards USA.
 Tutaj recenzja tych dwoch kosmetykow.
 

Czas na podsumowanie pierwszych wrazen:

1. Tatcha to marka amerykanska luzno inspirowana Japonia.  

2. Siedziba firmy znajduje sie w San Francisco.

3. Kosmetyki Tatchy produkowane sa i w USA i w Japonii.

4. Kosmetyki Tatchy nie sa dostepne w Japonii.

5. Kosmetyki Tatchy, pomimo zapewnien pani Tsai, maja raczej malo wspolnego z jakoscia kosmetykow japonskich w podobnym przedziale cenowym.

6. Jedyne co kosmetyki Tatchy maja wspolnego z sekretami pielgnacji gejsz i Japonek ogolnie, oprocz ho-hum marketingowo-reklamowych, to wlasciwie nic.

7. Jakosc jest nieadekwatna do ceny w przypadku kazdego produktu, ktory mialam okazje sprobowac, za wyjatkiem kremu indigo (ktory i tak uwazam, ma bardzo wygorowana cene).

8. Fakt, ze cos jest produkowane w Japonii, nie robi z Tatchy automatycznie firmy japonskiej. Komputery Apple produkowane sa w Chinach, ale nikt o zdrowym rozsadku nie twierdzi, ze Apple to firma chinska.

9. Opakowania sie bardzo przyjemne wizulanie, ale przeciez nie opakowanie bede sobie klasc na twarz.

10. Tatcha ma ogromny potencjal, ale najpierw musi przestac traktowac potencjalnych klientow jak naiwnych frajerow, ktorzy bezmyslnie poleca na slowa "Japonia" i "gejsza".

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