I spent my Wednesday afternoon lunch break in the heart of Chelsea at the Chris Chase salon receiving my Shu Uemura Take Ceremony. When you can sip lemon water, listen to a playlist of soothing music, take in an amazing scalp and shoulder massage, all the while having your hair replenished, volumized and balanced, who needs lunch anyway?

With three symbolic Japanese elements, plum, bamboo and pine, identifying their in-salon Ceremonies, Ume, Take and Matsu (in rising order of luxury), Shu Uemura Art of Hair offers clients a luxurious experience helping balance, relax and energize through their products and the Ceremonies themselves, inspired by a Japanese ritual, the tea ceremony.

A breakdown of the three Ceremonies –

Ume Ceremony

15 minutes
Scalp Cleansing with a shiatsu-inspired scalp massage
A customized shampoo and treatment

The Ume Ceremony begins with a scalp cleansing with one of two cleansing oils to choose from. Fuyu is a fresh eucalyptus fragrance with an energizing effect while Natsu, a warm jasmine fragrance, soothes. After the massage, the hair is washed with Full Shimmer Illuminating Shampoo, Moisture Velvet Nourishing Shampoo, or Silk Bloom Restorative Shampoo mostly depending on the type of hair the client has. In one final step, the appropriate treatment masque is applied to the hair, left on for 5 minutes and then rinsed.

Take Ceremony (the AMAZING one I experienced!)

25 minutes
Scalp Cleansing with a shiatsu-inspired scalp massage
A customized shampoo and treatment
A made-to-measure treatment

The Take Ceremony begins just like the Ume Ceremony with a scalp cleansing and massage followed by the appropriate shampoo. The only difference with the Take is that it includes an extended scalp massage in the initial process. For the final step, a made-to-measure application of the appropriate Depsea Base and Absolu Oil. With deep-sea water the primary unique ingredient (the purest form of water) in the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Depsea Bases, it provides your hair with purity, richness and moisture. When mixed with the chosen Absolu Oil, your hair receives nutrition, texture, structure and shine. Applied with a ceremony brush, the three oils you can choose from include: Full Shimmer, a Musk Rose oil for added vibrancy to hair color; Moisture Velvet, a Camellia oil to rebalance the moisture of dry hair; Silk Bloom, an Argan oil to repair the structure of the hair fiber.

Matsu Ceremony

50 minutes
Scalp cleansing with a shiatsu-inspired scalp massage
A Customized shampoo
A made-to-measure treatment
A more extensive shiatsu-inspired massage involving the neck, shoulders, arms and hands

Almost identical to the Take Ceremony, the Matsu Ceremony begins with a scalp cleansing and massage followed by the use of the appropriate shampoo. The made-to-measure treatment of the Depsea Base and Absolu oil is applied to the hair and is concluded with an additional shiatsu-inspired massage of the neck, shoulders, arms and hands. With an overall rejuvenated self, the client will also have strong and healthy hair.

All three Cermonies, Ume, Take and Matsu, are available at select salons throughout the U.S with a suggested service price of $50, $75, and $150.

Also added into my Take Ceremony was a gel treatment from Shu Uemura’s upcoming Muroto Volume Collection available in November. The first new haircare collection since the brand launched in 2007, the luxurious line, enriched with Depsea Water and mineral magnesium, purifies and tones, providing lightweight conditioning and shine.

The line includes:

Muroto Volume Amplifying Shampoo – for daily use, this product gently cleanses the hair and scalp while amplifying and toning. $40.

Muroto Volume Amplifying Conditioner – for daily use, this conditioner is weightless and adds volume while gently smoothing out the cuticle. $50.

Muroto Volume Amplifying Treatment – with a leave on time of 5 – 10 minutes, this gel treatment gives optimum volume and weightless conditioning. $60.

For more information on salons or products, visit ArtofHair.com.

xx, Erin Dustin

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