Beauty enthusiasts are familiar with Japanese beauty brand THREE, even though it’s only just launched in Singapore. The brand has previously been available in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan, outside of Japan.
Known best for its use of essential oils and holistic beauty philosophy, THREE will be opening its first store in Singapore at TANGS @ Tangs Plaza.
Yasushi Ishibashi, founder of THREE was in Singapore for the brand’s media launch, and we took the opportunity to speak with the beauty maestro.
Ishibashi has been in the beauty industry for more than 30 years when he decided to start his own brand. “The global cosmetic market was dominated by international brands at that time,” he explained, “and no one
Japanese brand was truly successful.”
“Thus I wanted to create a Japanese brand that can compete with these international names on the world’s stage.”
To stand out from the offering of the market at that time, Ishibashi made sure that his products were different. He saw that there were many products in the market that promise instant results to skin, for instance acne products that can cure acne immediately. However, they do not solve the root causes of these skin concerns
“THREE products are thus created to boost our skin’s innate power of beauty by taking time to
solve the radical causes of each skin concern, and creating a balanced regimen for our mind, body
and skin” he shares.
He further explains, “It might take some time, but once it begins to show results, you will never return to other
products.”
Besides holistic skincare products, such as its famous Balancing Cleansing Oil, THREE also carries a comprehensive range of makeup.
As a man, he takes special care to understand women’s needs for makeup by observing their lifestyle and perception towards beauty, since he doesn’t wear it himself.
“I realised that the role of makeup is to emphasise each individual’s innate beauty. By adding a colour or volume on the lips or a simple line on eyelid, we can emphasise a women’s own natural beauty,” he shares his observation.
He personally tests out each makeup product on his hand for its colour, texture, and longevity. And it’s always on the back of his left hand.
“We can easily evaluate the product’s quality on the other hand rather than our working hand, because the skin on the other hand is less exposed to damage,” he explains.
The beauty maestro has a simple skincare routine.
“I use the Definitive Care (Men’s line) in the morning and night, Conditioning Mist to switch on and
off between active & relax mode when I’m working, and the Purifying Clay Mask when my skin is
dull.”
But for women who are new to THREE, he recommends the Balancing Cleansing Oil.
“THREE considers the cleansing process the most important step of one’s skincare regimen,” he says, and explains that skincare products – even if they are of high quality or are pricey – will not work well if your skin is not cleansed properly.
“This product (the Balancing Cleansing Oil) not only performs the simple but most important duty of removing makeup, it also removes stress derived from daily life. This is achieved when one inhales the scent of essential oils in the product, while massaging the face.”
The THREE Balancing Oil contains several essential oils including Orange Peel Oil, which gives it a natural scent that is soothing to the mind.
The new THREE store is also home to the THREE Rhythm Spa, a customised face and body massage ritual that was previously only available at the brand’s flagship store in Aoyama, Japan.
“Singapore is one of the few countries in Asia where people here are highly interested in beauty, have high standards of what beauty products are supposed to do, and similarly hold themselves to high standards of beauty,” Ishibashi shares why Singapore has been chosen to be the only country that offers the spa service outside of its flagship store.
The THREE Rhythm Spa makes use of THREE’s skincare and body products that are made from organic essential oils, combined with the refined techniques of THREE’s spa therapists to offer a holistic
approach of caring for both the body and mind.
Each menu is based on the biological rhythm of human body to bring out the best effect, which explains the namesake of the spa – Rhythm Spa.
“I want Singaporeans, who have high standards of beauty and live in a busy and stressful society, to try our wide-ranging products to improve the quality of their lifestyles,” Ishibashi concludes.
THREE will be opened at TANGS @ Tangs Plaza, Level 4 from 15 September.
