In connection with the launch of the Original product line in the spring, we organized an Ihana outous (wonderful weirdness) competition, as a result of which Saija won a pampering day for herself and her friend Iida at Four Reasons Studio. Let’s have a closer look at what the day had to offer and what kind of feelings it inspired in this dynamic duo!
The first thing we heard Saija and Iida say upon arrival to the Four Reasons Studio was: “We are so amazed about this!” The day of pampering started off with a delicious breakfast after which the women took a seat on the salon chairs: Harri Paananen and Jasmin Hurskainen took matters into their own hands (and gloves) as Saija and Iida received new fresh looks.
“I’ve spent the coronavirus year in sweats more or less, and I haven’t had my hair done, so it was so nice to come and see a professional who can fix the situation. And I couldn’t have been more satisfied!”
Although Saija gave Harri permission to do almost whatever he saw fit, she wanted something practical. Saija is very involved in sports, and therefore, she must be able to put her hair up. “I’ve spent the coronavirus year in sweats more or less, and I haven’t had my hair done, so it was so nice to come and see a professional who can fix the situation. And I couldn’t have been more satisfied!” said Saija about her volumized and blonder look that Harri created.
Iida, on the other hand, wanted cool, blond and volumized curls. The color and cut were achieved with highlights as planned, but she was surprised by the straight hairstyle: “When it came to the styling, they went against my wishes, so instead of volume and curls, I got a sleek and straight hairstyle. This felt very strange, but I wanted to throw myself out there and take it as roleplay. Looking in the mirror, I couldn’t recognize myself, and this helped create the character for the photoshoot. Now that I think of it, I believe that seeing the pictures can help me also accept having my hair styled straight, which is its natural state.”
The lovely style was found outside the comfort zone
After having their hair done, the girls went for lunch, and with their bellies full they moved on styling by Meri Milash and had their makeup done by Tanja Viitanen. The women adored their looks, which is also evident in the photos taken by Janita Autio. The styling included clothes, accessories, and makeup, all glowing with such color that they competed with the colors of the balloons and a bathtub filled with shampoo bottles!
“I really loved my makeup and I feel I need to add a bigger variety of colors to my own makeup pouch,” Saija said and enthused over the fun styling: “My own closet is dark themed: the lightest piece of clothing I own is probably dark blue. So, it was fun to try on different types of clothes than I would normally go for.”
Both Iida and Saija were very unfamiliar with styling but found the change refreshing and wonderful. One of the best things about the day was getting out of their comfort zone and throwing themselves into the experience and finding new sides of themselves.
“It was lovely to smile brightly with some lipstick on.”
“It felt nice having my makeup done, and I got to try something new here as well – strong makeup and lipstick! It was lovely to smile brightly with some lipstick on,” Iida said and praised the styling, “I tried on different colors that I wouldn’t normally use, and I tried to take on all the tips from the person in charge of clothing. I was happy that I felt comfortable in the day’s style, and it made me feel more confident.”
Beautiful praise and long-lasting memories
Saija and Iida met each other as adults through their husbands: the women have been neighbors and have traveled and sailed together over the years. Although as they tell it, the women’s characters are different, they have the same values, and they find it easy and fun to be with each other – even in silence.
When asked to describe Iida, this is what Saija said: “When I thought about who I should ask to join for the pampering day, Iida was the first to come to mind as we haven’t had time to see each other too often. Iida has a lovely little boy, and although she feels naturally comfortable in the role of a mom, I thought she would also enjoy pampering, a glass of wine, and a good night’s sleep. Iida is an extremely beautiful, positive, and cheerful person who is always easy to be with. Iida is also just great at throwing herself into different roles and things, so I knew the photos would definitely be great!”
“It is always nice to exchange thoughts with Saija on any topic: we can have different opinions and still mutually and with smiles on our faces marvel at everything.”
Iida, too, had nothing but nice things to say about her friend: “It is always nice to exchange thoughts with Saija on any topic: we can have different opinions and still mutually and with smiles on our faces marvel at everything. I admire Saija’s calmness and intelligence, she also inspires me to reach for my goals.”
Finally, we asked them how it felt to be photographed and what they had gotten out of the day of pampering: “The pampering day was wonderfully amazing! It was really thrilling to be in the photos, but it was so easy to be photographed by Janita,” said Saija and continued, “this will be a wonderful memory for us to cherish.”
For Iida, the day felt like an adventure where she was able to surpass herself and surrender to the professionals: “I felt welcomed the entire day. It was lovely to see Saija glow and smile during the photoshoot.”
The women’s pampering day was topped off by a night at Hotel President. We believe that in the evening the friends felt as satisfied and grateful as we did!
Ps. The women’s go-to shower songs are Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s Shallow and Kiti Neuvonen’s Nuoruustango. Can you guess which one sings which? 😉
Hair: Harri Paananen & Jasmin Hurskainen
Makeup: Tanja Viitanen
Styling: Meri Milash
Photographs: Janita Autio
