Testimonials

Customers’ experience with Shiseido Life Quality Makeup.
（Some articles include Shiseido employees）

I was so excited,
transforming into
a new me. Yumi Sonoda

We interviewed Yumi Sonoda to hear about her life since being diagnosed with hemangioma (arteriovenous malformation) and her experience
with Shiseido Life Quality Makeup.

I realized that
I had to accept myself.

It was around 13 years ago that I was cleaning up the house in the morning, and all of a sudden, blood started to drip from my nose and would not stop, which was followed by blood beginning to seep out of my eyes. The blood from my nose came from an artery, causing me to bleed profusely, and it was difficult to stop. I went to the hospital right away, and they were somehow able to stop the bleeding; however, because of the massive hemorrhaging, my family had thought that they might lose me. The cause of the symptoms was hemangioma. It was not a simple case of hemangioma, but it was an arteriovenous malformation that is a hypoplasia of the blood vessel, also designated as an intractable disease.

There were no hospitals nearby that could offer treatment for this disease, so I had to make regular visits to a hospital outside of the prefecture. Since parts of my face, such as my nose, was damaged due to the large excision of the affected area, I underwent various surgical treatments, such as flap grafts, while also undergoing cosmetic surgery. Conducting cosmetic surgery while excising the lesion, however, proved to be difficult, and there were times when I would become increasingly depressed seeing my face gradually change. However, I knew that if I felt depressed, my parents would also feel depressed, and my daughter and son would also worry. I slowly came to realize that this could not go on, and that I had to accept who I had become and move on.

The source of
my power has always
been my family.

Although I am not so worried about my appearance now, in the past, I wanted to avoid people looking at me, and after getting scars on my face, I constantly wore a mask. There were some people who did not even recognize me because my face had changed. When that happened, there were times when I intentionally avoided acknowledging them because I could not be bothered to explain to them what had happened.

My son also asked me to wear a mask when I was outside, so I never took my mask off when I went to visit his school for events and such. One day, right before my son was due to graduate from high school, he asked me to come to his club’s farewell party. If I were to go, I knew I would have to remove my mask because they would also be serving food, but my son told me that I did not need to wear a mask, which made me feel so happy. I think that back then, my son was asking me to wear a mask because he was worried that I might experience the discomfort of being the target of curious stares from other people, but now, he tells me that I do not need to wear a mask, and he happily introduces his friends to me.

As for my daughter, she has always been very encouraging. She gave up her career aspirations because of my medical treatment so that she could help out with the family business. It pains me that I am responsible for my daughter leaving behind her career aspirations, but I appreciate how she has always looked out for me. My family is truly the source of my power.

I was amazed by
how much I could change.

I first encountered Shiseido Life Quality Makeup at a session held for the patients’ association. At the session, they also conducted a makeup demonstration, and I took part in a trial after the demo. Back then, I thought that it was a complete waste to wear makeup, so I did not bother using it. Yet, when I tried this cover makeup, I got really excited seeing how different my face looked. It was truly like magic. It was not a case of totally regaining my former self, but I think I had discovered a new me.

I feel that my mother is happy when I wear makeup, and she tells me, “You look so pretty when you properly do your makeup – from now on, you should wear it every day.” Since I started wearing makeup, I have become more confident about going out. Before, I used to feel uncomfortable talking to people, but perhaps it is because of the makeup that I have become much more relaxed in talking to other people.

With makeup,
I can switch my mood.

With makeup, I can switch up my mood.
Usually, I only wear base makeup during the day, but on special occasions such as when I present a speech at a meeting, I put on my makeup properly. On these occasions, I am often asked by the people I meet, what brand of makeup I am using, and they comment how well the makeup covers the skin flaws. When applying my makeup, the area of my face that concerns me the most is my nose. I have a very deep scar, but simply applying a touch of Shiseido Perfect Cover Foundation with a brush along the grooves of my scar makes a tremendous difference. I also try to reduce the redness of my skin with the foundation.

I find it difficult to shape the lip line, so I take time and draw it carefully. When I get the lips just right, I feel elated. When I put on makeup, it makes me feel like it is the start of a brand-new day. It switches up my mood, and I feel uplifted and motivated. I believe that makeup has helped transform me into a much more cheerful person than I was before.

Ordinary days
make me happy.

My hobby is metal carving and glasswork. Although I mainly create accessories, when I recently created a small plate, it was very well received by my family. Creating these pieces requires an extended period of time, so I divide the work process into several parts, and work on it a little bit at a time. Right now, I enjoy doing everything. I think that merely being able to pass time in an ordinary way is a joy in itself. I have fun when I am cooking or working. What I enjoy the most though, is the time spent with my grandchild. When my grandchild causes mischief, he looks at my face and gives me a cheeky little grin, which is absolutely adorable.

* This interview was made possible thanks to the kindness of the interviewees who support the aim of this activity and was posted in February 2020. We wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to all the people involved.