Modern Homemakers

Michelle Takijima: Without Batting an Eyelash

by Bianca Salonga
March 28, 2022

Tokyo Glam Founder Michelle Takijima talks about family, fashion and bringing the salon experience to countless homes

Michelle Takijima is a lady boss through and through. As founder of the city’s most beloved Japanese nail and eyelash salon, Tokyo Glam, she knows exactly where to take her business and how to run it. She begins, “My sense of style is my identity. I can never see it change despite the pandemic.” Except for the addition of a few couture-inspired face masks, Michelle’s flair for color, print, and pattern continue brighten up long days on lockdown.

Redefining home service nail care

The home she shares with her son and husband has also become an extension of that distinct style and beauty sensibility. “I made sure that the house felt like home,”
says Michelle says. Since my husband started working from home and my son began attending online classes, we’ve been spending more time together.”

Life on lockdown also inspired a clever pivot for her business. In the past months since closures and lockdowns, the beauty industry had been identified as among the badly hit. This was especially true for businesses offering beauty services and treatments. “We adapted to the pandemic by offering home service options. We also marketed our brand more aggressively through social media.” The shift, she admits, was far from easy, but it was an endeavor worth taking. “Quality and comfort win the clients. When they’ve had a taste of the quality and comfort you have to offer, they will return for more,” states Michelle.

On the tips of a pair stiletto

Running a household and leading her business through a time of crisis has kept Michelle on her stiletto-clad feet. She confides, “The pandemic made it hard for me to manage the salon. It gave me struggles both at work and at home. It even came to a point where instead of being relaxed in my own home, I was stressed.” To reenergize, she carves out time from her
tight schedule for self-care. Michelle sticks to a regimented routine of serums, mask treatments, and creams.

When asked what it is that inspires her to keep moving forward, she replies without batting an eyelash: “My family is there to help and support me through the hard times. The biggest lesson that I can take away from this whole experience is that family is a person’s greatest source of strength. You get the most unconditional love out of them.