Scouted: Lady Gaga’s Facialist Says This Is the One Product You Need to Add to Your Routine for the New Year
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Last month, I was blessed to get a facial from someone considered royalty in the skincare world—Joomee Song, the esthetician whose magical hands have been massaging Lady Gaga’s jawline and brightening her complexion for the past ten years. But Song isn’t just a facialist; she’s a skincare philosopher and a facial muscle whisperer who truly connects to her clients on a supernatural level. I have never gotten a facial quite like this before—and I’m a beauty editor, so I’ve gotten a lot of facials throughout my career. During my session, she shared the one product she says every skincare lover needs to try: the Shiseido Future Solution LX Concentrated Brightening Softener.
Song, who is of Korean heritage, but was born and raised in Japan, was first introduced to the concept of face massage by her grandmother and mother. The women spent time during the evenings meticulously massaging their faces. Song moved to the US and began training at medical spas, but realized that the Western approach to skin was the antithesis of what she had always known. “They could burn it, scrape it, scrub it… and their skin would just get worse and worse,” says Song. She’d go on to learn dozens of facial treatment techniques until she eventually developed her own method, KAIKA™.
My session with Song started like any facial—a cozy room, soft lighting, and soothing music—but it quickly became something much more profound. Unlike trendy “face workout” techniques that focus on sculpting and strengthening facial muscles (and sometimes just slapping your face really fast), Song’s approach focuses on releasing tension. Her movements are slower and more gentle, working on a deeper layer. “I really have to communicate with you and with your psyche [about] what I’m doing,” she says.
According to Song, we unknowingly store stress in our face, which can block lymphatic flow and lead to puffiness, dullness, and even breakouts. Her techniques target this tension, allowing the face to regain its natural shape and glow. (The sculpted look that often follows is a bonus!) The benefits of this type of facial massage are particularly important for some of Song’s A-list clientele as they improve sinuses, which helps them breathe better. One client, whose name Song couldn’t disclose (I miiight assume it’s Gaga), had recently mentioned to her manager that “it was essential what Joomee does for us singers” since it helps with their voices.
Since Song’s approach to skincare is all about working with your body and not against it, she’s critical of harsh treatments that can interfere with lymphatic flow and cause stress. Instead, she encourages using products like the Shiseido softener that align with her belief in gentle, inflammation-free skincare—and it goes well with facial massage, too.
“This time is so important to you, and it doesn’t take three minutes,” says Song of doing facial massage on yourself. “Just feel your face and where the tension comes from and why certain areas are so tight. You’ll start to understand why it happens.”
