I just read an article this morning and posted it on eBeautyDaily about the influence of the movie, Memoirs of a Geisha, on beauty and fashion this upcoming year.  There was an interesting blurb in it from one of the stars of the movie, that you might be interested in:

Japanese actress Kaori Momoi plays ‘’Mother” - a harsh older woman who embraces the superficial side of the geisha beauty routine but not the spiritual. In real life, Momoi is 54, has smooth skin, and is spokeswoman for the SK-II brand of cosmetics. She’s considered a fashion leader in Japan.

   '’Rob [Marshall] asked me not to look too young in the film. I used pancake and even ash-colored powder to age me,'’ she explains.

   Asian skin is often noted for its smoothness and age-defying look. ‘’It’s said in Japan that white skin covers your seven flaws,'’ Momoi  says with a laugh. ‘’I'm very aware of my skin and I take care of it. In L.A., people laugh because everyone wants a tan.'’

   She says many of the people on the ‘’Geisha'’ set asked for her beauty secrets.

   '’When I wake up, I like to take a sauna with steam,'’ she says.

I would like to take one too!  Ugh!