Looks Like Lipstick, but it’s so Much More! The Story Behind the Self-Pleasure Item iroha stick Hamanasu Produced by Kiko Mizuhara
The iroha stick Hamanasu, released on June 20, 2024 in Japan, is a collaboration between iroha and Kiko Mizuhara, who has been an iroha Ambassador since 2023. The names of both the iroha stick Hamanasu and the iroha+ YORU Sumire were inspired by flowers. The items incorporate the vibrant colors of the sumire flower (a type of violet) and the hamanasu flower (often called the Japanese Rose).
The development stories behind the other Kiko collaboration items, including the iroha+ YORU Sumire, are introduced below.
▽ Click here for the development stories behind the other collaborative items.
Profile
Kiko Mizuhara
Born October 15, 1990 in Dallas, Texas, USA. Raised in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. She began modeling in 2003 and made her film debut in 2010 in the movie "Norwegian Wood."
In 2017, she launched her own brand called OK. In 2021, she was involved in planning, acting, and supervising her first program with Amazon Prime Video, "Kiko Kikaku." In 2024, she launched the lifestyle beauty brand, kiiks, and serves as the director of the company. She is actively working as an actress, model, and designer.
Contents
- The Joint Development of the iroha stick with Kiko Mizuhara
- "That’s the Color of Hamanasu!" The Vibrant Color that Caught Kiko's Eye
- Should we Make the Base a Lighter Color?
- How about Adding "Kiko" to the Logo?
- The Final Prototype of the iroha stick Hamanasu is Complete
- Watch the Development Meeting Video!
- About the Kiko Mizuhara × iroha Collaborative item, iroha stick Hamanasu
The Joint Development of the iroha stick with Kiko Mizuhara
This joint development project involved iroha's first self-pleasure item (and popular gift), the iroha stick. With the desire to produce an item that is appealing and easy to pick up, the development meeting began with discussing what color this new iroha stick should be. Here's a look at the development meeting!
"That’s the Color of Hamanasu!" The Vibrant Color that Caught Kiko's Eye
The first step was to consider the color of the silicone tip of the iroha stick. Kiko flips through color samples while looking at previous iroha sticks and the other collaboration products she worked on with iroha.
A color immediately caught Kiko's eye!
Ah, the color of hamanasu! This is it! (Kiko)
What a cute color! (iroha staff)
The first product I'm planning to release under my own brand, kiiks, is a rose balm. It's made using Hamanasu, a traditional rose from Japan. They even call it "Japanese Rose." (Kiko)
Hamanasu flower photographed by Mizuhara Kiko
Kiko Mizuhara's Brand, kiiks, "Hamanasu Rose Balm"
After listening to Kiko, the iroha staff all agreed that "This is the color!" And so, the color of hamanasu was chosen. The team looked at an image on the computer that showed how the color will look on the actual product.
Even this darker shade of color is cute! The color is similar to actual lipstick, so it will really pop! (Kiko)
It's a striking color that's not available in any of our other products! I think the color intensity will be softened a bit when it is made into silicone. Make it muted, but not overly muted, just enough to create a natural, floral tone. (iroha staff)
After seeing the image, Kiko commented, "It's a really powerful color!" The hamanasu color is sure to make this one of the most vibrant items in the iroha stick Series.
Should we Make the Base a Lighter Color?
Now that the color of the silicone tip has been decided, the next step is to decide on the color of the base.
Check out the standard iroha stick colors here.
When existing iroha sticks are placed side by side, you can clearly see that the combination of the color of the tip and base create very different impressions.
The prototypes created after the first development meeting were brought together for the second development meeting. Based on the prototypes, the colors of the tip and base were decided.Would a “greige (gray/beige)” base look good? (iroha staff)
Like a beige that gives off a hint of purple... (after looking at the color proposed by the iroha staff) "Yeah, like that." (Kiko)
Kiko Checking the Prototypes
Three prototypes of the iroha stick Hamanasu (without the iroha logo) pictured top right.
(Regarding the color of the silicone tip) I think it's cute! At first, when the cap was attached, I thought it looked quite reddish, but when I looked at it from a distance, I could really feel the beautiful color of hamanasu. (Kiko)
The bases of the three prototypes were each slightly different in color, and Kiko couldn't help but comment, "What a subtle difference!"
How about Adding "Kiko" to the Logo?
One of the iroha staff made a suggestion to Kiko.
Right now, only the iroha logo is printed on the base, but I thought it would be cute if it had "KIKO" printed there as well. By having both printed on the body, I thought it would be easier to understand that it's a collaboration between Kiko and iroha. (iroha staff)
In our previous jointly developed products, Kiko's name was printed on the packaging. This time, since it was possible to print on the product itself, we made the suggestion to Kiko.
We decided to ask Kiko to share her ideas freely at the next development meeting.
Regarding the logo proposal, “I think it's a great idea!” Kiko replied.
The Final Prototype of the iroha stick Hamanasu is Complete
The development meeting finally came to an end. Once the final prototype was completed, the overall color scheme of the iroha stick Hamanasu was checked together with Kiko.
Based on the colors chosen in the second development meeting, we reviewed several prototypes, fine-tuning the overall tone, including the tip and base colors.
We prepared three color patterns: light, slightly dark, and intermediate.“Wow, they’re nearly the same. But so subtly different. Can you tell the differences? Can everyone!?” (laughs) (Kiko)
The differences were so subtle that even iroha staff had difficulty telling the difference. We tried comparing them by holding them up to the sunlight and at different angles.
In the end, out of the three patterns, the color that had "yellowish and a soft hues" was selected.
Next, we discussed the "collaboration logo” for Kiko, proposed by iroha at the last development meeting.
It might look nice to have an outline of a flower as a mark. Also, I wonder if we could put Kiko's name below this... This might be a bit lengthy, but what do you think about having your name on the base? (iroha staff)
Let's take a look at an image of the logo on the iroha stick, which includes the flower mark and Kiko's name.
Beautiful! It's well-balanced and looks great! (Kiko)
Thank you. The direction we were going with is to incorporate both floral elements and your name! (iroha staff)
Finally, after several development meetings with Kiko, the iroha stick Hamanasu was complete!
Have a look at the logo featuring the hamanasu flower and Kiko's name.
Watch the Development Meeting Video!
You can also watch the video below to see the development meeting for the iroha stick Hamanasu.
About the Kiko Mizuhara × iroha Collaborative item, iroha stick Hamanasu
A collaborative item developed with Kiko Mizuhara, the iroha stick Hamanasu. The popular iroha stick Series has expanded with the addition of the new Hamanasu, vibrant and eye-catching, just like the lipstick you use every day.
It's compact enough to fit into a cosmetic pouch, yet still delivers powerful vibrations. Because it is battery-operated, you can easily take it anywhere you go.