I think there is some misunderstanding about geisha/geiko and maiko, plus the whole makeup and kimono look thing;
a. A maiko is a geisha in training. They are usually quite young and almost always look like this, although their hairstyle, obi style and kimono/furisode style will be altered slightly to the different events of the year or the maiko's life;
For example, when they are off work and doing stuff in their free time, they will wear a regular yukata with no makeup, no fancy hairstyle, or anything, and look just like any other normal young girl. Maiko wear furisode (long-sleeved kimono) with a large obi, usually done in the darari style. Maiko obi can be up to 5 metres long, and the colours a maiko wears are also often very bright and eye-catching.
When a maiko becomes a geiko (or more commonly known as a geisha), her style of dress becomes waaay plainer. Her makeup is less vibrant, especially as she gets older; she will no longer wear long or brightly coloured kimonos. The white makeup will not be worn except on a special occasion; most of the time, she will look just like any other woman in a kimono.
When you look at maiko and geiko, there are a huge number of differences in their appearance- from hairstyle, kimono and obi style, colours worn, makeup and even geta/zori worn.
One thing a geisha or maiko should never be mistaken for is an oiran or tayuu, which no longer exist as they were prostitutes and prostitution was banned in japan after WW2- many prostitutes during WW2 sold themselves off to american troops telling them they were "geisha" as the americans were so entranced with the geisha thing, but usually couldn't tell a normal lady in kimono apart from a geisha even if one poked them in the eye- unfortunatly many gaijin still cant distinguish a geisha apart from a normal lady in kimono even to safe their lives.
The geisha and maiko look encompasses many things, including beauty, karma, grace, sophistication, tradition, tranquillity, cuteness, and maturity.
I can't put my finger on exactly what I like about the maiko and geiko/geisha look; I even like makeup...I suppose it's the way an adult geiko so gracefully wears even the plainest of kimonos, and how beautifully the darari style obi can flow on a young maiko
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If you go to japan you are way more likely to see tourists being dressed up as geisha or maiko rather than see true geisha or maiko- the geisha and maiko way of life is extremely busy and hectic and most will be at school training or running errands during the day time- I cant remember who said it about the ugly geisha asking to take their photograph with him, but real geisha would never do that unless you asked them to in the first place; plus if they were old geisha they most likely wouldn't do it all simply out of dignity- i think you got fooled
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Geisha are a living national treasure of Japan; they were among the first women to help secure other women's rights and independence in Japanese society, and they fought against the idea that being a successful woman wasn't just about marrying a rich guy and having loads of babies.
They helped Japan throughout many of its wars in many ways, for example, one hanamachi in Gion donated 2 planes to the war effort. In contrast, others made comfort box gifts to be sent to the front lines for the troops to keep their spirits up- the boxes contained things like traditional lucky charms, food and comfort like magazines.
They entertained men with their artistic skills and talents, helped boost the economy in many ways, and forged friendships and bonds among many powerful companies, in turn creating jobs for many people, even those who were not directly connected to the geisha, ochayas, or hanamachis.
Japan owes a lot to the geisha
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