Psst! I'll let you in on a secret.
I love going to the hair salon.
Hmm ... not that much of a secret, eh? Shucks.
Oh well.
When I tell you I'm my usual salon's regular customer, I wasn't playing it down. I mean, I go there at least once a WEEK. Yep, you heard me.
Of course, since I'm such a regular customer, I get quite a lot of perks, such as free hair treatments for 2 months after a hair-rebonding session (totally transferable; my mum *ahem* leeches on my treatments a lot :p), longer washes, longer neck massages ... well, you get the picture. Plus, since it's a salon in a residential area, their services come pretty cheap, compared to the salons in the shopping malls.
My sessions at the hair salon is not merely to just get a hair wash, hair cut, etc. Most of the time, I'm there to just relax and unwind, be pampered by the stylists and assistants while they give some good TLC to my hair and scalp.
Here are five things I do (not all at once, of course) when I'm at the hair salon (which you ladies can do too).
1. Read
Believe it or not, I hardly read at home these days. When I'm back from work, I either hit the telly, or the computer. I just don't have the energy to focus on reading. When I go to the hair salon, I always bring a book with me, and within the hour (if it's just a hair wash), I'd have read 30 to 50 pages. When I go for hair-rebonding sessions, which could last up to 6 hours, I'd bring two books with me, because I'd finish the first book even before my session's up.
It's a great way to catch up on my reading. Plus, with my nose buried deep in a book, I don't have to succumb to the chattiness of the assistant(s) doing my hair!
2. Sleep
You'd be surprised to know that you can catch a few winks while at the salon. When my head's in the steamer (tee hee) for 20 minutes, I normally doze off. Of course, I try to not go into a deep sleep if I can; just close the eyes and relax.
The reason I do not recommend actually sleeping when your head's in the hair steamer is that sometimes the assistants forget the amount of time which has been set for the steamer to operate. This is especially true when the salon still uses old hair steamers which do not automatically switch off when the set time is up. The assistants will use a kitchen timer, and once the time's up, in their busy state, they'll switch the alarm off, but still get on with their things, WITHOUT turning the steamer off. It's best if you keep track of the time as well. I brought this up because I almost had my head cooked for being in the steamer for almost 40 minutes!!
So, take a nap if you like, but NOT when your head's in the steamer. It's quite relaxing to doze off when you're getting a neck massage ;)
3. Get a free neck and head massage
When I go for a hair wash, as the assistant's washing my hair, they'd normally massage the head as well. With their slippery fingers covered in shampoo, they'll give my temples and the back of my neck a good massage. This is particularly fantastic after a hard week at work.
So the next time you go for a hair wash, casually indicate to the salon assistants that you've had a long day at work, perhaps give your back a bit of a thumping just to show that your back hurts a little from the stress, etc, and more often than not, they'll extend their massage to the back as well :p
4. Sharpen your mind
My mum brings crossword puzzles to the hair salon. Instead of reading the magazines provided, she'd be deeply immersed in whatever puzzle she was in. She tells me that it sharpens her mind whilst getting pampered. I do that sometimes too, bringing my puzzles, word searches, etc to the salon. I've seen customers doing Sudoku while getting their hair coloured as well. It's quite a sight, with their hair all covered with slimy red/brown goo, aluminum foil on their heads, with a cape around them, and they're concentrating on their puzzles. Tee hee hee.
5. Recycle your magazines
Once you're done with your magazines, don't bin 'em. Donate your magazines to your favourite hair salon. Granted, you won't be able to make money compared to selling them to the newspaper man, but the hair salon will definitely be grateful to you. You'll begin to get more value for your money; they'll promote their discounts to you first, you'll get longer massages, that kinda thing.
I give away my magazines to the hair salon I frequent once every three months. That way, I'd have accumulated enough magazines to give 'em, and they love it. In return, I get much better service compared to other customers. Now that's worth going back for ;)
There ya go. Five things to do at the hair salon. Well, the last one doesn't really count as a thing to do, but it really is worth a mention.
Have fun at the salon!
I love going to the hair salon.
Hmm ... not that much of a secret, eh? Shucks.
Oh well.
When I tell you I'm my usual salon's regular customer, I wasn't playing it down. I mean, I go there at least once a WEEK. Yep, you heard me.
Of course, since I'm such a regular customer, I get quite a lot of perks, such as free hair treatments for 2 months after a hair-rebonding session (totally transferable; my mum *ahem* leeches on my treatments a lot :p), longer washes, longer neck massages ... well, you get the picture. Plus, since it's a salon in a residential area, their services come pretty cheap, compared to the salons in the shopping malls.
My sessions at the hair salon is not merely to just get a hair wash, hair cut, etc. Most of the time, I'm there to just relax and unwind, be pampered by the stylists and assistants while they give some good TLC to my hair and scalp.
Here are five things I do (not all at once, of course) when I'm at the hair salon (which you ladies can do too).
1. Read
Believe it or not, I hardly read at home these days. When I'm back from work, I either hit the telly, or the computer. I just don't have the energy to focus on reading. When I go to the hair salon, I always bring a book with me, and within the hour (if it's just a hair wash), I'd have read 30 to 50 pages. When I go for hair-rebonding sessions, which could last up to 6 hours, I'd bring two books with me, because I'd finish the first book even before my session's up.
It's a great way to catch up on my reading. Plus, with my nose buried deep in a book, I don't have to succumb to the chattiness of the assistant(s) doing my hair!
2. Sleep
You'd be surprised to know that you can catch a few winks while at the salon. When my head's in the steamer (tee hee) for 20 minutes, I normally doze off. Of course, I try to not go into a deep sleep if I can; just close the eyes and relax.
The reason I do not recommend actually sleeping when your head's in the hair steamer is that sometimes the assistants forget the amount of time which has been set for the steamer to operate. This is especially true when the salon still uses old hair steamers which do not automatically switch off when the set time is up. The assistants will use a kitchen timer, and once the time's up, in their busy state, they'll switch the alarm off, but still get on with their things, WITHOUT turning the steamer off. It's best if you keep track of the time as well. I brought this up because I almost had my head cooked for being in the steamer for almost 40 minutes!!
So, take a nap if you like, but NOT when your head's in the steamer. It's quite relaxing to doze off when you're getting a neck massage ;)
3. Get a free neck and head massage
When I go for a hair wash, as the assistant's washing my hair, they'd normally massage the head as well. With their slippery fingers covered in shampoo, they'll give my temples and the back of my neck a good massage. This is particularly fantastic after a hard week at work.
So the next time you go for a hair wash, casually indicate to the salon assistants that you've had a long day at work, perhaps give your back a bit of a thumping just to show that your back hurts a little from the stress, etc, and more often than not, they'll extend their massage to the back as well :p
4. Sharpen your mind
My mum brings crossword puzzles to the hair salon. Instead of reading the magazines provided, she'd be deeply immersed in whatever puzzle she was in. She tells me that it sharpens her mind whilst getting pampered. I do that sometimes too, bringing my puzzles, word searches, etc to the salon. I've seen customers doing Sudoku while getting their hair coloured as well. It's quite a sight, with their hair all covered with slimy red/brown goo, aluminum foil on their heads, with a cape around them, and they're concentrating on their puzzles. Tee hee hee.
5. Recycle your magazines
Once you're done with your magazines, don't bin 'em. Donate your magazines to your favourite hair salon. Granted, you won't be able to make money compared to selling them to the newspaper man, but the hair salon will definitely be grateful to you. You'll begin to get more value for your money; they'll promote their discounts to you first, you'll get longer massages, that kinda thing.
I give away my magazines to the hair salon I frequent once every three months. That way, I'd have accumulated enough magazines to give 'em, and they love it. In return, I get much better service compared to other customers. Now that's worth going back for ;)
There ya go. Five things to do at the hair salon. Well, the last one doesn't really count as a thing to do, but it really is worth a mention.
Have fun at the salon!
Labels: Hair
When Stylebell says that they're the premier hair resource, they weren't kidding. You can get practically ANYTHING that has to do with haircare, or hair-styling on that site.
I was pretty interested when Stylebell contacted me to inform my readers about the site (oh, just to be clear, I'm not paid to write this. After checking the site out, I thought it was a great source of haircare and styling products, which, to be honest, I haven't seen before).
Stylebell caters haircare brands like Redken, Bain De Terre, Paul Mitchell, Biolage (I love this one), etc. You can also get hairdryers, flat irons, curling tongs, and many more. I spent quite a long time browsing the site because there's just so much haircare stuff to find.
Here comes the sad part, for us Malaysians, that is - they do not ship internationally. Pity. Still, readers in the US could jolly well benefit from the site - Stylebell does free shipping for orders over $50.
For Beautyholics Anonymous readers in the US, well, you're in luck :p
For any order over $100, you get $10 off, plus free shipping. Just enter code Style10 during checkout.
I was pretty interested when Stylebell contacted me to inform my readers about the site (oh, just to be clear, I'm not paid to write this. After checking the site out, I thought it was a great source of haircare and styling products, which, to be honest, I haven't seen before).
Stylebell caters haircare brands like Redken, Bain De Terre, Paul Mitchell, Biolage (I love this one), etc. You can also get hairdryers, flat irons, curling tongs, and many more. I spent quite a long time browsing the site because there's just so much haircare stuff to find.
Here comes the sad part, for us Malaysians, that is - they do not ship internationally. Pity. Still, readers in the US could jolly well benefit from the site - Stylebell does free shipping for orders over $50.
For Beautyholics Anonymous readers in the US, well, you're in luck :p
For any order over $100, you get $10 off, plus free shipping. Just enter code Style10 during checkout.
Labels: Hair, Promotions
Review: John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Extra Strength
0 Comments Posted by Tine on Jun 20, 2007 at 5:28 PM.
John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Extra Strength was one of my beauty purchases when I was in Melbourne. I first bought this at Boots, in the UK. The serum has an intense formula which is infused with silk proteins and seaweed extract. It softens and adds shine to the dull coarse strands, and is ideal for straight of curly styles.
I have thick, coarse hair which was really frizzy due to the dry weather in the UK. I had to buy the extra strength (extra oomph!) in order to work with my type of hair. After a few weeks of using this, I found that my hair became more manageable, and less frizzy, which was great. I couldn't afford to go to the hair salon in the UK regularly (it was crazy expensive; imagine paying 25 pounds for a trim!!), so this serum worked well on fighting the frizz and keeping it soft.
I bought this at Priceline pharmacy for AUD$23.99, for a 50ml bottle. I'm not sure if John Frieda products are available in Malaysia though. It would be great if it was; people with "steely" hair like mine would benefit well from this.
What I like about it: Works well with dry and course hair, keeps frizz to a minimum
What I don't like about it: It's pricey for such a small bottle, plus it's unavailable in Malaysia
I have thick, coarse hair which was really frizzy due to the dry weather in the UK. I had to buy the extra strength (extra oomph!) in order to work with my type of hair. After a few weeks of using this, I found that my hair became more manageable, and less frizzy, which was great. I couldn't afford to go to the hair salon in the UK regularly (it was crazy expensive; imagine paying 25 pounds for a trim!!), so this serum worked well on fighting the frizz and keeping it soft.
How to use
Use after shampooing and conditioning on soaking wet hair (squeeze out excess moisture, but DO NOT TOWEL DRY). Dispense a small amount of serum into palms and smooth through wet hair, distributing evenly. Use more or less depending on the length and texture of hair. DO NOT RINSE OUT. Style as usual.
I bought this at Priceline pharmacy for AUD$23.99, for a 50ml bottle. I'm not sure if John Frieda products are available in Malaysia though. It would be great if it was; people with "steely" hair like mine would benefit well from this.
What I like about it: Works well with dry and course hair, keeps frizz to a minimum
What I don't like about it: It's pricey for such a small bottle, plus it's unavailable in Malaysia
Labels: Hair
When I was little, I used to mock Mum for having an overwhelming amount of beauty junk on her dressing table. Little did I know, I ended up with the either the same amount of items or even more on my dressing table! This is a tag by Paris, and I thought I'd give you a bit of an idea of the stuff on my dressing table.
It's currently pretty cluttered; going to have to tidy it up this weekend. The amount of beauty stuff I have on my dressing table's only about 20% of the total products I own (scary, eh?) he rest are stored away in the drawer, wardrobe, and refrigerator (more on the last bit later). Anyhoos, back to the tag and to answer the questions:
What five beauty products could you not live without?
There isn't any beauty products which I could not live without per se, 'cos come on, you lose one, there are HUNDREDS out there just waiting to be tried. But I do have my favourites:
1. Estee Lauder Lucidity Translucent Loose Powder
2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
3. Mentholatum Softlips lipbalm
4. Sunscreen
What’s the worst beauty mistake you’ve made?
I have to agree with Bea and Paris - it's always the eyebrows which tend to be the problem area, doesn't it? I unfortunately have the habit of over-tweezing; there's always a bald spot somewhere in the brows. A sorry sight indeed. Sigh.
What does your skincare regime consist of?
Ahh I've talked about my skincare regime before, but here it is again, for the sake of the tag ;)
AM
Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser
Kanebo FairCrea White Power of Clear
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Clinique City Block SPF 15 Oil-Free Daily Face Protector
Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment
PM
Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser
Kanebo FairCrea White Power of Clear
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel
Loreal RevitaLift Double Lifting Extreme Re-tightening Gel & Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Bio Essence Bio-Energy Eye Bag Vanishing Serum
Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment
Favourite beauty treat?
Facials and pedicures (good lord, not together!). There's nothing more "shiok" (good-feeling) than to have someone massage your face, put all sorts of good stuff on it, and then walking out feeling like a million bucks (not the blackhead extraction bit; that's a pain. Literally). Same goes for pedis, although I have yet to control my giggles when the pedicurist start massaging my calves (I'm extremely ticklish there).
What’s your favourite beauty store?
Do drugstores count? I simply LOVE 'em! Best place to get good cheapo over-the-counter products.
Favourite budget brand?
I'd say Maybelline, since I've been using 'em ever since I started using lipstick regularly at the age of 18. Their mascaras work the best for me (I love their Sky High Curves and Great Lash mascara); the premium fancypants brands can't beat 'em (in my opinion anyway). Silkygirl's funky eyeliners are really good too (surprisingly smooth to use). Price range for both brands are approximately Rm10-RM50. Not bad eh? Korean makeup lines are getting quite popular too; I like Elianto for selling their eye shadow refills for RM5 each!
Favourite premium brands?
I don't have a particular favourite; I'm always trying out different brands anyway.
What’s your ’every girl must own one’ item?
Moisturiser and sunscreen. Both keep your skin looking young and supple. I don't recommend moisturisers which come with "added SPF" though. Always have an extra layer of protection on your skin, whether you're indoors or outdoors.
And what about skin care: Favourite premium and budget brands?
Premium: Clinique. I've always used Clinique, and I was never disappointed.
Budget: Olay. My grandma used Olay (used to be Oil of Ulan) since she was young, and her skin's still looking pretty good.
And hair care?
Premium: Shiseido's Senscience range (they smell great, and their conditioners are fantastic. Worked wonders on my hair of steel). Tigi's quite good too (love the way they name their products anyway).
Budget: Clairol Herbal Essences. The smell of my hair after a good wash is almost orgasmic ;)
And finally, best beauty tip?
It's not so much of a beauty tip for your skin, so to speak, but a tip for keeping your beauty products in top condition, and allowing them to "survive" longer, would be to store 'em in your refrigerator. Mum and I have 2 separate compartments in our kitchen fridge, specifically for our skincare products. They last longer (creams, lotions, etc don't do so well in our hot and humid weather, even if you keep it away from the sun), plus the cold creams and gels feel great on the skin. I remembered a friend's aunt who actually bought a mini bar just to be placed in her room, for all her skincare products. I'm so going to do that when I have my own place ;)
My taggees are:
Truebluepenangite
Viva Woman
DailyFashionista
Fashion Asia
It's currently pretty cluttered; going to have to tidy it up this weekend. The amount of beauty stuff I have on my dressing table's only about 20% of the total products I own (scary, eh?) he rest are stored away in the drawer, wardrobe, and refrigerator (more on the last bit later). Anyhoos, back to the tag and to answer the questions:
What five beauty products could you not live without?
There isn't any beauty products which I could not live without per se, 'cos come on, you lose one, there are HUNDREDS out there just waiting to be tried. But I do have my favourites:
1. Estee Lauder Lucidity Translucent Loose Powder
2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
3. Mentholatum Softlips lipbalm
4. Sunscreen
5. Blusher (I have real weakness for this. Give me the I'm-bloody-tired-but-I'll-be-damned-if-I-don't-look-like-I'm-a-million-bucks look anytime :p)
What’s the worst beauty mistake you’ve made?
I have to agree with Bea and Paris - it's always the eyebrows which tend to be the problem area, doesn't it? I unfortunately have the habit of over-tweezing; there's always a bald spot somewhere in the brows. A sorry sight indeed. Sigh.
What does your skincare regime consist of?
Ahh I've talked about my skincare regime before, but here it is again, for the sake of the tag ;)
AM
Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser
Kanebo FairCrea White Power of Clear
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Clinique City Block SPF 15 Oil-Free Daily Face Protector
Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment
PM
Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser
Kanebo FairCrea White Power of Clear
Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
Cellnique Pro Sebum Gel
Loreal RevitaLift Double Lifting Extreme Re-tightening Gel & Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Bio Essence Bio-Energy Eye Bag Vanishing Serum
Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment
Favourite beauty treat?
Facials and pedicures (good lord, not together!). There's nothing more "shiok" (good-feeling) than to have someone massage your face, put all sorts of good stuff on it, and then walking out feeling like a million bucks (not the blackhead extraction bit; that's a pain. Literally). Same goes for pedis, although I have yet to control my giggles when the pedicurist start massaging my calves (I'm extremely ticklish there).
What’s your favourite beauty store?
Do drugstores count? I simply LOVE 'em! Best place to get good cheapo over-the-counter products.
Favourite budget brand?
I'd say Maybelline, since I've been using 'em ever since I started using lipstick regularly at the age of 18. Their mascaras work the best for me (I love their Sky High Curves and Great Lash mascara); the premium fancypants brands can't beat 'em (in my opinion anyway). Silkygirl's funky eyeliners are really good too (surprisingly smooth to use). Price range for both brands are approximately Rm10-RM50. Not bad eh? Korean makeup lines are getting quite popular too; I like Elianto for selling their eye shadow refills for RM5 each!
Favourite premium brands?
I don't have a particular favourite; I'm always trying out different brands anyway.
What’s your ’every girl must own one’ item?
Moisturiser and sunscreen. Both keep your skin looking young and supple. I don't recommend moisturisers which come with "added SPF" though. Always have an extra layer of protection on your skin, whether you're indoors or outdoors.
And what about skin care: Favourite premium and budget brands?
Premium: Clinique. I've always used Clinique, and I was never disappointed.
Budget: Olay. My grandma used Olay (used to be Oil of Ulan) since she was young, and her skin's still looking pretty good.
And hair care?
Premium: Shiseido's Senscience range (they smell great, and their conditioners are fantastic. Worked wonders on my hair of steel). Tigi's quite good too (love the way they name their products anyway).
Budget: Clairol Herbal Essences. The smell of my hair after a good wash is almost orgasmic ;)
And finally, best beauty tip?
It's not so much of a beauty tip for your skin, so to speak, but a tip for keeping your beauty products in top condition, and allowing them to "survive" longer, would be to store 'em in your refrigerator. Mum and I have 2 separate compartments in our kitchen fridge, specifically for our skincare products. They last longer (creams, lotions, etc don't do so well in our hot and humid weather, even if you keep it away from the sun), plus the cold creams and gels feel great on the skin. I remembered a friend's aunt who actually bought a mini bar just to be placed in her room, for all her skincare products. I'm so going to do that when I have my own place ;)
My taggees are:
Truebluepenangite
Viva Woman
DailyFashionista
Fashion Asia
