HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!
In about two weeks time, we’re heading into the most anticipated / dreaded holiday of the year: Chinese New Year! To help you look good for the new year, we’re preparing a CNY Special series to share about some Do’s and Don’ts and suggested looks for this new year.
You don’t have to do a huge change to look fabulous, as Agent K found out in her recent hair visit to Clover Hair Boutique. Read more about how the haircut and 3D hair colour at Clover added much more glam and sophistication to her hair!
After a 3-month self-imposed ban from all chemical hair treatments, I finally stepped into the salon again. It was high time for a change of colour as my hair roots had all grown out. So this time, I entrusted my hair to Raymond, the founder of Clover Hair Boutique at Far East Plaza.
My ‘before’ hair was every hairstylist’s dream canvas to work on. Not only was the old cut growing out of shape, the hair quality was also very poor no thanks to being too overzealous with come-and-gone hair trends like the dip-dye or the Korean perm.
This was Raymond delivering the somber verdict of my hair assessment. ‘it’s very damaged,’ he said in a matter-of-fact tone. I wept a little inside.
But he reassured me that mine was not a lost cause. With some skillful scissors work and prudent application of the hair dye, I can regain my hair’s vitality. In the next 4 hours, Raymond and his team were to work their magic to fulfill that promise.
1. Selecting a hair colour
Like every good hairstylist, Raymond asked me a few questions regarding my occupation, lifestyle and hobbies before making his recommendation. Based on my replies, he suggested I go for a brown base with subtle highlights to add dimension and movement. ‘Shake things up a little,’ he says. I like the sound of that already.
2. Colouring my hair
Guess which base colour I went for? Read to the end to find out!
This is Shirley the colour technician examining my hair and deciding where best to place the highlights for their signature 3D Hair Colour. When she walked in to introduce herself, I got a good vibe from her. Maybe it’s that air of confidence and self-assuredness that she exuded. I knew I was gonna be in good hands.
The crown was sectioned off so that she can apply the bleach for my highlights underneath. The idea was to create that ‘blink and you’ll miss’ style of highlights so that the overall colour is not a single flat layer.
Why hello. Presenting you the latest hair trend of 2015: the Avante-Garde head gear.
Okok jokes aside, this machine helped the bleach penetrate the hair strands faster through the use of steam and heat. So after a quick 20 minutes, I was sent to the hair wash and voila!
Subtle ‘now you see, now you don’t’ highlights sitting prettily underneath. I love how even each highlight sections were! See, told you I could trust Shirley on that.
The highlights look very Ah Lian now, but it’ll be toned down by 60% after that base Colour is applied over it. You think I’m gonna settle for hair like that?!
Time for the real deal – the base colour!
Wrapping up my hair in cling wrap for quicker absorption of the hair dye.
3. The Post-Colour
My hair is taking shape…but just one last step: the cut. Told Raymond that I wanted a trim of my bangs and the back. But of course in his expert opinion he didn’t think I needed to shorten the overall length because ‘it was a good length’. Instead, he suggested trimming the thickness so that it’s not too bottom-heavy.
OK, whatever you suggest Raymond!
I’m very picky about who I let do my hair. But I knew with Raymond I can have a peace of mind.
Raymond the hair maestro has a longggg waiting list of customers and I was lucky to have my hair done by him on a busy Sunday morning.
I was told that he’s so successful that a hair salon in China had even engaged him as a consultant to help them train local hairstylists and revamp their salon practices #impresseddotjpeg
He’s gonna be making several trips to China after CNY, so your last chance to make an appointment with him is before that.
Two weeks left…so good luck ah.
Here’s a video I got someone to film for me because I was so in awe of how deft his scissors work was that I had to immortalize it in film. It’s like watching an artist paint!
At this point my excitement to see the outcome was palpable.
4. The Reveal!
Are you ready?
Of course I was pleased with the outcome! Notice how my ‘after’ hair appears more voluminous even though it had been thinned down? I think the 3D colour technique and treatment had helped bring out the shine and lustre of the hair, making it reflect light better and thus appearing fuller.
Two words: Love it!
Raymond, Shirley and team did fulfill their promise and brought life back to my hair with their signature 3D Hair Colour!
Thank you Clover Hair Boutique for giving me this treat!
My hair is now Chinese New Year ready!
Luscious hair! Pls excuse the tired face. I don’t do well on a Sunday morning.
And now…#seflie because #newhair. These were all taken a few days after the visit.
Read Agent K’s actual blog article here: https://dayre.me/karenkay