Having declared March the month to celebrate and inspire ladies with articles of recommended hairstyles for high-powered lady executives and working moms,

we have a young working professional Agent R try out funky yet professional hair colouring at Matsui Hair Studio!

March 2015

It’s like I’ve popped out of that Dr. Seuss story related to green eggs. Hahaa

If you know me, I’m quite risk-adverse when it comes to my hair. I like it nice and straight and I stick to the usual colours. You can ask @missy_ada, “ash brown again ah!!!” No bleaching or perming for me, thanks. I like my options and I preferably would not like to pay $500 for it.

Anyway, through one way or another, I was lucky enough to meet Agent G from Beauty Undercover! We’ve got so much in common!! Beauty Undercover is a site that amalgamates reviews on beauty and hair salons. But what I like most about the site is that it runs on Agent G’s laurels. And her beliefs are that, she just wants genuine reviews to uncover the best salons in town. But of course, as these things usually are… when a salon knows a reviewer is coming, they’ll be on their best behavior and bring out the chops. Haha

Anyway, a bright Sunday morning saw me heading to Matsui Hair Studio at Bugis+. I was in the area the day before since I was at Raffles Hospital for an X-ray and decided to check it out!

Stark white walls, one of it covered with a graphic mural contrast the green synthetic grass that embellishes the studio. It is cozy and pretty much a hole in the wall. Same level as GONGCHA! Haha

Upon arrival, I meet Agent G who’s in her specs and all chirpy on a Sunday morning. I didn’t even comb my hair. So it’s up in ponytail. She introduces me to Apple, Senior Stylist at Matsui. Nope, she’s not Japanese. She’s Malaysian but has been doing hair since she was 14!

Matsui is set up by a half Japanese male stylist, but he wasn’t there so, I don’t know his story. Apple is pretty much in boss mode at the salon. So she works on my hair.

Err, you want to see before pictures? It’s quite bad. Hahaha beware your retinas, this cannot be unseen.

See what I told you about never comb hair?

The back is more frightening hahaa err, and my ash brown-ess was fading fast. Can you believe that it used to be almost black and green? Hahah then it faded to a nice ash brown and then it became this…

ON TO STEP 1

First, a ton of questions about what I did to my hair in the past. For some reason, a common question is always: “have you rebonded your hair before?” I reckon it’s because my hair is like straw and straight to a T. Nope, not in the last 8 years! And never again!

So next, on today’s menu are creative colouring and/or a perm. She says it goes with my cool exterior and outward appearance and probably my resting bitch face. She doesn’t say resting bitch face though,

WHUT?

I didn’t sign up for this! I thought we were just going to do a normal ash brown?

BUT SINCE I AM SPONSORED FOR THE REVIEW SO…

Ok lor, let’s go for it.

NO PERM THOUGH, I don’t wanna look like an auntie and my weak heart is not prepared for it. Hahahha god, I’m annoying aren’t I!

She suggests green in a hard line at the bottom inch of my hair.

I give her a hard time and suggest if I were to do a creative colour, green would not be my choice. And NO HARD LINE. I’m almost 28 not 18! I’m not going to step (this word is very 18 years old) youthful-without-a-care-in-the-world. It’s not me anymore!

How about something safer, like purple?

Apple says really calmly as I shoot off questions about a match base colour in quick succession that I’d have to match that with a reddish base.

BUT I DON’T LIKE RED.

I guess we’ll go for green and an ash brown base.

BUT I DON’T WANT TO BLEACH MY HAIR.

Apple moves off to think about what I can accept and what I cannot accept.

Agent G tells me that it’s great that I know what I don’t want and she’s doing a piece on women’s hairstyles in a corporate world. So this might be perfect.

Granted, working at Netccentric/Nuffnang does give me a lot of leeway. I can practically do whatever I want (thanks @bossming!! LOL) but it just isn’t me.

Apple comes back in glee, I can almost imagine her rubbing her hands with a smirk on her face. She proceeds to explain what she’ll do.

She says that since my current colour is pretty light, we can do without bleaching (phew!) and she’ll apply the green at the base that slowly blends into the brown up top.

She’ll also proceed with her plan to give my hair more ZANG! Hahahaha! And the bottom half of my hair will be coloured a darker brown

FREAKING GENIUS!!!

You can tell she’s a professional because I’ve been giving her a hard time. She never once showed that she was exasperated or annoyed.

Instead, she lights up when I give her the thumbs up at PROBLEM (ME) SOLVED!

This took about 30mins. Opps, my bad.

BUT NOW I’M EXCITED! I’ve never done creative colouring before as I usually balk at the prices (looking at you $500 salon). But when I asked Apple how much the same sort of creative colouring would cost, she says at most on the high side of $200 here. Since Matsui is supposed to be a mid-level salon, it’s pretty affordable for a hair colour splurge aimed at young adults who’d just gotten on their feet supporting themselves with a job!

STEP 2: LET’S DO THIS!

First, Apple parts my hair in a million ways. Sorry, I’ve so much hair!!! Also, I didn’t know parting hair also got a special way to do it one.

Wow, ten levels of cui my hair.

Two different shades of brown! Get, set, go! Apple’s assistant has to help!

Bottom layer first:

Foil so that the colours don’t mix or contaminate one another.

 

Now you can see the green. OMGG SO GREEN!!!

Bao it up tight and let steam for 20 min!!

iPad while you wait? Lol actually can surf the net or use Facebook. But err… please remember to log out! Youtube works too. But unlike magazines, it’s covered in teeny tiny hairs. Well, what do you do, you’re in a HAIR salon after all, that CUTS HAIR.

Anyway, I was too preoccupied talking to Agent G, so I left the iPad alone and unused. 20min was up in a giffy as I spoke to Agent G and we exchanged stories! Time is relative after all!

STEP 3: TRY NOT TO FALL ASLEEP!

Apple does a quick check. HOMG SO GREEN.

Digs around some more.

You can see from the background that there’s a dude getting his hair did. Actually, the entire time I was there, there was a steady stream of male customers! Surprising! Apple told me that their salon is quite popular with guys, but their colouring for ladies is also fantastic (after my experience), so donno why there aren’t more people coming in for colouring!

OK, WE’RE DONE!

SHAMPOO TIME! My favourite!

I also use Goldwell at home! Wheee! I buy it from Chinatown, you know, you know?

CROPPED AWAY MY DOUBLE CHIN! DON’T SEE!!!

Anyway, don’t you think it’s strange to see yourself lying there getting your hair washed? Like, how does it look like????

After seeing these pictures, I’m like OHHHHHHH. That’s strange. Really strange.

So you know how it’s weird opening your eyes, do you talk to the dude washing your hair or…? Ok never, Matsui will cover your eyes so you don’t have to choose and decidedly, the awkward situation diffused! Hahahaa also your make up don’t get splashed.

Like seriously, I’m not even joking, this is weird. Seeing your own head like this. Hahah #paranoid

 

A turban indicates that you’re done with the best part of your trip to the salon!

STEP 4: NO WAY YOU CAN SLEEP

Drying for the final look!

0%

Yep, it usually takes a long time to get my hair dried. Apple will cut it a bit, so it’s supposed to be lighter next time. Haha Pre-cut so it took a long time to dry!

50%

Wheee!! Looking pretty green there! I look like a plant, what with the browns and greens. OMG. I AM GROOT!!!! :p

80%

Almost there!

Wait! Protect it first!

 

According to Apple, it’ll help the hair look much shinier!

Ok lor, no one ever said NO to shinier, EVER.

Unless it were the oils on one’s face. Hahahhahahahahah #selfentertainment

Straightening because I said I preferred straight hair.

Nope. Just Kidding.

Straightening is actually part of the process for a dry cut!

STEP 5: A Snip and a Cut

Not talking about that time my cat went to the vet :’)

Apple thinning out my tresses!

Colouring > my cut. I thought it was thinned too much! But hair grows back and it looked good at the final out come, so no (much) complaints!

When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a hairdresser and handle scissors like a boss. But then one day I decided to cut bangs for myself… then I figured I needed a different career path.

100%

I made it!!

STEP 6: TRY NOT TO LOOK AT HAIR AND CRY

Tears of happiness la! So let me photo spam you with my new ‘do!

 

No extreme makeover here! Just something cooler and different from the norm, I mean, life is short! Hahah! Something different once in a while never hurt anyone’s head of hair. Well, unless you are a noob decide to do it yourself!

 

I LOVE IT!!!

Act cool a bit since Apple says it matches my default face.

Under a darker setting. Guess that thing that made my hair shiny (even for a day) worked. Hahaa

Err, my new album cover? Please support. Hahahahahaha

Apple trying to show off the inside!

Apple and I! Her hair also quite bad ass, blonde up top (totally party & something I’ll never do) and dark on the bottom hair (dark and twisty) & perm-ed inwards I think! hahaha

 SUPER LOVE ITTTTT AHHHHH DEAD.

Let me remind you of this:

HAHAHHA! Comb also won’t save it.

Eh and Agent G, we didn’t take a picture together… think you too excited already. Hahahaa

So anyway, this was a sponsored post brought to you by Agent G at Beauty Undercover and Apple from Matsui Hair Studio.

Wanna thank you girls, because sometimes, got to find better things to do with my time! Glad to have gotten to know you both better!!

So how? Fabulous a not? If you’ve any queries about creative colouring (this one depends on your hair and the price), feel free to give Matsui a ring!

Sorry I’m not famous, so you can’t quote anything to get XX% off okay! But if you feel like, just try lo!

If you’ve made it through this post, congratulations and thanks for reading! I’m so boring!!!! Bye!