REVIEW: Haircut, Rebonding & Cinderella Treatment @ Leekaja Beauty Salon

~AG~

Leekaja Beauty Salon has been gaining popularity online. The trusted Beauty Undercover has raved about them and I been wanting to try them out. Leekaja was having a promotion through their Facebook page, 50% off all hair treatments. It was such a good deal that was too hard to resists. Since I have been long overdue for a haircut, I made an appointment with one of their senior stylists, Jenny Kang. My appointment was for the LKJ 5-Step Hair Treatment as well as a haircut. The good thing about Leekaja is that you can schedule for your appointment through their website. According to their website, LKJ 5-Step Treatment is a comprehensive treatment for your hair and scalp concerns. Turns out, the LKJ 5-Step Treatment is actually the Tokio Inkarami Treatment - as I was informed in their email confirmation. 

 

Leekaja Beauty Salon is located on the third floor of Mandarin Gallery. The ambience of Leekaja Beauty Salon is wonderful. It has an industrial chic style. It had comfortable lighting and cafe-style decors. They offer a wide range of drinks - from different kind of coffees, teas and fresh juices. Each customer is provided a platter with cookies,  banana and a drink of your choice.

Jenny recommended the Cinderella Treatment for my hair type. The Cinderella Treatment is considered the botox treatment for hair. It supposedly soften and smoothen hair to give a anti-frizz look. Its organic ingredients of aloe vera, vitamins and collagen nourishes hair. She also recommended a shoulder length hairstyle for my face shape. She cut about 3-4 inches off my hair and gave some nice layers. Though she was careful to not to give too much layers, or else, my hair can get messy. While cutting my hair, she mentioned that I might consider during rebonding for my roots as it is quite curly. Even though Cinderella Treatment helps to minimize frizz and smoothen the hair, it does not have much straightening properties. Since my natural hair is quite curly and unruly, she said I will be more satisfied with the result with a rebonding of the curly parts. Her assistant did most of the application of the cream and treatment for the whole process. Jenny was there to guide her assistant when needed. It is starkly different than Japanese salon, where you get one hairstylist to be with you from start to finish.

1. Hairwash
2. Haircut
3. Application of debonding cream to the curly parts of the hair. Wait for 15 minutes with a warmer machine.

4. Rinse
5. Apply the Cinderella Treatment on wet hair, and wait for 15 minutes.
6. Blow dry and then flat iron to seal the keratin
7. Apply cream, roll the fringe. Wait for 10 minutes
8. Then rinse off.
9. Final haircut and styling

 

A "plastic shield" to protect the face 

The whole process took 3.5 hours. My hair feel shiny and smooth now. The haircut is great, my hair feels light and fresh. I am glad I get to try the Cinderella treatment but I would not do it again. The Cinderella Treatment is pricey, the full price is $400. Moreover, the effect of the treatment can only lasts for three months. For the half rebonding, Jenny charged me $180 which I think is decent for such service especially in the Orchard area. The haircut was $70, which is reasonable for a hairstylist with such experience. This is the most I have ever spent on hair service! 

 

Price list at Leekaja Beauty Salon

I would not hesitate to come back to Jenny Kang @ Leekaja Beauty Salon for a haircut again. Jenny has been in Singapore for over 11 years and is very knowledgeable on haircut. Though I will go elsewhere for a hair treatment, as their prices are too steep for my wallet.

SPONSORED: C-Curl+ Mucota Omega Therapy @ Focus Hairdressing

My hair was way too long

 Before: See how frizzy and wavy my hair was

~AG~ 
After neglecting my hair for quite a while, I decided it was time to give my hair a well-deserved makeover. With naturally unruly and wavy hair, I wanted to straighten my hair but also perm the ends. Based on the recommendation from Agent G (Beauty Undercover), I headed to Focus Hairdressing, which is located near the Somerset area. The salon is quite hidden away; it is located behind Orchard Point. I won't have expected to see a salon there. The salon is rather spacious. Due to the floor plan, it has an elongated sitting area. I like that the chairs are not too closed to each other. The large mirror in front of the seating area also allows you to fully see what is going on.  


The hairstylist, Yahnie, has 8 years of experience in the industry. So I felt reassured that she would be doing my hair. She accessed my hair and said that my hair is quite "stubborn". Due to this, she did not recommend volume rebonding. Instead, she recommended Mucota Omega Therapy for the top part of my hair and C-Curls for the ends. She also suggested that I cut some inches off so that the C-curls would be more obvious. I was more than happy to chop off my hair, since the ends have been quite dry.

Mucota Omega Therapy is rebonding treatment but it also includes moisturizing treatments during the process. Focus Hairdressing offers three types of Mucota treatments: 1) Mucota Rebonding, 2) Mucota Dyna Argan Oil Straightening, and 3) Mucota Omega Therapy. For my hair type and desired hair look, the Mucota Omega Therapy was recommended. This is the most advanced hair treatment from Mucota - it has the strongest formula for dry and damaged hair. 

Here is the treatment process:

STEP 1: Shampoo hair
Yahnie assessed my natural hair before proceeding to hair washing. This process was nothing memorable. Just a regular washing of the hair

STEP 2: Hair cut
Yahnie cut quite a few inches off. She gave my hair a U-shape so that the C-curls would be more prominent. My hair is shoulder-length now. 

STEP 3: Applied CS+1 treatment 

This is a pre-treatment applied all over my hair. The first of many treatments during this process.

STEP 4: Straightening Cream
Yahnie applied the straightening cream section by section. What this cream does is it de-bonds your natural hair structure, so that it will be ready for “restructuring”. It was supposed to be left on for 20-30 minutes, but my stubborn hair decided it would not budge. So Yahnie had to apply more de-bonding cream to those problematic areas. I am glad that she paid attention to the nature of my hair, and noticed that my hair required more straightening cream. At the end, this whole process took almost an hour. The straightening cream does have the usual chemical smell. But it was not too overwhelming.

 

She placed the aluminium foils to protect my exposed skin such as ears and neck

STEP 5: Rinse the hair  

 

STEP 6: Spray on CS+2 treatment
This is another nourishing treatment for the hair. This spray treatment did not have any scent.

STEP 7: Blow-dry hair
Yahnie used a round brush to blow dry my hair. She was gentle and took time to dry my hair completely. 

STEP 8: Straightening
Yahnie straighten my hair section by section. The flat iron was set at around 200 degrees Celsius. I was glad to hear this, because this temperature is not harmfully hot for my hair.  Because of her skills and techniques, Yahnie was able to straighten my thick and wavy hair, to make it look silky straight. 

STEP 9: Digital perm the ends
She used rollers to curl the ends of my hair. Then it was set for about 25 minutes. She carefully rolled the ends of my hair.  The rollers she used was the medium-sized ones to create nice C-curls. She then used the flat iron to curl my bangs.  I was watching her meticulous skills, and was impressed by it. * thumbs up *

 Setting of the C-Curls

Curling of my bangs to give more shape

STEP 10: Apply the cream and liquid neutralizers
The neutralizers basically counteract the effects of the straightening cream, thus to set the hairstyle. Yahnie applied neutralizer cream to the top of my hair. Then sprayed on liquid neutralizer to the ends of my hair, where the c-curls are. Two different types of neutralizers were used. The cream is more effective for stubborn sections. The liquid neutralizer is for areas that do not require such a strong effect. Yahnie allowed the neutralizers to work on my hair for about 10 minutes. 

 Yahnie applying the cream neutralizer

Yahnie spraying the liquid neutralizer

STEP 11: Rinse off the neutralizers

STEP 12: Apply treatment at the sink. 
After rinsing my hair, a last treatment was applied. It was left on for 2-3 minutes. This treatment had a peachy scent.

STEP 13: Blow dry and hairstyling
During this part, Yahnie taught me the proper way to dry my hair. She imparted her know-hows to best style my fringe and c-curls. To create a more voluminous look, she told me that I should blow dry my fringe with a round brush. 

The whole rebonding and treatment process took more than 4 hours. Yes, it was a long time but it was SO worth it! Do note that my natural hair is very unruly, and rather dense, thus the longer than expected treatment time. My hair feels SO soft and shiny afterwards. My hair is rarely this hair commercial-worthy before. My sister, MG, who is usually unimpressed by my hair, said my new hair-do looks nice. I like the c-curls that Yahnie created for me. It makes my hair looks less boring than the usual pin-straight rebonded hair. The curls are so pretty, not too tight and not too loose. Somehow, my whole image looks more polished now. The shoulder-length hair also makes me look fresher. Yahnie mentioned that the treatment should last a minimum of 3-4 months. Another thing that I like about Mucota Omega Therapy, after the treatment, my hair did not smell like awful chemical. There was one time after I did soft rebonding, a guy friend commented that my hair smelled like chlorine from swimming pool. It made me self-conscious afterwards. With Mucota Omega Therapy, the people around me did not mention of the chemical smell. Yay! 

The curled bangs add more volume

 

After: Soft, shiny hair

 Cannot resist touching my silky hair

I would definitely recommend C-Curls and Mucota Omega Therapy at Focus Hairdressing. The price is affordable at $288 for any hair length. Yahnie such a great job with my hair! I <3 my soft and silky hair. Plus, it takes me a shorter time to get ready in the morning. 

For the month of November, Beauty Undercover has a promo code for Focus Hairdressing. 20% off for hair services (except haircut) if you go for hair services with a friend. Quote Beauty Undercover to enjoy that promotion. Click link for more details. Beauty Undercover: Focus Hairdressing Promo Code

REVIEW: NUA Singapore Facial Treatment

~AG~

In my previous post, I mentioned that I was going for a facial and eye treatment at NUA Singapore. So what are my thoughts on the treatment and service there?

NUA Singapore is located on the second floor of a row of shop houses at Tanjong Pagar. I was kinda lost when looking for the place because the map on my phone showed it located as opposite from Maxwell Road Food Center. Though, it is located on the opposite side of the Fairfield Methodist Church. NUA Singapore occupies a small area but it designed well to maximize the space. The place does not feel tight at all. The design is minimal Zen. The place was very clean and well maintained.

The treatment room

The waiting area. Some products on display.

REVIEW: Keratin Treatment at KenAris Salon

~AG~

On Sep 29, 2014, I did the Keratin Treament at KenAris Salon. The Keratin Treatment cost $488 for my hair length which was considered long. I was a little wary at first because I did try Keratin Treatment once in the United States and it was unsuccessful. Gilbert heard my concerns and reassured me that I will be satisfied with the results. He mentioned that my split ends will be less noticeable after the treatment. The whole treatment took 3.5 hours. First they washed my hair with the special shampoo. My hair was given a good wash to thoroughly remove build-up and other impurities. When my hair is damp, the keratin treatment is applied carefully section by section. A shower cap is put on to retain the head's natural heat. They let it soak for 20 mins or so then they rinsed it off. After that, they put another ingredient on my hair will at the sink and let it soak for another 10 mins. My hair was blown dry section by section to seal the keratin. After that, a flat iron was used to seal the treatment. Lastly, my hair was rinsed off with water and then blown dry naturally.

I was recommended not to wash my hair for 48 hours after treatment. For the first week, it was recommended to not have my hair tied up or for it to get to chlorinated water. I was also recommended to use the special shampoo for keratin treatment that was sulphate-free and sodium chloride-free. Click link for my review of the recommended shampoo for keratin treated hair. Review Kerastraight Maintain Shampoo

In order to prolong the effects of the keratin treatment, Gilbert recommended that I wash my hair every other day instead of every day. He also reminded me to wash my hair with cold water to prolong the treatment. 

Five days after the treatment, I had my hair curled and styled for my cousin's wedding. I even had my hair braided and put up for the evening. I was worried that my hair was no longer going to be straight after the hair styling, but after washing it out, it went back to being straight and smooth. Gilbert told me to put lots of conditioner after the hair styling to keep it soft and smooth.

I went swimming two week after I did the keratin treatment. I tried to minimize contact with chlorinated water but it was almost impossible to do. However, it did not seem to cause the keratin to be stripped off. My hair was still smooth and straight. 

Three weeks after the keratin treatment, my hair was noticeably straighter and not as frizzy. However, I found that my hair was too flat. I tried to follow Gilbert's advise to not wash my hair everyday. But after a week of doing it, I could not continue. My hair will be oily at the end of Day 1, and it will be super flat and oily on Day 2. I just could not stand the greasiness of second day hair after the keratin treatment. 

My hair started to look more natural after about 1.5 months. It continued to be smooth but less flat; my hair regained some of its volume back. That was my ideal hair look. 

Gilbert said that the keratin treatment should be able to last 3 months if I use the specified shampoo and proper care. I finished using the bottle of Kerastraight shampoo in December 2014, and started going back to my usual Essential Rich Shampoo. Now, in January 2015, which has been four months,   my wavy roots are showing. But the rest of my hair is still relatively straight. My frizziness has somewhat returned but it is still better than my au naturel hair. 

Keratin treatment was supposed to make the hair still look natural and not flat straight. I will not do Keratin treatment again. Yes, it does make my split ends less noticeable but I do not like how flat it makes my hair. Plus, I find that after the keratin treatment, my hair gets oilier more easily. A big no-no in my books. Lastly, keratin treatment is very expensive and does not as long as other smoothing treatment. 

REVIEW: KeraStraight Straight Maintain Shampoo

~AG~

Straight Maintain Shampoo has been developed to ensure you enjoy maximum benefits and longevity from your KeraStraight Treatment. This gentle shampoo, which can be used daily, is free from the aggressive ingredients sulphate and sodium chloride and contains our exclusive KS Complex to reinforce the seal of the treatment within your hair, providing longer lasting smoothness. 

KeraStraight Straight Maintain Shampoo | KeraStraight

 

Gilbert @ Kenaris Salon recommended this KeraStraight Straight Maintain Shampoo for my after-care. When I asked him whether I need to buy the conditioner, he said that I could just use my regular one. What is special about this shampoo is that it is sulphate and sodium chloride-free. These harsh ingredients strip the keratin of the treatment. Thus, to lengthen the effects of your keratin treatment, you will need to use the special shampoo. It costs S$49. It is pricy for a bottle of shampoo. But if it is effective and can maintain the result of the keratin treatment, it would be all worth it.

After using this shampoo four times. Here are a few things I have to say about it:
The first thing that I noticed about this shampoo is that it does not foam up at all. So, it needs a little getting used to. Even when you rinse it off, there is not much foam. It is very difficult to apply the shampoo evenly. I find that I have to use more than the normal amount of shampoo to wash my hair. My normal shampoo amount is 50 cents-coin for my shoulder length hair. But now I find that I have to use triple that amount. For such an expensive shampoo, I had expected to use less shampoo to achieve a good cleaning result. The packaging is not travel-friendly. The cap popped open twice during my travel, resulting in 20% loss of the shampoo quantity. Such a pain! The scent of the shampoo is unpleasant. It smells somewhat like coconut, but is more musky. I don't like it at all!

Previously, I had also use another shampoo specially designed for keratin-treated hair. Acai Anti-Frizz Shampoo but did not have issues with it lathering evenly. Plus, it smells wonderful.

After the three months or so after my keratin treatment wears off, I will not use Kerastraigh Straight Maintain Shampoo anymore. I will go back to my Essential Shampoo.
For those of you who have had keratin treatment done, I recommend the Acai Anti-Frizz Shampoo instead.
 

Hair Care Tips from Gilbert

~AG~

So after my appointment with Gilbert @ Kenaris Salon yesterday, I learned new tips on hair care.

1. On my previous visit, he mentioned that to make hair treatment lasts longer, I should wash and rinse my hair with cold water. He added that using warm water to wash hair "dissolves" the protective layer created by the hair treatment. I tried this tip after my Redken hair treatment in June. My hair stayed soft and smooth for over three weeks. Usually, the effects of hair treatment only last me for a week.
2. During my first consultation with him, Gilbert noticed that I had very little hair around my forehead. He mentioned that this was a result of tying my hair too tight in a pony tail. He recommend the scalp treatment for me then. During my hair appointment yesterday, his assistant who washed and did the keratin treatment, asked whether I had hair loss. The assistant mentioned that quite a bit of hair fall out when she washed and combed my hair. I told her that I also noticed that more of my hair is falling out now compared to before. She then recommended a toner for my scalp. I asked whether it was okay to use the scalp toner after keratin treatment, she said it was okay. However, when I asked Gilbert about it, he told me not to use the scalp toner now since the toner will get to the rest of the hair during hair wash. The scalp toner will strip the keratin properties that was sealed by the treatment. The product that was recommended to me was Redken Cerafill line for thinning hair. Supposedly, it is a new product from Redken and my hairstylist claims it works better than Kerastase. http://www.redken.com/thinning-hair/cerafill-difference/
3. Use hair serum and hair oil when your hair is completely dry. When you do it when your hair is wet, the hair serum (that is oil-based) will not be absorbed well into the hair. This is basic science - water and oil do not mix well together. Rather they separate when mixed together.
4. Leave-in conditioner is a big no-no. He mentioned that leave-in conditioner is made up of 80% oil. Even if you only put it on your ends, when you tie up your hair, the oil will trickle down to your scalp. Thus, it will clog up your scalp. He mentioned that it is more beneficial to leave on rinse off hair mask/conditioner for a longer period of time then to use leave-in conditioner.
5. To maximize my keratin treatment, he mentioned that I should try reducing my hair wash frequency to every other day. He said that I can "dry clean" my hair by using baby powder. PS: This trick I have already known before.

I LOVE it when hairstylists are willing to impart their tips and tricks. It feels as though he or she is truly concern about my hair care instead of just getting money from services and products.

My Hair History

~AG~

It's been almost 3 months since my last hair cut. See the link for my review of KenAris Salon. http://beautyloverssisters.blogspot.sg/2014/06/kenaris-salon-wheelock-place.html

During my visit there, Gilbert that suggested that I try Keratin Treatment on my next visit. He told me that the treatment will help strengthen my hair and also make it less frizzy. I told him that I had done Cosme Cream Hair Straightening Treatment at Shunji Matsuo 313 earlier this year. But after this straightening treatment, my hair has been left with split ends and tend to be very brittle. Here is a brief timeline of chemical treatments done to my hair:

• October 2012 - Digital Perm
• February 2013 - Cosme Cream Hair Straightening Treatment @ Shunji Matsuo 313. (The bottom 5 inches or so was not straightened).
• January 2014 - Cosme Cream Hair Straightening Treatment @ Shunji Matsuo 313.

Gilbert mentioned that the Cosme Cream Hair Straightening was the same thing as soft rebonding. He mentioned that if I wanted a more natural look, I should try the Keratin Treatment which does not make the hair looks flat. I told him that I had actually tried Keratin Treatment once in the States. I had bought a groupon to try it out. My cousins had previously tried Keratin Treatment and loved the results. The particular hairstylist and salon I went to did not do a good job because I noticed no difference after the treatment. I even bought the special shampoo for after-treatment care. I was utterly disappointed. Gilbert mentioned that I should try it out and that it will lasts up to three months depending on frequency of hair wash and after-treatment care. However, the price will take a huge chunk on my wallet. He quoted S$400-500 for the Keratin Treatment. That makes me reluctant to go for a Keratin Treatment.

After several weeks of consideration, I have booked an appointment with Gilbert to do the Keratin Treatment. With my cousin's numerous wedding events, I need my hair to look presentable with minimal styling. So I decide to take the risk and give Gilbert a chance to prove me wrong. Wish me luck! I am excited and also nervous about it *cross my fingers*