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: Tokio Sinka Straightening and Perm Experience @ Rubik Hair Salon

~AG~

This is my second sponsored hair salon experience which was made possible by Agent G of BeautyUndercover. About six months ago, I had went for Mucota Omega Therapy and loved the results! Since then, my natural wavy roots has grown out and became unbearable. This time Agent G recommended the Tokio Sinka System @ Rubik Hair Salon which is located at Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade. The hairstylist responsible for my hair was the founder of Rubik Hair Salon, Yohei. He has been working in Singapore for over 10 years, and can converse in English fluently. I did not have any issues communicating with him throughout the service. Yohei is VERY experienced in hair cutting and other hair services. He is meticulous in his work, and tries to give his best to his customers. The experience at Rubik was unlike any other hair salons that I have been to. The hairstylist tend to you from the start to the beginning.

Tokio Sinka Straightening system is the latest rebonding technology in Singapore. Tokio cream contains Fullerene, a very potent molecule, that allows rebonding or perms to be done at a much lower temperature of about 60 degrees Celsius. Fullerene has antioxidant properties, which is 120 times more potent than Vitamin C. During the Tokio Sinka straightening process, there was a lot of treatment (keratin) added to the hair. The usual rebonding or perming methods requires a higher heat of at least twice that amount. This means less damage to the hair. Tokio straightening and perming methods works for those that have wavy and unruly hair like me. Since the Tokio Sinka system is gentle on the hair, it also works for those with processed (bleached or colored) hair. Yohei was quick to add that those with tightly curled hair would not see as much difference in their hair texture, as Tokio system does not result in pin straight hair.

Consultation
Yohei asked what I wanted to do with my hair. I told him that I wanted to straighten the unruly part of my hair, and get a trim. After carefully examining my hair, Yohei said that if he trimmed my ends, my existing C-curls will be snipped of. Yohei asked whether I wanted to curl the ends as well. As I like my C-curl ends, I agreed to let Yohei work his magic. Agent G suggested a see through bangs for me, and Yohei said to see how my hair natural parting falls after the hair washing.

Yohei checking my hair condition

The kinks were very obvious

My natural wavy and unruly hair

With the lovely Yohei

Hair washing
Yohei washed my hair and gave the most AMAZING head massage. I could feel all the tensions being released from my body, and I felt instantly relaxed. At the hair washing sink, Yohei placed a soft towel on my eyes area which made the whole process more comfortable. The final step of the hair washing process included a warm, floral-scented towel being placed on the neck. It was a major plus, I have never had any hair stylist place a warm towel to soothe my tired neck. Such an experience!

Throughly washing my hair before treatment

The MOST amazing head massage from Yohei

Hair cutting
I wanted to maintain my hair length, but Yohei suggested more layers to make it less heavy. Also, I wanted a nice fringe to disguise my high forehead. After the hair washing, Yohei said that my fringe can be styled for a see through look. My previous hairstylists usually create a side swept fringe that is too "heavy" on one side due to the nature of my hair. Yohei added layers to the front of my face to better frame my face. After cutting my hair, Yohei rinsed my hair once more with water and then with carbonated water. The carbonated water works to remove excess residue so that the debonding cream can be penetrated throughly by the hair.

Explaining how he will cut my hair to maintain the length

Application of Debonding Cream
Yohei applied three different strengths of the Tokio Straightening cream to my hair. I love how he customized the Tokio Inkarami system according to my hair needs. The strongest cream to the most unruly part (top part), the normal strength to the inner part and the lightest strength to the ends of my hair. The debonding cream was left on for 20 minutes, covered with plastic wrap and treated with heat for better penetration.

Here Emi is assisting Yohei with the application of debonding cream

After 20 minutes was up, Yohei rinsed the debonding cream with water. Then, he also rinsed my hair with carbonated water. Yohei is very detailed in his treatment process.  He explained that it is essential to rinse throughly the debonding cream so that it will not interfere with the function of the neutralizers. Yohei used the carbonated water three times throughout the whole process.

Hair drying and flat ironing
After throughly blow drying my hair, Yohei with the help of Emi straightened section by section of my hair using a narrow-width hair straightener.

Carefully straightening each section

Then, Yohei used a Digi clip to curl my ends. The Digi clip was set at 60 degrees. Yohei then used a large barrel tong to curl my fringe. This was so that my fringe will fall better to cover my forehead.

Curling my fringe

1950s fringe. Yohei said it would not look like this afterwards

Application of Neutralizers
The next step was the application of neutralizer thoroughly onto my hair. The smell of the neutralizer was surprisingly pleasant. It did not smell of too much chemical.

Finishing Touch
After a final washing with water as well as carbonated water, it was time for the final touches. Yohei cut my hair again to get the desired look. He paid special attention to the fringe as I had requested for a fringe to disguise my high forehead.

Snipping my fringe to get a see through look

Adding more layers to my hair

Blowdrying is a must
Yohei is great at explaining hair care tips, which opened my eyes to a whole new way for caring for my hair. Blow drying your hair, especially the hair closest to the roots, is essential. Wet hair is especially vulnerable to damage. In addition, air drying your hair results in your scalp producing more oil to fight off the bacteria that can be aggravated from the moistness of the scalp. According to Yohei, it is important to close off the cuticle by blow drying, so the hair shaft will not become frizzy.  Air drying also results in the hair's natural oils and nutrients to be diffused into the air, affecting the long-term health of the hair. Most importantly for those with permed hair, blowdrying hair at the roots will determine the direction of of the curls at the end.

Yohei explaining the nature of the hair to form the letter 'C'

When I asked Yohei how long I had to wait to wash my hair, surprisingly he said I could wash it the next morning. Yohei mentioned that the advancement in rebonding technology nowadays does not require 24-48 hours for the hair treatment to set in.

Final Thoughts
 The see through bangs that Yohei created for me was the highlight. It is the best fringe that any hair stylists have designed for my face shape and hair type. I was truly impressed! Though this see through fringe works would not work for all face shapes, it will not work suit ladies with shorter forehead. See through fringe works best for ladies with high forehead such as myself. The see through fringe changed my whole look. Dare I say that I looked younger because of this new fringe. Yohei explained that there was a reasoning behind this. Yohei explained that having a 50-50 proportion makes one appear younger. 50-50 proportion means that almost 50% of your face is covered by fringe. To appear more mature looking, ladies can opt for a longer fringe that does not cover the forehead.

Explaining the 50-50 proportion theory

The Transformation

                                      

                                   AFTER:  See through fringe to disguise my forehead

BEFORE: With my fully visible high forehead

AFTER: Nice layers in the front

BEFORE: With the awkward kink in my hair

AFTER: Yohei managed to maintain my hair length

BEFORE: The kink on my hair was awful!

I would definitely recommend Rubik Hair Salon to those looking for a pampering hair service experience. My experience at Rubik Hair Salon was like a luxurious spa resort. Yohei is an amazing hairstylist, and pays great attention-to-detail! details! I trust his knowledge and skills, and would not hesitate to come back for a haircut. My hair did not feel dry after the straightening and perming process. Though, I would have to point out that this Tokio Sinka System does not create a pin-straight or ultra smooth hair. For those who have curly hair, Tokio Inkarami might not be the right service for your hair type. Please check with the hairstylist at Rubik Hair Salon for other services that might be suitable for you.

Yohei managed to maintain my hair length 

My new hair looks nice in a ponytail as well

Soft and smooth hair

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