Haircut + Colour at Hair Inn, Nex

Salon : Hair Inn
Location : #03-33, Nex S(556083)
Tel : 66348027 / 66348037
Stylist : J-F ( on name card, but he introduces himself as Jack )

I wanted to perm my hair but was told that my hair length is not long enough for big curls and advised me against perming. Hence I went for 2 tone colouring instead.

This was my first time stepping into Hair Inn @ Nex, and if you have been to Nex Shopping Mall, you will realize that this salon is one of the busiest salons among the dozens of salons in the mall.

Barely 2 months into his job, Jack strikes me as a quiet and cool guy with much professionalism and seriousness in his job. He wasn't clear about the prices but took effort to check it out and let me know. He don't smile often and is very focused on what he's doing to my tresses. He don't waste time laughing and chatting with others, he also made an effort not to let customers wait. That is what I really appreciate from stylists. Many stylists tend to let you wait in your seat as they tend to other customers but Jack grasps his time correctly.

I spent 3 hours in the salon for cutting, colouring and treatment. And during the duration spent in the salon, there were many regulars streaming in. Tea was served without asking about your preference and was promptly changed when it turned cold.

I asked for highlights but was recommended for 2 tone colouring where there is a darker base colour and a lighter copper colour which is too red for my taste. As usual, stylists like to include reds to complement my fair skin. The copper is slightly redder than what I prefer but it certainly looks darker on the catalogue and its my chosen colour between 2 colours recommended by Jake.

Jack is a dog-lover and has 5 dogs! (gasps). So if you are a dog-lover, you will have tons to chat with him. lol.

Both the colouring and the hair treatment are by Shiseido. The recommended hair treatment suitable for my tresses is Shiseido C.P.R 2 Step Treatment. Jack also made an effort to explain to me on the hair treatment steps.

Shiseido intensive 2 Step treatment
C.P.R. ( CUTICLE POROSITY RECONSTRUCTIVE TREATMENT )
For severely dry/damaged hair. C.P.R. is an intensive two-step in salon restorative treatment that repairs the cuticle porosity deficiencies by replenishing vital nutrients that have been depleted from hair. Fortifies, moisturizes and protects hair. Formulated with Keratin, Silk Amino Acids and Bio-Structurer© to penetrate damaged cuticle layers to repair, smooth and seal for lasting protection that preserves moisture and shine.

After the hair colouring job, my hair feels silky soft and smooth. Well, lets see how long it can lasts.

Damage :
Cut + 2 Tone Colouring : $162
Treatment : $79
Total : $241

I purchased a package for $300, upon Jack's recommendation since I have already spent $241. The $300 package entitles one to $350 worth of services, excluding product purchases so technically, I have an additional $109 for my next hair service.

Review : Odbo Vitamin C Essential Brightening Mask

Product Description
Vitamin C is a great solution in skin care. Vitamin C is an excellent water soluble antioxidant that destroys free radicals preventing pre-mature aging as well as having other important roles in various bodily functions such as the formation of bones, assists in the formation of collagen and repairing scar tissues among others. As such, Vitamin C is a very important ingredient to skin's benefits. It’s a mask that specially formulated for skin brightening and soothing.

Odbo, hailing from Korea, is a brand that is not very familiar to me, though I have vaguely heard of it. I received a sheet from a colleague who just came back from Korea recently.

The texture of the sheet is soft and smooth to the touch and provides a comfortable feeling on the face, once layered. It is soaked in essence and has a nice scent to it.
The cutting of the sheet mask fits my face shape well and adheres snugly. It brightens up my face slightly, hydrates it and gives it a lovely dewy glow.
It works best on freshly exfoliated skin.

Source : Odbo

10 foods for radiant, healthy skin

ORANGES: Dark under-eye circles can make you look like the Crypt Keeper-not cute. But the vitamin C in oranges banishes bags. It strengthens collagen, the skin's supportive structure, to lift sunken areas that create shadows

SALMON: It's packed with omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat that hydrates dry patches, Sandquist says. Omega-3s may also help increase the production of collagen and elastin, two essentials for soft, no-flake skin

GREEN TEA: Does your skin take its sweet time to spring back when you press it? Green tea's antioxidants may restore bounce. Women who drank a green tea extract daily saw 4 percent more elasticity.

CHICKPEAS: To help diminish scratches, scars and dark marks, start snacking on hummus. Chickpeas' protein delivers the amino acids essential for tissue growth and repair.

WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD: A rosy blush is pretty; blotchy red splotches, not so much. Niacin in whole grains reduces redness from acne, rosacea and more by inhibiting inflammatory agents.

ALMONDS: Party all night and still look fresh and dewy the next morning. Almonds' vitamin E brightens drab "hungover" skin by neutralizing free radicals, molecules that dull your look. Plus, almonds' fatty acids make you gleam.

APRICOTS: The fruit throws wrinkles into reverse. Our bodies convert apricots' vitamin A to retinol, a compound that helps produce new cells.

CRAB: A crab roll (whether in a hot dog bun or sushi) helps keep your face zit-free. When nasty stuff like oil and bacteria clogs pores, it leads to inflammation and acne. Enter crab's zinc: It helps reduce inflammation to minimize the pimple-making damage.

SUNFLOWER OIL: Even well-hydrated skin can look cracked without this oil's linoleic acid, a fatty acid that helps create a soft outer layer of cells. Sauté or bake with it for a baby-smooth complexion.

BRAZIL NUTS:  The savory snack fights sunburn fallout with selenium, a mineral that makes skin cells more resistant to turning into "sunburn cells" that produce faulty DNA and can eventually lead to cancer.

Source : Yahoo

Review : DHC Suncut Q10 Light Touch Sunscreen SPF50+ PA+++

Product Description
DHC Suncut Q10 is a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ facial sunscreen that provides moderate sun protection from both UVA and UVB rays with powerful chemical-free physical blockers. Other megastar ingredients include brightening alpha-arbutin and coenzyme Q10 to lead your skin moisturizing. Hyaluronan and Rosemary extract are blended to lead your skin beautiful.

I purchased this 30ml size for $32 from the local Watsons. I started off with using it for the hands and body, but moved on to using it on the face, because I prefer this texture to that of Kanebo.

It comes in a sweet baby blue opaque coloured bottle, with a small tip that dispenses the contents. White in colour, the texture of the sunscreen is emollient with a slippery feel. It has a milky texture that is non-drying and non-greasy yet provides a smooth silicon feel after application. However, I did not quite fancy the feel that there is a coating of film on the skin.

Made in Japan, this product contains alcohol which is listed as the 6th ingredient in the list.
It contains the following ingredients for sunscreen protection.

Zinc Oxide :

Zinc oxide is one of only 17 active ingredients currently approved by the FDA for use in sunscreens. Upon application, zinc oxide particles sit on the outermost layer of your skin, the stratum corneum, where they scatter and absorb ultraviolet radiation, protecting your living skin below. Zinc oxide is unique among sunscreen ingredients in that it is truly a broad-spectrum blocker, protecting from UVA, UVB, and even UVC. (source)

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Maximum recommended by FDA: 7.5%) :

Often listed on sunscreen products as Octinoxate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (also called Octyl Methoxycinnamate) is used in products that are applied to the skin to absorb, reflect or scatter UV rays; it protects the skin from sunburn and other damaging effects of the sun. Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate also protects cosmetics and personal care products from deterioration caused by UV rays and allows them to last longer in high UV conditions.

It is a chemical sun blocking agent that absorbs ultraviolet radiation in UVB range.
However, when Octinoxate is exposed to sunlight, "it is converted into a less UV absorbent form hence it is not very stable. This conversion can be partly prevented by certain other UV blockers, particularly bemotrizinol (Tinosorb M).
Note that if Octinoxate combined with Avobenzone, it degrades even faster.

According to the EWG, Octinoxate is a moderate hazard, primarily because it can lead to developmental and reproductive toxicity through enhanced skin absorption. It can produce estrogen-like effects and should not be used by pregnant women and children.

Benzophenone-3 (Maximum recommended by FDA:  6%) :

Benzophenone-3 which is also known as Oxybenzone has a high hazard of 7 according to EWG, which is a sunscreen ingredient associated with photoallergic reactions as it absorbs through the skin in significant amounts.
Acting primarily as a photostabilizer and sunscreen, it is classified as a "chemical" sunscreen agent which is inadequate when used alone. Benzophenone-3 absorbs UVB and short UVA rays but is a relatively weak chemical UV absorber. By absorbing UV rays, it also helps preserve the integrity of other cosmetic ingredients, preventing their deterioration under the sun.
It has been shown that the product penetrate the skin and cause photo-sensitivity. As a photocarcinogen, it has demonstrated an increase in the production of harmful free radicals and an ability to attack DNA cells.
The FDA has approved the use of Oxybenzone as a safe and effective OTC sunscreen ingredient, but only in concentrations up to 6%

Alternatively, you can read more on what CNN says about toxic ingredients in sunscreen.

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane :

In the United States, when this ingredient is used in sun protection products, it will be listed on the label as Avobenzone. Avobenzone, when applied to the skin, absorbs UV rays. In addition to causing sunburn, UV radiation is a significant cause of premature aging of the skin and contributes to the development of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

According to this source, tests have revealed Avobenzone’s tendency to significantly degrade in light over time, lessening its sun protection capabilities. For this reason, most sunscreens containing the ingredient also include photo-stabilizing ingredients like octocrylene.
Avobenzone appears to be relatively non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin. However, because it is often used in conjunction with photo-stabilizers, there is a greater risk for skin irritation and low-level toxicity. Furthermore, some studies have demonstrated it to be absorbed by the body and secreted into urine, and is therefore not recommended to use on children or pregnant women

In this link, the writer mentioned that though this ingredient may be a somewhat more safe product than oxybenzone but after it has been on the skin for a period of time, it could actually lead to increased reactive oxygen series (free radical damage) from what has penetrated a little deeper into the skin.

Source : Rakuten , Cosdna

Review : Sophie Monk Little Twin Stars Lavender Repairing Mask

 

Product Description

Deep Repair, Moisturizing, Smoothen

 

The last of Sophie Monk masks which I hauled from Sasa some time back, it costs $2 each. Even though it should have a hint of Lavender scent, I felt that its has more of a musty scent which my nose do not particularly like.

 

Soaked in essence, this facial sheet mask boasts of having Grape Seed Extract and Royal Jelly ingredients which are good for the skin.

After treatment, skin feels moderately nourished but nothing beats my favourite My Beauty Diary masks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source : Nattacosme