 My Hair Transformation: From black, dark brown, and reddish brown ombre to pink and rose gold balayage!  For 11 years now, I've been having my hair dyed yearly but I have always chosen to stay on the safe side of the hair color spectrum: jet black, dark brown, light brown, mahogany, copper, dark neutral colors, you name it. I had two daring hair colors though in 2011: red orange for a hair show and a golden light brown after that but I found out that it was easier to book modeling jobs with neutral hair color than with colorful ones so I stuck with dark hair color. Having a colorful mane is something that I've been fantasizing about at the back of my head and I've often wondered how it must be like! So this year, I decided to try an unconventional hair color again, this time a pink and rose gold balayage!  Last July 2017, I had my hair colored mahogany red, however the color had faded already into a dark brown (first pic). Earlier this April, I used Liese Marshmallow Brown hair dye to color my hair at home. It was a light brown shade that blended with my old hair dye hence the medium reddish brown coloring. My roots were of a natural black darker shade hence the "ombre" effect. However, since hair cutting is not my talent, I decided to seek a professional help for a perfect layered hair cut and a daring hair color! I don't wanna end up with a bad pink hair job! Haha! At the last photo, you can see my pink & rose gold balayage done by Swan Beauty & Wellness Salon. Everything was worth it! Read on for I'll be discussing more about the procedure: what treatments were done to my hair, what products were used, the overall experience, and the most important - after-care for color-treated hair!  So what is a balayage? Marie Claire explained it the best way possible: "Balayage is a French word meaning to sweep or to paint. ‘It’s a freehand hair colouring technique that gives a really blended natural look with no harsh or obvious regrowth lines,’ advises royal and celebrity hairdresser, Richard Ward. Balayage allows for a sun-kissed natural looking hair colour, with softer, less noticeable re-growth. The principal idea being less is more when creating a natural, multi-tonal finish. The technique uses patches of light and shade to create multiple dimensions to the colour. It’s a great method if you want to refresh your colour but don’t want to go for a bold colour overhaul. Balayage creates a totally bespoke, personalised colour finish. Healthy, natural looking hair will always be ‘in’ which is why the technique has remained popular for so many years. Depending on what you’re looking for the finish can be subtle or quite bold. It’s the ability to completely tailor the colour effect that makes this such a popular colour choice."  At the middle is Ms. Lot, the very nice and approachable owner of Swan Beauty & Wellness Salon. She is very transparent when making suggestions regarding your beauty concerns. The staff are all welcoming to the customers, no wonder, they are being lead by the best example! 😉 You may see how the salon looks like at the photos below. There is also a spa inside but I will show that to you in the future blog post instead when I review their other services.
Upon arriving for my appointment (I made one a few days before the actual date), their creative stylist, Chris, did a hair assessment on me. Is my hair thick or thin? Is it a virgin hair or has it been treated before? Will the color I want to have, be possible to achieve with the current state of my hair, or not? Will the hair cut I want be flattering for my face shape and my hair texture? All that, they will take into consideration before they chop those split ends off, haha! I actually like it that I am free to discuss with them my worries and what look I am going for so that I will be able to leave their establishment happy and satisfied.   Since it has been more than a year since I had last my hair cut, 5 inches were cut off my mane, honestly, I haven't noticed that much difference because my hair is very long to begin with (upler hip length). My split ends were gone so all is good.  After the hair assessment and hair cutting, they tested the bleach on a strip of my hair before we proceed in bleaching everything. Afterwards, we started with the application of bleach. Boy, was it such a long time! We started the application around 12 noon and they washed it all off around 6pm. So yeah, basically, the bleaching process is the longest one for it takes 5-6 hours, depending on the person's hair.  By the way, my friends who wanted a hair makeover came along with me. Eden had a short bob cut after 17 years (?) of sporting long hair while Gem had a short hair cut plus highlights for her new Boss Girl look. At first, she was soooo hesitant of having a hair cut, but after an hour or two of assessment and decision-making, she decided to go along with it, and the result is marvelous, I'll show you later!   After washing the bleach off, they started applying the pink dye... Oohlala, it reminds me of the pink dunkin donuts with rainbow sprinkles! Hahahaha! I am not sure how many minutes it stayed on my hair exactly but I assume it was less than 30 minutes. After washing the pink dye, they blow dried my hair....   ...and curled it for added pizzazz! Loving it!!! In the pic below is my before and after hair shot! Ganda ng color, I really like how modern, feisty, and young it makes me feel!  For my hair makeover, this is the step-by-step procedure that was done to me, so you my dear readers will have an idea on what to expect when you get a balayage from Swan Beauty & Wellness Salon too! 😉 1) Hair assessment - is your hair treated before or not; what is the current color of the hair - what kind of haircut do you like; does it flatter your face shape and hair texture 2) Ombre base - bleach application starts (expect to wait for 5-6 hours more or less depending on your hair type, of course) 3) Highlights 4) Rose Gold Color - it all depends on what color and effect you would like to have) 5) Keratin Treatment - since your hair will be dry after the bleaching process, it has to be treated to avoid too much damage from your hair. After Care: 1) The pink color will only last after 21 washes more or less so having a color touch up afterwards is a necessity (unless you don't want to). 2) Do not wash your hair for at least the first 24-36 hours after the hair makeover session. 3) To make your hair color last longer and for the benefit of your treated hair, use hair products (shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, etc) that do not contain SLS or any harsh chemicals. If you have organic products,much better. PLS CHECK THE LABEL. 4) Hair treatment is suggested to be done after a week or two to maintain the softness of the hair, because hair bleaching makes your hair extremely dry, you know.  GROUP PICTURE!!! Our hair makeover finished around 7:15pm, yeah the staff had a bit of overtime but everyone was happy with the outcome! The staff were friendly from the beginning til end. Oh did I mention that we were offered a complimentary drink (coffee, tea, water, or juice) when we got there? The creative hair stylists were very nice and open about the procedure and they gave us tips on how to style and take care of our hair after. They will give suggestions on what haircut is best or what hair color is flattering or what treatment we need without pressuring us if we don't want to. My friend Eden who only had a haircut was given the suggestion of having her hair colored but she wasn't pressured to have it done and still, she left the place happy. 
Now let's talk about the price. The hair makeover that was done to me costs around Php 10,000 more or less according to the hair stylist. I had a hair cut, a treatment, and a balayage, which was tricky to do especially since my hair is loooong, it needed more amount of bleach and dye. Gem's haircut, color, and highlights cost around Php 2,500 more or less. At the photo above, you will see the price list of their services (minimum cost). I suggest that before going for a makeover, make sure that you and the hair stylist agree on the price and that there is transparency on what treatments are going to be done to you during the hair assessment.
Swan Beauty & Wellness is located at Lower Ground Floor 04, Swire Elan, Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan. You may contact them at (02) 9457045. Check them out in Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/SwanBeautyandWellnessPH/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swanbeautyphil/ |
KrishEELA RaiFounder of Astral Crystals.  Archives
June 2022
|
RSS Feed
