continuation to this.

when we moved to fiji, one of the things i had to adjust to was how most people took haircut for granted. not to say that people took their hair in general for granted. in fact, many of them obsess over it: they dye, highlight, perm, fix into cornrows, braids, dreadlocks more frequently than i know pinays do. but haircut in particular doesn’t seem as big a deal as what i am more accustomed to.

so if i can’t find the time to experiment with different hair stylists, i decided, what the heck, might as well jump into the bandwagon. besides, this is the immediate solution to my hair’s volume problem. a good old fashioned perm. and i mean not digital.

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warning: this post contains self-indulgent photos.

it is no secret that i am a stickler to habits. and that includes hair stylists (i wrote in a previous entry about my search for a hair stylist to whom i can remain loyal). i have been a very avid customer of basement salon since 2007, a few times in rockwell and a ton of other times in shangri-la.

my stylist of choice is cris in shang because he never lets me down. when i always thought my stick straight hair would never account for anything more than a droopy mass of sad, pathetic boredom, which lived years and years and years as a one-length plain heap of lifelessness that fell unhappily below my shoulders with renegade baby hair always escaping from unexpected places, he was able to provide structure and gave it natural body and volume. i was very hesitant to try layers and bangs for reasons stated in the same previous entry above, but i’m glad i trusted someone who obviously knew better.

no products, blow out or camera tricks in the “after” photos! just an expert haircut and air dry c/o our trusty electric fan!

before:

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i don’t think the timing could have been any better to enjoy a beauty day at the ricky reyes one-on-one salon in frontera verde. i was having a terribly hectic and nerve-wracking week, i needed the pampering and the relaxation in a salon more than anything in the world.

ricky reyes, beauty expert and entrepreneur extraordinaire, got beauty bloggers together to spend time in his salon for a beauty day where we enjoyed hours of nothing but indulgent treatments and pampering experiences.

we had the choice of many extensive treatments from his exclusive salon menu and we can choose as many as we wanted, as much as we can handle.

some of the services available. for a more comprehensive list, you can visit their website or the salon nearest you.

i chose the hair booster, a hair spa specifically formulated for treatment of falling hair (i have mentioned in a previous entry how i’ve been trying to address my hair fall problem).

the hair booster uses special treatments that contain malunggay, chock-full of calcium and other beneficial elements, known best for properties that promote growth and strength. along with the special mixtures, the service employs a thorough scalp massage and a specialized brushing technique to encourage good blood circulation.

a creamy mentholated substance is applied to the scalp and massaged thoroughly

the first of two creams used for the hair booster treatment

special brushing technique involving two oval shaped brushes.

jill of kikay exchange had the hair manicure, highlights and a haircut. keep posted on www.kikay.exchange.ph for reviews on these services!

hair manicure sounds threatening... but its benefits will make you want to go for it!

hair treatment was applied meant to clean hair of impurities and make it sleek and shiny

while our hair absorbed the treatments, we were invited to join ricky reyes himself for lunch in the salon. so for the first time, i was able to take part in a lunch table with people in hair masks, towel turbans, hair color and so on.

we all had lunch looking like this

in good looking company: lunch with ricky reyes and other bloggers all in hair treatments

our hair were rinsed and blow dried after lunch. others had more treatments and haircuts.

haircut by ricky reyes

preparing for highlights. strands of hair are pulled through small holes in this plastic cap.

bleach is applied to lighten the exposed hair strands.

the hair booster made my hair softer, more full-bodied and bouncier. hair strands were de-clumped (for lack of a better term) and flyaways were minimized.

it was great hair day!

every girl could use a beauty day like we did! visit your nearest ricky reyes salon to indulge yourself in these fabulous hair treatments.