Friday, June 28, 2013

Beauty Review: Shine Hair and Beauty

Credit
In frustration? Or in pain over a bad haircut?

I'm still looking for my favourite hair salon. The place I can walk in, get my "usual" and the staff will know me by name. Sadly I'm quite unfaithful when it comes to hair salons so this is yet to happen. The last three I've been to have all been different and I'm not sure why; maybe I'm waiting for the "wow" factor - the moment which I look into the mirror and I'm totally blown away by what I see.

It might be the service. I'm pretty picky when it comes to others touching my hair. I'll watch you like a hawk when you're snipping off my tresses, especially when it comes to my fringe. I guess I've had too many experiences where I've hated my fringe and subsequently hated the entire hair cut and couldn't wait for it to grow out. Sound familiar? Please tell me I'm not the only one...!

So today, I ventured into a new hair salon, still in search of finding "The One". Because like all good fairy tales, the happy ending only comes after all the hard work of slaying dragons, fighting evil witches and climbing over thorned bushes.

Did I find it? Hmmm... Jump!



Details:

Shine Hair and Beauty
Address: 107 Little Bourke St Melbourne VIC 

(There's another at 306 Little Lonsdale Street)
Phone: 9663 3727
Website: http://www.shineon.com.au/
Eftpos accepted over $15 (surcharge for credit cards)

I had a cut and blow wave and it was $50.
Hairdresser: Jenny

Steph says:

Hair history: Long, straight, slightly frizzy, thick Asian hair. Never been subjected to chemical treatments - neither straightening, perming or colouring. 

The haircut experience: Because these days, it's so much more than just a simple snip and go.

I ventured in on a Friday morning, a little past 11 o'clock. Shine wasn't too busy, but I didn't have an appointment. It seemed to be okay as I was set down straight away and got my hair washed.

Hair wash included head massage. I'm not really one for massages, so I guess it was good. The salon assistant (Emma) seemed to know exactly what she was doing and politely asked several times whether or not everything was ok.

Once that was done, I sat down for my hair cut. I haven't exactly been adventurous with my previous haircuts (see reasons above) and I wasn't about to change that. But this time, the experience was totally different!

My hairdresser was Jenny, who's actually the manager of the place (!!!) - and she is wonderful! She knew exactly what she was doing, incorporating my requests with her own personal suggestions, so I decided to screw it and trust her. Pleasantly surprised at the results.

She also made suggestions about hair care products I should use and possible hair treatments I could possibly like. Nothing too pushy which is always a plus in my book.

Once everything was done, she styled my hair and layered serum in it. Hair didn't have any sticky residue left behind, nor did it smell burnt (yes- that has happened to me before)

Credit
The products: Not too sure, but I'm pretty sure Muk Spa Shampoo and Conditioner was used on my hair. I'm not sure I like that particular shampoo and conditioner - nice scent but I'm pretty sure there are cheaper alternatives on the market. Needless to say I did not purchase.
GHD hairdryer and heat styler - I use a GHD straightener on a pretty regular basis, so nothing too special.






The location:



It's one of those places you kinda have to look for. You'll have to walk past the busy and noisy section of Chinatown and into the kind of sketchy looking part of the street. Is it just me that thinks this part is slightly dodgy? I know the area's changing and a lot more "hip" eateries and shops are finding their base here, but maybe it's hard to let go of past prejudices.

The decor: Not too tacky, nice and modern. Love the ambient purple lights and clean wooden flooring.

The price: Ah, and here's where it gets interesting. I paid $50 for my hair cut, which from experience, is quite pricey, even by Australian standards. I guess it's been six months since my last hair cut (all together now, ewww!) and maybe there was quite a lot of dead hair to get rid of. To put it into perspective:

Shine Hair and Beauty - $50
Sui Hair Salon - $50
Seri Hair Salon - $45
Just Cuts - $28 (and never again!)
Linh on Victoria St. - $16 >< - but definitely bang for your buck!
Family hacking at my hair with kitchen scissors - $0 ==


Rating: 8/10 - Pleasantly surprised with the result. Definitely beat my expectations.


Did I find "The One"? Maybe... We'll have to see. I've still got a few more hair salons I want to try out! Cats, anyone? Renaissance Hair?


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