Hats off to working moms. As I went back to the workforce last month, I quickly realized how important multitasking really is for mothers everywhere. While staying at home and taking care of the baby is easy, going through Metro Manila traffic to work in the office and later taking care of the baby is tiring and time-consuming.

The daily tasks that need to be done every day often causes me to run out of time for myself. Sometimes I forget lunch. Other times I forget my laundry. And I haven’t had my hair done in months!

But recently I got a break. Bangs Prime Salon is heaven-sent! It recently gave my lifeless hair its much-needed pick-me-up—a new cut and color that suit my hectic mommy lifestyle!

The Salon

There’s a Bangs Prime Salon in SM Marikina, about 30 minutes away from my house even with moderate traffic. I popped by on a weekday, a few hours before rush hour, which meant I didn’t have to wait for hours for my turn!

Although to be fair, I wouldn’t mind waiting for hours. The salon has nice comfy lounge chairs covered in luxuriously soft fabric—so comfortable—and there’s wi-fi to keep me amused. I can browse Instagram or laugh at Reddit posts while waiting.

The Session

Before my makeover sesh began, Ms Angel, my stylist, asked me about my preferred hairstyle and color. I told her I wanted something suitable for me. She told me about the best color for me, and I ended up picking a nice golden brown shade for my hair, and a medium-length cut, so it would be easier for me to wash and dry everyday (this is most important, since time is more precious than gold for moms like me!)

I knew in advance that the whole session would take at least 2 hours to complete—that’s a lot in mommy time. To get a lot of things done, I brought my laptop with me, and thankfully the staff was very accommodating! They let me use their own computer table and even gave me a drink. I got to choose between their Korean tea and coffee (Nescafe original blend and brew). And in case my laptop ran out of juice, I could have also connected it to one of their power outlets, no question.

The Haircut

I wanted a medium-length that was easily wearable, but I didn’t have any photos with me. So the staff showed me a set of photos for ideas on the look that I wanted. Getting my haircut felt quick! It probably only took 20 minutes to complete.

The Color

My head had lots of silver hair, and I wanted to get rid of them or at least hide them. The staff showed me the colors available and Ms Angel explained how the color I chose (golden brown) could end up looking a little darker than the sample. I was cool with it, since having to bleach my hair would take a lot more time to do.

I was surprised about the ear caps—I’ve heard about shower caps protecting the entire head of hair, but it was my first time to encounter ear caps to protect the ears from getting hair color.

I’m also happy to share eyebrows were colored to match my new hair.

The Hair Treatment

Exposing hair to too many chemicals—through hair coloring, straightening or perming—can cause severe damage over time. Since I was no stranger to hair conditioners and masks, I knew that moisturizing hair treatments every so often was necessary to maintain healthy hair. So what should be done right after coloring hair?

The answer: Get a 6-step repair treatment system called the Mucota Scena Clinic. At first I was a little scared to try the moisturizing treatment out, because I thought it would cause my hair to go flat and limp. Thankfully it didn’t!

After a good, thorough shampoo and rinse, Scena Ethos was applied to remove the unnecessary chemicals from frequent hair coloring and styling. It also helps maintain hair pH levels. It smelled so nice! After several minutes my hair was then rinsed.

Scena Adel was then applied to my hair. It was the moisture base before the treatment, meaning it helps damaged hair retain moisture and in great condition for the rest of the treatment. Adel’s ceramide, cholesterol and amino acids help make sure my hair retains the moisture it needs. To make sure my hair absorbed all those good stuff, they used a steamer for about 10 minutes or so before rinsing.

I was then treated to Scena Brava, which contained five different hair repair ingredients to cover all kinds of hair damage. It not only repairs damaged hair, but also maintains hair structure. Brava was sprayed evenly all over my hair, let sit for a few minutes and then slightly rinsed.

After that Scena Calore was applied to repair cuticle damage, sealing hair ends and protecting the entire hair shaft in the process. Calore has two cuticle repair ingredients to encourage smooth and shiny hair. There was no steaming required for this step.

After several minutes, all the good Mucota Scena ingredients were rinsed off and a great conditioner called Aire was applied then washed off. Cold water was used to avoid unnecessary hair damage.

All in all the Mucota Scena Clinic treatment took about 40-60 minutes to complete. My hair was then dried, and I noticed that even with the blow dryer and hair straightener, my hair kept its beautiful, healthy appearance. I was so impressed!

The Aftermath

Of course as soon as I got home, I sent my husband a picture of how I looked after the makeover. I myself couldn’t believe how a 2-hour session at Bangs Prime Salon could bring back my “youthful glow”—I didn’t look like I was a tired mess anymore. My hair was finally smooth and healthy looking!

Over the weekend my husband and I went out and I was surprised that he could not stop touching my hair! He didn’t do that often, so it was definitely a pleasant surprise.

The Verdict

5 out of 5 stars! From the accommodating staff and skilled Korean Hair stylist, to the free wi-fi and drink, everything about Bangs Prime Salon focuses on keeping clients happy and relaxed. I still can’t believe the salon let me use the computer table so I can work while getting my hair done! It’s such a great help for moms—or even any busy career woman—like me.

Official Website:               www.bangsprimesalon.com.ph

Facebook Page:                 www.facebook.com/bangstnj 

Twitter:                               www.twitter.com/bangstnj

Instagram:                         www.instagram.com/bangstnj

YouTube Channel:           www.youtube.com/channel/UCxMqwZynFVaG1WwaZtzWuVA

SM Marikina branch:      706 2554

Head Office:                       526 1965 local 105, 113-114

Thank you so much!!! I’ll surely be back.

Late last year I got to spend my first trimester at South Korea with my localized Benedict Cumberbatch (my husband!) Since this was our first trip out of the country, we both agreed to be more willing to drop cash on food and personal goodies. That was a relief, because I am (and have always been) a worry wart when it came to nearly everything, especially my financial security. The only time we began worrying about on-hand cash was halfway through our stay!

When we toured Gangnam a bit, there was a big Olive Young branch that got my attention instantly. At that time we’ve both neglected to slather moisturizers all over our bodies, and since South Korea in November is usually 0 degrees cold, our skin were already dying for something soothing.

My husband let me swipe my card for about KR84,000 worth of Dr. Jart beauty products (not a lot), and luckily it happened during Black Friday week. Olive Young was doing some promo that I couldn’t really tell, but I was happy to receive a bunch of beauty stuff from the “2017 Health and Beauty Awards”.

I got a Tea Tree mask, some makeup sponges, feminine cleansers, toothpaste, moisturizers, serums, shampoos and even facial washes for men. I’m not sure if I had given those to my husband. I’m pretty sure I gave away most of the samples to my mom, keeping just a handful of stuff for myself. Here are some of the stuff that stood out for me:

All the goodies came in this denim beauty case. I love that I got it just when I needed to throw away my old makeup cases!

Ads for Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin line had been nearly ALL OVER Olive Young stores when we were there, and by the third or fourth time I saw the little yellow penguins I was already curious. I like that the freebies I got came with sachets of the entire product line, plus a 30ml tube of the body lotion.

I’ve already finished using the Ceramidin body wash, scrub, serum and liquid–got to use them on my chaffed thighs and face at SoKor. The ones left are the cream and lotion. Smell- and texture-wise they’re all a little different from each other, but efficacy-wise, I’d say my favorites are serum, cream and lotion. The lotion tube, I have to say, protected my thighs pretty well at SoKor (though they had some help from my fave Cicapair cream)!

VERDICT

Overall I’m pretty happy with the freebies I got from Olive Young! I can’t wait to try the other samples.

Don’t tell my husband, but for my 31st birthday I splurged on bath items instead of my usual food-clothes-makeup combo. The reason? Living in Mandaluyong has given me access to a variety of products that would have usually cost me an arm and a leg if I had lived elsewhere, and my birthday weekend was perfect opportunity to unwind after back-breaking, eye-luggage-inducing work.

A major sale (“up to 80% off!”) that happened recently put hair care products from Bed Head and Davines a whole lot more affordable so I made sure to get my own stash of goodies for my birthday. I figured I also needed to buy something good for my dad, anyway.

Bed Head TIGI styleshots epic volume shampoo and conditioner – Php 999

You can’t use one without the other. Both smell a lot like strawberry candies, and while the shampoo strips the root cause of my hair’s limp and lifeless appearance, the conditioner brings back the lost moisture and helps give my fine hair some bounce. Once my hair is dry, the sweet strawberry scent becomes a lot fainter. The smell only lasts about 2-3 hours in the polluted wilderness of Metro Manila, but the limp and lifeless hair look doesn’t return until more than 24 hours later.

DAC London Rose Blush Whitening & Firming Facial Foam – Php300

I have serious questions about this product, since I’ve never seen any article about it aside from those from BeautyMNL. I’m not sure if this is a legit imported product, but I really like the novelty of dispensing foam flower everyday. Unfortunately, sources say that it’s best used as the second step in a 2-step cleansing regimen, and most working gals ain’t got no time for that.

LUSH Maypole – Php275 per 100g, I got 170g = Php467

As expected, this Lush product is expensive. But it stole my heart right away, with the delicious, warm combo of peppermint and maple syrup too much to resist. And who knew that combination would turn out something like inedible minty candy? I happily purchased the big slab of soap immediately after taking a good whiff of it. It was that incredible.

Note to self: Grab a tub of Maypole body lotion as soon as it’s available.

LUSH Sex Bomb Ballistic – Php325

I did a little research before making this important purchase, because I knew I could make bath bombs myself. There were cheap brands available online too.

But I didn’t want to risk disappointing myself when I drew a relaxing bath on my birthday, so I went with a Lush product.

I chose Sex Bomb because it was one of the more popular bath bombs (just think: jasmine, ylang ylang and sage wafting in the air!) and it wasn’t too glittery for a jacuzzi.

LUSH Brightside Bubble Bar – Php375

I love citrus scents although most citrus perfume don’t agree with my skin.

I picked this up on a whim since I figured I would also want a bubble bath. Before use, this little treat was stashed in the closet with Sex Bomb, a great surprise each time my hubby and I went through our wardrobe.

Here’s the bubble bar doing its thing:

Davines NaturalTech Energizing Superactive and Shampoo Set – Php3500

My dad already has the stuff he needs for everything he likes, and most of the stuff I’ve given him, too, were often left unused until expired. Yes, I was hesitant when I purchased this set. But the set is designed to help improve thinning hair. I decided to make a giant leap and went ahead with this product for his 59th birthday. <3

The Damage? Php5,966 total.

I charged all these to my credit card, since I’m hoping to use my overtime pay for all these scentsational items.