How Junca Salon Saved My Hair

If you guys have read my latest post, you'll know that my hair isn't in it's best condition right now. After getting it colored and bleached, it's extremely damaged. That's why last weekend, I took matters into my own hands by visiting Junca Salon located at 58 Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, South Triangle Quezon City, Philippines. I first heard about this salon through MYX Philippines. VJ Sarah Carlos was talking about their famous Amino Acid Treatment which contains protein to make the hair stronger. I wanted to try it out for myself since at this point I was desperate to restore the health of my hair somehow.

I went there last March 1 to consult with Ms. Monika Abad their PR and Ms. Aileen their senior hair stylist. Originally, I was only supposed to avail of their Amino Acid Treatment but Ms. Aileen wanted to tone the color of my hair since she said that my highlights were not well blended. She suggested to dye my hair ash brown but I wanted a lighter color so we agreed upon a copper shade.

I came back a few days later to get my hair dyed, treated and trimmed.

Here, Ms. Miles is prepping my hair before applying the non-ammonia color. During the process, I felt no discomfort or stinging sensation on my scalp. The dye had a pleasant scent and did not smell of strong chemicals.

After they washed my hair, Ms. Miles and Ms. Rachel proceeded to apply the Amino Acid Treatment on my locks. It is a frozen hair treatment that restores the moisture which is stripped off the hair when it gets colored.

They made sure that I was comfortable and even gave me a hand massage. They also offered complimentary coffee.

After getting my hair dyed and treated, Ms. Aileen trimmed the ends of my hair to get rid of the split ends.

The result? Shiny, soft and healthy looking hair!

I am very happy with the outcome and I am super satisfied with the quality of their service! The staff is accommodating and really makes sure that their customers feel at home.

They even gave me a take home hair treatment!

I really commend Junca Salon for their exceptional services and accommodating staff! I definitely recommend them to anyone who wants to further beautify their hair!

-Aly

THEY FRIED MY HAIR!!!

I've always enjoyed dying my hair. Back in highschool, I've tried shades of brown and once, I even went for a red hue. However, my highschool did not permit us to have colored hair so I eventually dyed my hair back to it's original color which is a dark brown. You can refer to the picture below which shows my natural hair color.

Since I've had dark hair for a couple of years now, I decided to take the plunge and dye my hair a lighter color. I wanted to go for golden brown with honeycomb blonde highlights.

I contemplated for a long time on what salon to get my hair done since I realized that a woman's crowning glory is worth the investment. Yes, it costs more to get it done professionally but the results are worth your money. And that's where I got it wrong. Great results are only possible if the stylist's knows what she/he is doing. Unfortunately, mine didn't. Hence, my hair got fried in the process.

I didn't want to mention the name of the salon but so far they have not properly responded to my complains, so for the sake of those of you who might be interested in getting their hair done there, I'll have to name it so you can avoid getting your locks massacred like what they did to mine. I will save them the pain of mentioning which particular branch was responsible for ruining my hair however, I believe that it is my duty to prevent them from causing further damage to their clients. Some of you might be shocked to hear that Status Salon is the reason behind my damaged, dry and brittle locks. It was even more baffling to find out that Tricia Gosingtian, a well known fashion blogger gets her hair colored by the same stylist who practically burned my hair.

At first, I thought they did a great job with the color of my hair. I liked how it turned out to be a vibrant shade of blonde. Even though I was actually aiming to become a brunette, I didn't complain since I thought the color suited me just fine. People even said that it complimented me.

The problem came after I washed my hair 48 hours after getting it dyed. I immediately noticed that my hair was no longer lustrous and soft to the touch. Instead, it felt frail and rough which I wasn't expecting because they had applied hair treatment after dying it. Nevertheless, it still ended up looking frizzy and unhealthy.

I actually had to get my hair fixed at another salon 'cause I was so scared that if I went back there, they would just fry my hair again and I would end up being bald. Luckily, my hair was somehow salvaged by Junca Salon. I'll talk about them in another post. 

So there, that's the story of how I got my hair fried. I hope this helps prevent future hair mishaps caused by the said salon.

-Aly

My 21st Birthday Celebration

Last October 18, I celebrated my 21st birthday with my mom at Vanilla Cupcake Bakery. 

Before I show you guys what we ate, I'm first going to share the outfit I wore during my birthday.

[romper: The Pad | shoes: Tomato]

For makeup, I went with a light & fresh look.

Vanilla Cupcake Bakery is known for their different array of cupcakes, but what most people don't know is that they also serve delicious food. My mom ordered the VCB Special Tapa while I got Mr. & Mrs. Wings which comes with chicken wings, fries, and garlic rice. We also shared dalandan juice and for dessert we had Smores flavored icecream.

VCB Special Tapa

Mr. & Mrs. Wings

Dalandan Juice

Smores Icecream

Overall, my mother and I had a wonderful time. The food was flavorful and the ambiance made the perfect setting for our simple lunch date.

After eating out, I went to the gym and waited for my best friend to finish working out, then we headed home to have another celebration, this time with my family.

Midnight Dream Cake

My mom bought spaghetti from Amber's and barbecue, while my dad got me a cake from Cara Mia.

I felt really blessed to be able to share my special day with my loved ones and I am so grateful to have these people in my life.

-Aly

BeautyMNL Collective Haul!!!

I've recently discovered an online shopping site called BeautyMNL. It's a one stop shop wherein you can buy makeup, skin care, bath essentials and other beauty products! What's great about this is you can shop from the comforts of your own home! Now who wouldn't want that?

Onto the items that I've bought from them.

Fr: L-R

Nippon Pro Blend Sponge Kit
Pro Studio Mini Pro Blend Egg Songe Duo
Holika Holika Baby Pet Magic Mask Sheet (Pug)
Made by David Orange and Vanilla Dry Shampoo

Below is a picture of me using the Holika Holika Baby Pet Magic Mask Sheet (Pug):

Fr: L-R; T-B

-Dove Oxygen & Nourishment Shampoo and Conditioner Sample Set
-Dewytree Ultra Vitalizing Snail Cream Sample
-Lux Magical Spell Bar
(Freebies)

 Fr: L-R

Beach Born Sea Salt Spray
Savex Lip Balm in Mango
Celeteque Brightening Eye Tuck Plus Dark Circles Lightener
Holika Holika Daily Garden Olive Lip & Eye Makeup Remover

Fr: L-R

Pond's Pinkish White BB Cream in Light
Lux Magic Spell Bar
(Freebies)

Another bonus is that they give freebies with every purchase! And did I mention that their shipping fee is only P50? Aside from this you actually get free shipping if your orders reach a minimum of P2000. So visit their site now and start hoarding your favorite beauty products!

-Aly

Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Curling Essence Review

Hey guys! I know it's been such a long time since I've posted anything new and I am so sorry for that. The past year has been so hectic, everything passed by in a blur. Moving on, I felt inspired to blog again after trying out this product and it is non other than the Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Curling Essence!

Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Curling Essence

150 ml

(P 498)

What it claims:

Description

The product keeps your precious curls fresh and bouncy by fixing curls that loosen over time after a perm and by protecting damaged hair caused by frequent styling!

Directions

After shampoo, towel-dry hair and apply an appropriate amount on hair as if scrunching with the hands to style.

Verdict:

I am totally in love with this hair product! It makes my permed hair look more alive and curlier at the same time without making my locks look or feel crunchy to the touch! It also smells good and many people compare the scent to powder but for me it has a mild floral scent which I really like. I am super satisfied with this curling essence and that's saying a lot since I only got it last Saturday! I've only been using it for 4 consecutive days but I already see instant results. My hair looks freshly permed! Instead of looking loose (since I got a perm September of last year), my curls look tight and bouncy! I admit it is a little pricey but trust me, you definitely get your money's worth. Besides, a little goes a long way so this will last you for months! I highly recommend this to girls who have naturally wavy/curly or permed hair like mine.

Here's a picture of me with the Etude House Silk Scarf Damage Protein Curling Essence applied to my hair:

-Aly

First Impressions: Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner

Recently, I've been seeing a lot of people posting about the newest product of Pantene which is their 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner. I became curious about this so called 'miracle conditioner' so yesterday, I decided to pick one up at Robinsons Supermarket.

Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner Hair Fall Control

180 ml

(P159)

It's my 1st time to use it today and what I can say about this conditioner is that it smells so good. The scent of this product is just plain wonderful. I can't really tell if it's effective in reducing hair fall (Disclaimer: I DO NOT experience hair fall but I have found some products which can help strengthen and reduce hair fall) since I have only used it once but I will update you guys if it is worth the investment.  Actually, the reason why I took this particular variant was because it was the only one available at Robinsons so I decided to wing it and just try it out for myself to see what everyone is so excited about.

The Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner comes in two variants: Total Damage Care and Hair Fall Control. This conditioner is also available in three sizes: 70 ml (P59), 180 ml (P159) and 340 ml (P259).

You can get Pantene's 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner at your local supermarkets and at Zalora.com for 50 % off (Promo)!

-Aly

My Morning Routine

I've been meaning to share my morning routine with you girls for some time now but I honestly don't know what took me so long to do it. Anyway, before I start sharing my morning routine I want to give you guys an idea of what my skin is like. I have a combination skin type which means that there are parts of my face that are dry and parts of it that are oily. I started practicing this beauty regimen two years ago since I noticed some dry patches on my forehead. At first I got rid of the dryness temporarily by spraying some facial mist on a kabuki brush and just dabbing that on the dry area of my forehead before applying any makeup. Eventually, I realized that investing in good quality skincare products will help improve the state of my skin in the long run.

I keep all my essentials in this cute red tote from The Body Shop which was a gift from my aunt.

Morning Routine:

 *Products are used from left to right

 Little Baby Sweet Macaron Lip Balm

I start of by applying Little Baby Sweet Macaron Lip Balm on my lips. My puckers are Sahara Desert dry and though this lip balm does not remove the dryness completely it soothes my chapped lips and it's able to heal any minor wounds on the side of my lips. It does have a slight stinging effect though.

 Tyro White Toner

I moisten a cotton ball (I usually only use half a cotton ball) with Tyro White Toner and apply that all over my face and neck. Since this toner contains alcohol it's more drying and it stings my eye and nose area. I also find it very pungent but maybe that's just me.

 Olay Age Protect Anti-Ageing UV Lotion

I apply some Olay Age Protect Anti-Ageing UV Lotion to both my face and neck. I love Olay and I've tried other moisturizers of theirs but I always go back to this one since I love the fact that it has SPF 15 and that it is an anti aging lotion as well. I don't break out whatsoever and it doesn't have a greasy feel to it.

 Black Beauty Hair Moisturizer with UV Protection

After applying moisturizer on my face, I do my makeup then I use a pump of Black Beauty Hair Moisturizer with UV Protection and smooth that onto my hair. This hair serum is a little heavy on my locks so I make sure that I don't use too much of it or else it will weigh down my hair and make it look greasy. It has a powdery floral scent which I like.

Rucy's Vanity Hand Cream in Lavender

I use Rucy's Vanity Hand Cream in Lavender during the morning when I don't have pole dancing classes and I really like the formulation of this hand cream since it moisturizes my hands without making them too slippery. I'm not too keen on the scent of this since it smells like medicine instead of lavender.

And just in case you guys are wondering, I do use lotion but I only use it 4 times a week 'cause the rest of the time I use Nivea In Shower Conditioner since I attend pole dancing classes during the days when I don't have school. 

I hope guys and girls with combination skin type found this helpful!

-Aly