Get 'Anime' Hair at Karei Spa and Wellness Hub

Underlayer Hair Color

I've been all over underlayer hair color for a while now. Last year, I tried pulling it off with the lightest brown permanent hair color as a base instead of having my hair bleached, then I applied temporary hair color. This is the result:

Read about the Hair Story here.

Been rocking that for months until recently when I let the temporary color fade out. Been contemplating on having my hair bleached. Then last week my friend posted this:

Gine's Anime Hair (Purple) [Source]

Naturally, my envy kicked in and I had to have my hair bleached and colored too! There are a number of ways to get Anime hair. I'll name two for now: DIY it, or go to a salon. I haven't had my hair bleached before I chose to have it done professionally. Sure I've done my research on DIY hair bleaching, but for now let's leave it to the professionals yeah?

Getting ready to have my hair bleached!

BUT WAIT!

Things to Know before getting your hair bleached

Have healthy hair and scalp

- Not all heads are 'bleach ready'. If your hair is too dry and/or damaged, your hair might need a few treatments and come back after a few weeks before the colorist can go ahead and bleach your hair. While that might sound like a money grab, you have to remember that bleaching is one of the strongest processes you can put your hair through. Your scalp health is important too! Make sure you have no wounds, scabs, zits or any abrasions before having your hair bleached.

There are things you can do at home improve the condition of your hair before bleaching:

• Use hair conditioner everyday.
• Apply hot oil/hair spa treatments at least once a week. 
• If necessary, go get your hair trimmed first. Have a stylist snip off those split ends!

You might need to bleach your hair more than once

- It all depends on the level of blonde you're going for. The darker your natural hair color, the longer the bleach should allowed to process. Some colorists double or triple process instead of leaving the bleach for hours on hair. Some would ask clients to go back after a few weeks, while others will do it within the day.

Bleaching isn't painless

- If you've had your hair colored before you'll be familiar with the stinging sensation. The 'pain' should be tolerable though. If you feel burning or excessive itching, inform the colorist immediately.

The texture of your hair will change

- Bleaching strips your hair of color. Bleached hair will become more porous and 'swollen' and therefore more vulnerable to other chemical processes and heat damage. There are products that protect your hair from the harmful effects of bleaching (like Olaplex). But I've yet to hear a salon here in the Philippines that uses it.

Bleached hair is high maintenance

Because of the texture change, your hair will require more TLC than ever before.

What NOT to do when getting your hair bleached

Do NOT lie to your colorist.

- Absolutely under no circumstances should you lie to your colorist. A colorist that knows what they're doing will ask for your hair history. Please for your hair's sake do NOT lie! Colorists need to know if your hair has undergone any chemical treatments like: perm, relax, rebond and/or color. They would also need to know how long ago you had these treatments.

Now that's out of the way...

Last Friday, I went to Karei Spa and Wellness Hub to have my hair bleached and colored. The colorist asked about my hair history and what I told her what I wanted done to my hair. I personally didn't need to show pics for reference, but it would be advisable to bring some in case you're not going for the traditional full head, ombre or underlayer styles.

When I was there, the available colors were blue, red, and purple. I was hoping pink would be available! They did say they are expecting more colors to be shipped in soon. Best to call in and ask for availability and save yourself a trip.

While I was envious of my friend's full head color, I still went for the underlayer look. I should mention that Karei Spa uses cream bleach and not powder bleach. Some claim cream bleach is safer and less damaging compared to powder bleach. I haven't been bleached before so I can't compare. I did expect the bleach to sting a little more compared to when I have my hair colored, but it wasn't more painful at all. It must be the cream bleach right?

One thing I loved about Karei Spa is that I know I got what I paid for. Because I have thick hair, I had to pay for a whole tube of cream bleach. They showed me the box. I saw them take the bleach out of the box, and squeezed all of it onto the mixing bowl, then they added developer and it was prepared it in front of me.

During bleaching 

This picture was taken around 20 minutes in. You'll see that the lengths at the back are still brown. Those are the layers of my hair that had permanent color in them. Notice that the layer above my left ear is a lighter shade. If you're going for a pastel or a vibrant color, you need to aim for a lighter color than what you're seeing here. A pale yellow is best. Think: the inside of a banana.

After the bleach was rinsed out, the color was applied. Like I said earlier, products were prepared in front of me. I saw them mix the blue color with a developer. This is kind of color is called demi-permanent color which supposedly lasts a lil longer than temporary hair color. Temporary hair color (like the Shine Moist Henna Wax Color Treatment and Manic Panic) doesn't use developer to deposit the color onto hair.

Blue hair color 

After

The color turned out a little blue-green! This is probably because there were yellow tones left in my hair. I could have had my hair double processed or left the bleach in a little longer. Another option would be to use a Pale Ash/Lighest Ash Blonde toner to remove the yellow tones in my hair. Not what I expected, but I love how it turned out! I like this color better than solid blue. Most of it is teal or seafoam green. The different shades of blue and green gives it dimension.

My sister came in after an hour and had hers done too. She had full head color with highlights. She also has thinner hair than I do. Here's how her bleach came out:

After bleaching

Purple color

After

While I was waiting for my sister to finish up, I took pics of the spa. I actually can't find some of the pics I took! ^_^; I'll update this post when I drop by Karei Spa again.

Karei Spa Eyebrow Tattoo Shapes

How much does it cost to get 'Anime' hair at Karei Spa?

Price starts at 1,500 Php. It will depend on how much product is used on your hair. To compare, my sister's full head color with highlights (with bleaching) cost almost 5,000 Php at David's Salon.

Both of our coloring cost less than 4k! Want to know how much yours would cost? Drop by Karei Spa for a quote. They have free consultation! Before I go, here are more pictures:

These were taken the next day:

Here you can actually see a strand on top of my head that's blue.

Here you can see more of the different shades of blue and green on my hair. The bottom right strands have streaks of a lighter green.

I wet my hair after 3 days. I could feel the difference of bleached hair. It was only letting cold water run through my hair but it was getting tangled easily. On the 4th day I started using conditioner again. I used shampoo on it on Day 5. I did notice some color bleeding. But it's minimal compared to temporary hair dye. Now that I've been using Pantene's 3MM Conditioner. My hair 'feels' like it's back to normal. It's soft and silky again! Doesn't tangle as easily and I can comb it using just my fingers again! If you haven't tried this amazing product yet, you should! Read my review HERE.

Tips for taking care of bleached hair:

• Use hair conditioner everyday
• Avoid using shampoos and conditioners with Sodium Laureth Sulfate or SLS. There are sides that argue for and against SLS, but here's a fact: SLS will make your hair color fade faster. This is also true for dandruff shampoos. Consider using dry shampoo.
• Do not brush or pull on your hair roughly
• Detangle hair starting on the ends working up to your roots
• Use heat styling protection on your hair before using blow dryers, and curling/flat irons. Overheating and drying bleached hair reduces moisture and elasticity.

Flyer (front)

Flyer (inside)

Flyer (back)

Flyer

Karei Spa and Wellness Hub
Park Avenue, cor. Harrison St., Vermont Park Subd., Marcos Highway
Brgy. Mayamot, Antipolo City
Store Hours: TUE to SUN from 10 AM - 10 PM
Tel No.: (02) 754 4638
Mobile No.: (+63) 920 920 4713

How you can #MakeMiraclesHappen - Pantene 3-Minute Miracle Review

#PanteneMiracle

When I went to the mall last week with my sister, I didn't plan on coming home with Pantene's newest product: the Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner (Total Damage Care 10). My sister bought one and told me about the rave reviews she has read online. Curious, I grabbed one and added it to our cart.

I also didn't plan to write a review about it, but after Day 1 of using the product I just had to share my #PanteneMiracle! My only regret now is not taking before pictures. Here's how to #MakeMiraclesHappen for you:

Directions:After shampoo, apply onto damp hair. Rinse off thoroughly. Recommended for daily use.

As you can see, the directions is no different than that of other conditioners. Day 1 was definitely a treat. Compared to my non-conditioned hair, it definitely looks shinier, and feels silkier and smoother. Compared to other conditioners I've tried, I can honestly say that the 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner is the best I have used so far. However, since I don't have the means to test my hair, I couldn't tell if 3 months worth of hair damage was indeed 'cured' after just one treatment. So I decided to use the product for 7 days before writing a review.

Full disclosure though, I am self-employed and I work from home so my hair is not as exposed to the sun and pollution. Half of my hair however, is color-treated so I do have some hair damage. (Read about it HERE.) For the purpose of this test, I rinsed the conditioner off exactly 3 minutes after application. And used the conditioner for 7 days.

AFTER PICTURES

Indoor shots under artificial light, with and without flash

Here's indoor shots under artificial light of my sister's bleached and colored hair, with and without flash

Outdoor shots under natural light

All pictures were taken around 5 hours after using the conditioner. This is also after being out for the afternoon, and riding a jeepney (and I know y'all know how that goes sometimes #WhipIt).

VERDICT

What I liked

The scent
- If you prefer subtle scented hair products, this is the conditioner for you! It has a fruity berry scent with a hint of vanilla.

A small amount of product goes long way
- While it's tempting to put more product in your hair in hopes of getting better results, this is actually not necessary to achieve the #PanteneMiracle.

Easy to rinse off
- This is a important for me since I refuse to support hair products that requires liters of water just to rinse it out. (Save Water, Shower Together!)

Silky shiny smooth hair with volume
- This is why my sister loves this product. Other conditioners she has tried leave her hair either silky, shiny or smooth, sometimes a combination of the three, but there's always a lack of volume. Conditioners tend to weigh down her hair too much, and as someone with thin hair, that limp hair look doesn't flatter her at all. Pantene's 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner feels like it's made for asian hair. It gives fine hair (whether you have thick hair like me, or thin hair like my sister's) that silky, shiny look that is smooth to the touch plus volume that lasts throughout the day!

What I didn't like

Hard to find
- While this wasn't an issue for us, it seems to be a problem for others. Customers are buying the product by the bulk so stores do get out of stock. Personally, my sister and I bought ours at the supermarket of Robinsons Antipolo.

Price
- The Total Damage Care 10 variant is on sale for 79.50 Php at the Robinsons Antipolo supermarket. The Watsons in the same mall sells it for 80.xx Php. The other variants retail for around 159.00 Php on Zalora. So why is this a CON? Because I'm simply wishing the price for this variant would never go up!

Buy Again?

Definitely! Though I am probably going for try the other variants of the 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner first before deciding which one I'll use as my everyday conditioner.

What's your #Pantene Miracle? Share your story below!

Fruit Yogurt Dessert Maker Review + Lazada (Sold by Amphorae) Review

Fruit Yogurt Dessert Maker

I ordered an (Imported) Fruit Yogurt Dessert Maker B1 at a discount at Lazada. It's an AS SEEN ON TV product. Well, at least I thought it would be the generic version of Yonanas since it doesn't say "Yonanas" on the ad.

What is Yonanas?

Yonanas is a fun new kitchen appliance that makes delicious, creamy, low-cost, healthy frozen treats that look & taste like soft serve ice-cream using ONLY frozen fruits!

[Source]

Check out their YT video:

I got introduced to 'healthy ice cream' a few years back. It was called 'vegan ice cream' and typically used only one ingredient: bananas! There's a few tutorials out there right now. Check out The Kitchn's How to Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient! You can either use a blender or a food processor. Then came Yonanas, which seems easier to clean, and is definitely more child-friendly to operate since the blades aren't exposed.

What you need:

1. Frozen fruit/s

Yes, technically you only need fruit/s to make a healthy ice cream! For Yonanas, the recommended base is overripe bananas. According to the website, 'cheetah spots' are a sign that the bananas are overripe. The more spots, the sweeter the bananas. You can of course create your own recipe and find out what is yummiest for you.

The plan:

Strawberry Banana Yonanas

TIP: Le sis wanted to try out making healthy ice cream this weekend. I initially looked for ripe bananas, but some grocery stores sell overripe bananas like pictured above.

Too bad I didn't know my friend went to Benguet last weekend. I could have asked her to buy strawberries for cheaper!

If you noticed, I used cling wrap to separate the fruits so they won't stick together after they've frozen. It shouldn't be a problem tho if you decide to thaw the fruits first before putting them in the machine.

I also bought avocadoes and planned on buying ripe mangoes for an mango-avocado sorbet.

The Fruit Yogurt Dessert Maker

Front

Add caption

Side

Back

It turns out that the product is not a generic fruit yogurt dessert maker, but a knockoff. Yonauas it says on the packaging. But that's not the part about this product sold by Amphorae on Lazada you should worry about.

What's in the box?

Cracked face

I removed the black chute to examine the machine and this is what I saw!

Cracked bottom

As soon as I picked this part up, the bottom panel fell out! Revealing the inside:

As you can see, some wires aren't even connected. I'm no electrician, but shouldn't that be hooked up to the motor? I called Lazada and asked about the return policy. Unfortunately, the 7 day return policy expired yesterday and the agent tells me that the product has no warranty. The agent was helpful though, and promised to coordinate with the seller about my concern.

On Lazada

While on the phone with the agent, I went to Lazada.com.ph and checked my order history. So that I could at least leave a review of the product if the seller does not take responsibility for this item. 

My Orders

Lazada fails in this regard. The listing doesn't even inform me who the seller is and where I can review the product I purchased. Good thing I was still on the line with the agent. She reminded me that the seller is Amphorae.

Seller Reviews and Ratings

If you look up a seller on Lazada, you can view their reviews and ratings, and rate the seller yourself. However, the page does not display the reviews for you to read.

The agent informed me that the product page is no longer listed, since it's out of stock. Lazada should keep these pages up. Why? Because customers have the right to leave reviews of the product and have it publicly available. Having it taken down like that defeats the purpose of customer reviews!

Lesson Learned

• Check packages as soon as it is delivered!

I have been a Lazada customer since 2012, and I have never received a defective/damaged item until now. Even if you completely trust your seller, you should always check your package as soon as you receive it. 

The tuition fee for this lesson is: ₱ 907.99. Probably chump change for some, but this fee was totally avoidable.

Overall

My tummy is quite disappointed. My body was ready to omnom on healthy ice cream! I shall not be deterred though! I plan on going to the grocery tomorrow to buy some Greek Yogurt and try making healthy ice cream using a blender. If all goes well, maybe I'll blog about that instead. 

Update: 03/08/2015

Unfortunately, here's a snip of the email I received from Lazada 2 days ago:

Dear Acar,
We would like to inform you that as per coordination to our concern group item has been reported beyond the return policy for the order 303455227.
Item Name: (IMPORTED) Fruit Yogurt Dessert Maker B1
Our apology for this has been causing you.

I guess that's it then. I'll have to find a way to rate the seller and hopefully my review will serve as a warning for other customers.

Do you have (authentic) Yonanas? Is it worth the investment? Or do you make healthy ice cream another way? Share your story below!

The Brow Studio - A Brow Design Ensogo voucher Review

Ensogo [Source]

I've been a regular customer of Ensogo Philippines and other group buying sites. So far, my experiences have been positive. I've received authentic products in good condition, and have been able to claim service vouchers/coupons without hidden charges.

Last year, I bought The Brow Studio

• 1 session of Brow Design + 2 sessions of Brow Clean-up

Package from Ensogo at 50% for only 349 PHP. I've been putting it off for a few months now, but the voucher expires at the end of this month so I decided to bite the bullet!

The Brow Studio [Source]

Vouchers usually require customers to make reservations and set appointments. This is the same for The Brow Studio voucher from Ensogo. I called the Shopwise Araneta branch last Jan 11th to schedule an appointment for Jan 14th. All The Brow Studio contact info can be found on their About section of their Facebook Page. Unfortunately, no one was answering their phone. So I sent them an email, and posted on their Fb wall.

They replied to my comment within the day, and helped me set an appointment. The email was answered after 2 days. I would suggest contacting them via Facebook if you can't contact them via phone.
I arrived at the Shopwise Araneta branch after 12 noon. I gave them a printed copy of my Ensogo voucher, and filled out a log sheet. While waiting I took 2 pics:

The Brow Studio Flyer

The Brow Studio couches

The service I purchased is for Brow Design which the Ensogo page describes as:

• Brow Design is the process of assessing, reshaping and discovering the perfect arch for your facial features.

I make it a point to do a bit of research before I purchase products and services. Needless to say, I've read a few The Brow Studio reviews. Three of the blogs I've read mentioned the Brow Rx [1][2][3]. It's a mock up of a doctor's prescription sheet, only it's for eyebrows! It's used by The Brow Studio designer as a guide to show the client the eyebrow shape that best compliments their facial features. It also has info about brow prescription and reminders.

I am unsure if the other blog reviews just excluded the Brow Rx or if they weren't given one at all. In my case, after the brow designer was finished setting up, she asked me to sit on the couch without giving me a Brow Rx. I must admit I expected her to at least ask me if I'm familiar with the procedure, and then explain what shape she's going for.

BEFORE

Before she started though, I asked her to help me take Before photos:

Before

Before

Before

Look at those caterpillars! I let them grow out for a few weeks for a more dramatic result. 

Threading

While it was my first threading experience, I have tried plucking my eyebrows before. How does it feel? Threading feels like plucking a few strands at a time! Whenever I pluck my eyebrows, I can't help but cry. It's not that the pain is intolerable, it's just how I my body reacts. I apologized to the brow designer, and her response was to crack jokes that made me a lot more comfortable ("Tiis ganda ma'am!).

I also thought when you get your eyebrows threaded you'll just sit there and enjoy endure the procedure. Turns out, sometimes client participation is needed! I was asked to lift my eyebrows and pull down the corner of my eye a little bit. Heh. Things you learn! 

My brow designer provided feedback during the threading. She told me that my eyebrows look thick because I had long and thick strands. The strands are spaced apart that she can't trim it much or it would end up looking patchy.

AFTER

After

After

Don't be alarmed by the redness and the swelling. It's normal. Other reviewers experienced it too (in varying degrees). Mine's probably the "worst" I've seen, but that's because I have sensitive skin. The redness went away after 3 hours.

Before I left, I asked them about the my sessions of Brow Clean-up. My brow designer said I can come in every 2 weeks. I now have a record with them so I don't need to provide another copy of the voucher.

Ensogo has been selling The Brow Studio vouchers since 2013. If you're looking for an excuse to try The Brow Studio, follow Ensogo and watch out for another voucher sale. Then again, the Brow Design's regular price is 328 PHP. You can always come in and have that done, then just maintain your brows yourself. It's worth the money!

I'm already looking forward to  my next visit. I'm hoping the next sessions wouldn't make me cry as much! Have you tried The Brow Studio's services? Where do you get your eyebrows done? Tell me about it below!

The Brow Studio
2nd Flr. Bridgeway
Shopwise Araneta Cubao Q.C.
Mobile: (+63) 932 866 3224
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