My First Hair Perm-and-Dye at X’Pect Studio

by Roxanne C.

You know how to tell when a girl has just gone through a major breakup? She changes her hair. But oh no, it’s not just a normal cut-and-blow session at the salon. Instead, it’s a drastic do-whatever-you-think-looks-best-on-me kind of gamble with the most expensive stylist around. The worse the breakup, the worse the heartache and the more money she’s going to spend.

 

Anyhow, I suppose you can tell that I’ve had quite an OK romantic life seeing that my hair’s been all sleek and straight (read: boring) for as long as I can remember. Actually, it’s more of needing to save up than anything. I mean, I’d rather spend my hard-earned cash at Shu Uemura or on a lovely vacation at a Balinese villa. That said, you don’t always need a crisis to get your hair done!

 

I popped by X’Pect Studio one day after work to see what I could get out of a hair makeover. I was tired of my flat, limp hair and wanted something more voluminous and alive. My stylist for the day was Lee, who was very accommodating and gave me lots of options to consider. In the end, we decided upon a layered style with soft waves.

 

My First Hair Perm-and-Dye at X’Pect Studio

 

It started with a consult with Lee, who analysed my hair type and asked more about what I wanted. Then, it was time to get to work! My hair was washed, snipped and then some relaxant was applied before the perm.

 

My First Hair Perm-and-Dye at X’Pect Studio

 

Halfway through the perm, Lee took a long look at my hair and then asked if I ever considered getting it coloured. Of course I had! So wham bam thank you ma’am, and everything became exciting again. After all, it was the first time I was getting my hair dyed at a salon! There were so many shades to choose from, and because my hair is quite dark to begin with, there were some colours that wouldn’t turn out the way I would have liked them to – such as the ash shade that I really liked. In the end, my heart still settled upon an ash colour, even though Lee had informed me that it would turn out more brown than ash. The other shades seemed a tad too reddish or yellow for my liking. Ash would have to do.

 

That bunch of curls you see in the picture above? That was what my hair looked like immediately after the perm machine was released. Too cute! I had fun imagining I was some 18th century Goldilocks going to a ballroom dance in her Victorian corset dress. Of course, that didn’t last. At the end of the few hours I spent at X’Pect Studio, my hair was lighter, livelier, had more texture and had more life! I totally loved it!

 

Style Tip:

By the way, if you also have curls or waves, one way to maintain them is to apply a curl sculpting product to wet hair before bedtime, twirling your hair as you go along, so that you’ll wake up with perfect curls!

 

It’s been about 2-3 weeks now since my makeover, and the curls are no longer as defined, as Lee only gave me a “soft wave” type of perm. So right now, my hair looks more like this:

 

My First Hair Perm-and-Dye at X’Pect Studio

1. ASOS Longline Woven Cami Top | 2. ASOS Pencil Skirt In Scuba In Mountain Landscape Print | 3. Maku Store Singapore Shoulder Bag

 

Up till today, I’m still getting compliments from the people around me on how nice my hair is. The people I meet at work have noticed the pleasant update to my look and now I’m known as “Roxanne with the New Hair.” My experience at X’Pect Studio was a surprise, as I didn’t think I’d come to love my new do as much, and right now all I can think about is what style I’m going to have next! I’ll definitely go lighter the next time I get my hair coloured (may be even going for a bleach and more daring ombre), and I’m sticking to waves from now on. Thank you X’Pect Studiofor this makeover!