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 Hihi! I am Serene Heng:) I was born on 22 December 1988, a huge baby who weighed over 9 pounds. I grew up in a humble house, raised by my adorable parents. I have two elder sisters, 4 nieces, 1 nephew, and 1 rabbit. Hahaha はじめまして。 どうぞよろしくお願いします！  2015 Resolutions
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Act Point Salon @Mid Point Orchard Review
`°•.¸¸.•°` Thursday, August 18, 2016 `°•.¸¸.•°`
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Ever since I've cut away my long hair, my friends and colleagues have been asking me this question,
"Do you regret cutting your hair?"
Of course not!
Short hair makes me look younger, more radiant, and happier! :)
Not long ago, I had to perm my hair for a commercial shoot shortly after I cut my hair short. With clumsy hands like me, I really have no talent in managing hard curls. The stylists always make it look so easy.
With a busy work schedule, I really wanted a style that is easy to maintain, yet looks chic and modern at the same time. And I was introduced to Act Point Salon!
Stage 0: Before
I did a commercial shoot that featured Korean hairstyles recently. I was therefore given a Korean cold perm to achieve the look. However, I was unable to style the Korean look on my own so I looked more like a mangled mess at best, an ajumma at worst! :0
I was helpless!
Due to the cold perm, my smooth, short hair was gone once again. It was frizzy and messy. From the sides, my hair actually looked like a triangular pyramid. And I began to resemble more and more like a Tweety Bird. Hahaha
 
Stage 1: Consultation
Stage 1: Consultation
My journey up to Act Point Salon was pretty unique. As Midpoint Orchard building (which is opposite 313 Somerset) has been around for many years, the interior paled in comparison to the neighboring, newer shopping malls. The escalator broke down the day that I was there, so I had to take the stairs. Shops located there were old too. At the back of my mind, I was already wondering if Act Point Salon could deliver and meet my standards.
Totally unnecessary.
Act Point Salon is a whole new league by itself. The interior was beautiful yet classy. There were huge mirrors everywhere. You could even oversee the orchard road through the windows.
After entering, I was introduced to Bro, the manager of Act Point Salon. He has very unique name! I guess probably guys like to call each other "bro". So in the end he adopted Bro as his name. Haha.
I spoke to Bro about my concerns and he too, felt that the hairstyle was not suitable for me. After running his fingers through my hair, I seemed to have inconsistent "bends" at the back of my head. He wasn't sure if that was a result of bad perm or that the bends were marks left behind by rubber bands. In any case, the best way is to wash my hair first and we would be able to know.
Stage 2: Hair Wash and Second Consult
 I didn't like my pyramid head, neither did Bro. The sides were not flattering.  
And so, Bro did his magic and snipped away!
Stage 3: Hair Cut  
Cutting away the pyramid hair.
  Stage 4: Pre-Treatment
And now, it's time for the digital perm. Before do so, Bro applied pre-treatment solution to the length of my hair where he would be perming to protect the hair before starting the treatment.
   Stage 5: Perm Lotion
Perming your hair can leave your hair feeling dry and that is the case especially for my hair. In fact, Bro mentioned that he normally wouldn't recommend perming an already permed hair as it can cause the hair to be really frizzy.
Tokio de Sinka is the only brand of perm lotion he dares to use on my hair because it contains many treatments and ingredients that help to repair the damaged hair while perming it, leaving your hair feeling smooth at the ends.
Really meh?
Really.
Initially I was skeptical too. It sounded as if treatment was added to the perm lotion in order to make my hair smooth. But wouldn't it be counter effective to have that in the perm lotion or that it might affect the overall effect of the perm? Apparently not!! Continue reading and see the results yourself.
Apparently, Tokio de Sinka contains this very special ingredient called Fullerene. It is a very powerful antioxidant that protects the hair from UV rays and damage from the hair chemicals. The Tokio company managed to create a new aggregation process to propel the Fullerene and other amino acids deep within the cortex of the hair so that it can protect my hair for a longer period of time!
Can't wait to see the results!
 Bro applied the perm lotion to the mid of my hair when it would be permed.    Stage 6: Blow dry and Treatment
After washing away the perm lotion, my hair already felt smoother!
Leave-on treatment was then sprayed onto my hair and eventually blow-dried.
 
Touch, touch, smell, smell. Hair feels so smooth :)
My hair smelt of lemon-grass, which was very refreshing!
 Stage 7: Curling hair
Time to create the curls. Digital perm uses heat to create the curls that are much more natural and less damaging to the hair. The curler rolls were then heated to just 80 degree celsius. For a lot of other perm lotions, the average temperature used is at least120 degree celsius to 200 degree celsius... literally burning your hair with heat to achieve the curls.
That's what's special about the Tokio Sinka Perm - it allows the curlers to be heated to a lower temperature without sacrificing the result of the perm!
       
No more UFO look-alike machine. Look at the tiny machine. Although it is small, it's power is big enough to do the job perfectly. Never underestimate the power of small things, and small people. Hahaha.
After 20mins, my curls are ready!
 
It looked really curly after the perm, but I wasn't afraid at all. I am sure Bro wouldn't leave me like that.
 Stage 8: Applying Neutraliser
As part of the perming process, neutralizer has to be applied in order to "lock" in the curls.
 Stage 9: Post Treatment
No matter how mild the perming process, it is still a chemical agent. Hence, treatment is recommended to be done after perming in order to ensure that your hair remains smooth and healthy. Tokio de Sinka's treatment lotion was used for my hair.
  Stage 10 : Final Cut
Now that we were all set, it was time for the final cut to achieve that chic look that I wanted.
Can you already tell how smooth my hair is now ? :)
   
Stage 11: After
Here we are!
  
Just look at how much volume Bro gave me at the top and how he managed to sculpt my hair shape to make me look more human :D
Now I'm gonna spam your page with photos of my face. Haha
            
I love it!
Bro also advised me to get the Tokio de Sinka shampoo and treatment to go with the perm as it helps to prolong the perm results. Given that my hair is still soft and moisturized a month after the perm, I think it works!
According to Agent G, the shampoo and treatment are ESSENTIAL to make sure that the perm stays non-frizzy as it replenishes the Fullerene and amino acids that may be lost through shampooing your hair. Therefore, do purchase their shampoo and treatment (conditioner) if you want your curls to last long.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a pleasant experience perming my hair at Act Point Salon. Stylist Bro was very friendly, patient and rolled in the hair curls meticulously by himself. He was very knowledgeable. He knows what he is good at and delivers the results. My hair doesn't have any chemical smell too. Location is very convenient and easily accessible. The only downside is that you probably have to climb two or three levels up to their salon if the escalators break down again. Hahaha.
For major salons, business is usually very good over the weekends. Stylist's off days would then fall on weekday as they would want to ensure they have sufficient manpower on weekend. Over at Act Point, they are closed on Sunday. I thought it was crazy. But then again, it also reflects how good their businesses are during weekdays that they could afford to close doors on Sunday. Not just for the outlet at Midpoint Orchard, but also at Bugis Shaw Towers and Singapore Shopping Centre.
Find them at
Act Point Salon
220 Orchard Road, Midpoint Orchard, #04-13
Singapore
I think the purpose of visiting a stylist is to make you feel confident and pretty when you leave the salon.
Act Point nailed it.
Hope you all will have nice permed hair too! Signing off, Agent S |
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