The Good Customer

WHAT? :  CUT & COLOUR promotion at Toni & Guy Vancouver.  For $90, you can get a fab haircut AND a full head colouring. Add $30 for highlights. Promotion is valid for new clients and is only with specific stylists/colour technicians. Limited time only.

WHY? : With spring in full swing, it’s time for a new do. And who can say “no” to this irresistable offer from a reputable salon?

HOW? : Offer is valid at the Kitslano location. Call salon for an appointment.

WHERE? :

 www.toniguyblog.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

 

For those of you who are in “the know” of all things beautiful in Hong Kong, have undoubtedly heard of Paul Gerrard – a well established beauty salon.

The Good Customer loves to do her research before embarking into any new establishment – especially beauty salons.

After delving into the world wide web, to search for a reputable place to have my locks clipped, I came across Paul Gerrard Salon.  What is this? A dedicated page that had info and bios of their whole team – hair stylists, estheticians, nail technicians, assistants. There is also detailed information on their services plus pricing. Love it! In addition, you can also book your appointment online. How convenient is that?  Love it!

I choose my stylist from the thumbnail pictures and made my appointment online. 2 days before my appointment, I get a reminder text (sms) message from the salon. 1 day before my appointment, I receive a personal call from the salon. How courteous and efficient. Seems like they run a well-oiled, tight ship of an operation. Love it!

The day of  appointment arrived. After carefully manoeuvring my way up the knobby steps of Pottinger Street in Central, I found my way to the 2nd floor of Wah Hing House.

The interior of the salon is dated due to the age of the building it is housed in. What is lacking in ambience is made up by the down-to-earth, and super friendly staff. Love it!

This is not your average high-end salon chock full of starlets and wealthy housewives. You will not find hipster assistants scurrying around the “too cool for school” stylists.

Clientele consists mostly of expats and most of the stylists are not local Hong Kongers.  Apparently, this salon is renowned for their hair colouring/hi-lighting services for blondes.

Service is gracious without being pretentious. Love it!

Those of you seeking a day of pampering, can also indulge in the salon’s esthetician and nail services.

Popularity: 2% [?]

L’Apothiquaire Vietnam

In the midst of bustling Ho Chi Minh city, the metropolis of Vietnam, you can find a myriad of spas and beauty salons. I have frequented a multitude of these spas over the years – primarily because the services are a fraction of the costs in North America.

It’s always pleasant to stumble upon a diamond in the rough. L’Apothiquaire in Ho Chi Minh is such the jewel.

To give you some insight into the spa culture of this city, let me tell you what to expect when you venture into one of these beauty salons. Consider yourself lucky if you encounter a staff member in any spa that can communicate adequately in the English language. That being said, it is not always easy to get accurate descriptions of their services and it’s not always easy to make special requests. I’ve learned to accept this and just relax… it’s a spa nevertheless.

As you approach the front entrance of L’Apothiquaire, you are enveloped in the luxurious scents of essential oils. You are promptly greeted when you enter and invited to take a seat in one of their plush antique chairs. Hot tea is promptly served to you. If it is your first visit, they create a profile for you. The spa personnel can provide detail information on their services and can suggest services for you after performing an initial skin analysis.

Upon subsequent visits, the spa is able to accommodate to my needs because they have a detailed profile of my previous visits. Sounds like the normal operating procedures of any spa establishment? Actually, no. This is the first spa in Ho Chi Minh that I have encountered which utilizes a database system for their clients.

L’Apothiquaire markets itself as a traditional French day spa. Not only do they use their house-brand products in all their services but they also sell these products in their store front. All products are certified organic. This full service spa caters to both men and women. They offer a wide variety of services such as massages, facials, body treatments, and manicure/pedicures.

It’s always a pleasure to visit L’Apothiquaire…. where everybody knows my name… where everybody pampers me… where everybody makes an effort to make my visit more memorable than the last.

http://www.lapothiquaire.com

Popularity: 4% [?]