Thursday, September 07, 2006

mobysky hair salons

i'm usually pretty forgiving when i get my hair cut...in the sense that i always make it a point to go back to the same hairdresser at least twice. i haven't had any major disasters so far (touch wood), so i believe in giving the person a second chance...in case it was an "accident" the first time round.

here's my track record for the past few years:


sometime in '00 ~ feb '05 - the scene, wisma atria (level 3), jack:

i actually started off with this hairdresser named may lee (as in 美丽), but she left after my first cut, so the second time i went back, i was introduced to jack...

a malaysian (sarawak) who came to singapore to learn the trade, jack was definitely effeminate (at best), pretty talented...though not david-gan-malaysian-turned-singaporean kinda skills (i blame him for not making me look like christopher lee after ANY cut he did)...but i found him a likeable guy...and so i stayed loyal to him and to the scene. imagine staying with one hairdresser for 5 years...so far, i haven't even managed to stay with a girl for that long...hmmm...maybe i'm...nah, i like girls too much. haha. i only changed hairdressers cuz i wanted a different everything after adeline broke up with me that february.

silly...i know. har har.


mar '05 ~ sept '05 - le salon, takashimaya, level 1, stanley:

i went to le salon one month to the day after the happenings in february. i needed a haircut, and i needed a change. i happened to be in taka, so i decided to splurge on something nice and soothing for myself (btw, i hate the word "pamper"...it just sounds so gay...). anyway, i walked past le salon, took a second look at the hairdressers, who appeared pretty busy (which was a good sign), and sauntered in. i was astonished at the level of service that i was met with...the receptionist ushered me inside, whipped out a robe, helped me put it on, and politely directed me to my station. wow.

i could go on and on...from the green tea, to the lovely shampoo massage, and the friendly shampoo girl...everything was just lovely (another taboo word that i would noramlly hesitate to use...except when in reference to hairdressing salons).

stanley was a young chap...he looked a bit gayish at first, with his silky, smooth and fair complexion, complete with floppy-curly-boy-band hair...but he was probably straight...i think...you can't be TOO sure when talking about designers of any sort...hair-works or otherwise...haha. anyway, he's malaysian (jb) too...we'd always talk about girls, computer games, movies and shit like that...he even asked me about blinkymummy (there was once when she acommopanied me to get my hair done)...he's one of the good guys.

the only thing i didn't like about le salon was the price...$43 (AFTER 15% discount) for wash and cut...which was (and still is) pretty steep for a guy to get his hair cut.


oct '05 ~ nov '05 - supercuts, far east plaza, level 4 (?), some-butch-who's-name-i-can't-be-bothered-to-remember (?):

i was in search of a cheaper alternative to le salon...and someone recommended supercuts in parkway parade...so i figured that the far east square model couldn't be too much different from the one over on the other side.

but hmmm...let's just say that this was the place that i was referring to when i said that i'd give someone a second chance if they didn't do a good job the first time round. do i really need to explain why i only went twice??? haha.


dec '05 ~ june '06 - shunji mitsuo, isetan orchard (wisma), level 1, kenji, some-guy, some-auntie, & caley:

i think i only remember the first guy's name cuz it sounded so poserish...kenji...you'd expect some japanese punk-ass-killing (in more ways than one, given the stereotype of male hairdressers) scissor magician...but alas, his giveaway was the constant peppering of "lahs" and "lohs"...and the fact that he didn't do the neat thing with snippers...you know the trick where the pro-hairdressers flip the scissors back into their palms with relative ease (aiyah, you know what i mean)...and he wasn't gay. but anyway, the cut wasn't too bad...and since kenji wasn't around the second nor third time i went back (don't say that i never tried to give him a second chance hor...i just always happened to go cut hair on wednesdays...which coincided with his off days), i ended up with no-name-guy and no-name-auntie.

call it fourth time lucky or whatever you will, but i ended up with this cute chic named caley. she has this spunky jap girl look, though she was very quiet and conservative, portraying the image of the salon she worked for...bottomline: i had high hopes...but in the end, her cut and style was just as "normal" as the rest of the other aforementioned-no-names from shunji matsuo...but i continued with her for 3 months just for the heck of it. haha.

anyway, to make a long story even longer...


today - reds hairdressing, takashimaya, basement 2, rita ho:

1815hrs
*moby steps up to reception counter to ask for haircut...receptionist leads him to station*

1825hrs
hairdresser, rita ho (rh): so how you wanna cut your hair ah?
moby: i want a new style...i'm in sales, so i want something modern and professional...but not too messy. i need to take a lot of the sides, and a bit off the top. can?
rh: ok loh, if you insist...
moby: huh?
*rh walks away to chat with another customer*

1835hrs
*pregnant shampoo girl (psg) comes to wash moby's hair...psg has no strength to massage moby's head. moby sian already.*
psg: please wait a while for rh...
*moby gets extremely bored, and waves to psg*
moby: can i have a magazine to read please?
psg: ok... *hands moby "female" and "her world"*
moby: ...
*rh turns to chat with the receptionist*

1845hrs
*rh comes back*
rh: so how you wanna cut ah?
moby: basically, just cut the sides short and a bit off the top.
rh: you want your sides sloped?
moby: err...i just want the sides short...
rh: short can have slope what!
moby: i leave it to you loh...i'll let you decide...
rh: you say one ah?
moby deep inside: knn...you're the hairdresser what.
*rh proceeds to snip in silence, while moby tries to read articles about wives complaining about husbands fucking hookers during their honeymoons*

1850hrs
rh: ok. wait for the girl to rinse hor. *prances off to yet another conversation with some other person*
moby: so fast?
inexperienced-looking shampoo girl (isg): come, i wash for you.
*moby gets rinse and goes back to seat*
isg: you want gel?
moby: err...normally i use wax.
isg: ok... *gets wax, comes back, slabs on a few gobs of the crap, and commences to try and style moby's hair.*
moby: what???
isg: why? you want it messy?
moby: sigh. yeah. ok. *resigns to the fact his haridresser doesn't give a shit, and that he just basically had his first really fucked up haircut experience*
isg: ok! *happily pulls at moby's hair with apparent delight and nonchalance*
moby: sigh.

1900hrs
*rh magically reappears*
rh: how?
moby: can i see the back?
*rh glares at moby, grabs a mirror, shows moby the back for exactly 3.29 seconds before returning the mirror to the rack*
moby: err...ok loh.
*rh shows moby to the payment counter, tells the receptionist the amount owed, and struts away without even looking back or saying thanks and goodbye*

fucked up. this was the worst experience i've ever had in a hair salon.

rita ho, you suck. i'm never going back to your place...in fact, i'm never going to ANY reds hairdressing ever again. i am willing to break my rule of forgiveness for you and you alone.

and please don't give me that crap about "oh, think about how the hairdresser feels"...fuck you! she's in the service industry...if she can't be polite, then at least be civil. i don't need to go there again.

anyway, thus ends my long long story...

so i guess it's back to good ole jack...if he's still at the scene of course. haha. unless of course you have some other better suggestions...cheers. =)

21 comments:

Jo said...

u neber say how much is the haircut leh....

Anonymous said...

hey I went to rita before (recommended by someone) & it was a bad experience for me also. Yup, I agree Reds sucks!

moby sky said...

jo...the scene always gave me discounts (since i was a real regular), that was about $28...normally it was about $35 i think. le salon is normally about $50...citibank clear card had discount there (though i don't know if it's still valid). supercuts was the cheapest at $28 flat. shunji matsuo is also around there...but reds...they charged me fucking $32 for my cut. bastards. don't ever go there. cheers. =)

script-writer & jc...glad to know that i'm not the only one who feels cheated...haha. cheers. =)

Anonymous said...

Actually hor, REDs hor, the name big big lah, the hair dresser hor, 也没有怎样咯!

Parkway Parade's REDs also like that, cut, go away, come back, cut, go...

Very unpro lor.

Lee Poh See said...

i've been going to the same hairdresser for 15 years :D

furfur angel said...

try my stylist!

The Hair Spa @ Pacific Plaza, Level 3. Look for Murphy!

Not gay, not fucky, juz pro!

If I can trust him to snap my waist length tress to armani, he is That good!

I've been with him for good 5yrs!

moby sky said...

gapple & lee poh see...thanks. noted. =)

furfur...i'll try him next time...that way, i'll know who to blame the next time i have a bad hair day!!! and it won't be murphy. hahaha. kidding. thanks! =)

Anonymous said...

I have nv try other Reds outlets b4 xcept the Bugis branch and have been sticking to one hairdresser(Doreen) all along.
I'm quite happy with her service so far. She listens and gives suggestion.
No doubt I've to agree with the part that the hairdresser multi-task. But Doreen ALWAYS finish cutting my hair b4 she attends to the others and comes back when my hair is rinsed. However, I can't say the same for the others for I hv nv try b4.
I muz say Reds is not the only salon that has this practise. I've had my fair share of worse hairdresser. So I suggest u give Reds another chance. =)
I think Jean Yip is the worst that I've encountered. Even the neighbourhood salon provides better service than them.
1) There was this broken-wrist lao uncle who literally scratch my scalp with his long fingernails while washing my hair.
2) The other no-name male hairdresser decided to clamp my hair only ONCE(by right it shld be done twice) when I went for rebonding coz he was in a hurry to knock off to party with his colleagues.
I was like... W.T.F??!!! =/

GraceYuMommy said...

Shunji Matsuo. His cut is good. Rate is reasonable.

kachuaz said...

just had my last haircut at Shunji Matsuo (CS) too. $30 after discount. not bad lah. satisfied.

Anonymous said...

Try Alan at Muse, Far East Plaza, level 2, quieter side, tucked in one corner. My friends and I (both guys and gals) go to him. Cheap ($20+, and GOOD!)

miss ene said...

1) REDS suck. Same experience as all. Snip and go.

2) Jean Yip is just as bad. If not worst.

3) I used to change hair stylist everytime I cut my hair but have since stuck to ONE - I go to Dexter at Estique @ Pacific Plaza. He freelances at the salon so he's not there all the time. I have been with him for what, 4-5 years?

He's not cheap but good. At least I know I can fall asleep without waking up looking like something the cat dragged in. Oh and he won "Most promising stylist of the year" or something at some award last year (or was it last last?).

Anonymous said...

REDS SUX BIG BIG TIME! Many years ago, I went there to trim my fringe which is a very simple job. And you know what? I walked out of the salon and i 'tuck' out my hair and found a bunch of fringe at the side of my hair UNCUT! MY GOD!

count your BLESSINGS said...

HELLO ! just happen to drop by ur blog from blinkymummy's blog . My auntie is a freelance hairstylist . She's good i must say . The place she work at, pacific plaza . The one beside or near quiksilver . Forgot the salon's name . You may wanna try her cutting skill, she's known as JOYCE .

The Rational Neurotic said...

EC house always works for me... and ten bucks nia. I think it's the hairdresser, not the same of the salon that matters for me. Even when I go to EC house, I ask for the same person haha.

Anonymous said...

you go to a ho, you pay 32 bux and you want to feel good with yourself afterwards. well, i think you should either stop seeing a ho and get married already, or spend alil more.

Anonymous said...

Hair de exchange. lvl 6, plaza sing. Not too bad. Friendly services, 32 bucks for females. So i guess for guys, it should be even cheaper.

rk said...

I came across your post while searching for a good hair salon. it's quite hillarious! i throughly enjoyed it. i've had my fair share of bad service from hair salons too. In fact I wrote a piece on it around the same time you wrote this. So just, to share my experience with you, here's my post...
http://theragamuffinkid.blogspot.com/2006/09/hairdresser-from-hell.html

not surprisingly it's from a Reds salon too. But this one is at Tampines. I think he is the manager over there. i used to go to rita ho for a year of two a few years back but she's getting worse each time, hence, the need to switch.

i'm thinking fo trying essensuals by toni&guy next. wish me luck!

Anonymous said...

Good Job! :)

Beauty Undercover said...

Hi there,

I’m Gabrielle from Beauty Undercover, a website reviewing beauty salons in Singapore
While searching online, we came across your blog commenting on Reds Hairdressing.

Would you mind if we publish an excerpt of your blog post and link to your page here:
http://www.beautyundercover.sg/hair/reds-hairdressing-takashimaya/

Your blog post would help others know more about an experience at the salon, make a better salon decision and at the same time, increase your blog traffic.

Let us know and hope you have a great week ahead.

You can reach me at admin@beautyundercover.sg

Hope to hear from you soon.

Warm Regards
Gabrielle

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