Art Noise Singapore Review: Singapore Japanese Hair Salon

Wednesday, 3 August 2016

Hello everyone! Haven't been able to update for some time since my schedule was extremely tight.  But today, I am here to share with you guys on my experience during my first-ever visit to a Japanese Hair Salon!

I was really lucky to have been chosen as a hair model for Art Noise Singapore, after taking part in their model search on instagram. It was rather unexpected for me, but I'd say it was a very interesting experience!

 You must be worried that I'd be putting in good words just because of that.  But no, I am someone who is very honest especially when it comes to reviews.


On the day of my appointment, I was warmly greeted by Zynn, the staff who liaised with me for my appointment making and etc. So I met her at Breko Cafe before heading up to the hair salon together. (P.S. She's so cute & friendly, and fluent in Japanese... Wow!)



Interior
 So Zynn brought me up to the salon, which had a really neat, simple yet attractive interior. It felt so homey & cozy! The interior was mainly made up of a white and wooden-brown colour scheme. Because the windows are extremely big, the salon was brightly lit by the natural sunlight shining through during the day. 
Better still, being seated near the windows give you a nice view of the peaceful streets in Holland Village!

I did not manage to take photos of the other parts of the salon. However, it actually also has a couch placed in front of their products shelf which allows customers to sit while waiting for their turn, should the salon be fully occupied. How thoughtful!



Service
I was greeted by my stylist, Shuji-san, shortly after entering the salon. I was initially supposed to do a hair perm during this visit, however Shuji said that my hair wasn't in a good condition for hair perm. Therefore he suggested to dye my hair.... & BLEACH.

BLEACH???!!! 
I'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE AND NEVER WANTED. 

That's because i'm extremely afraid of damaging my hair.. Well.. Though I've already dyed my hair twice.  Actually, it took me really long before deciding to finally dye my hair last year, to be honest ㅠㅠ
Byebye, virgin hair

But anyway, Shuji assured me that he will only be doing mild bleaching on my hair ends, about 1 - 2 inches. Can't remember that well. But he said it was to remove the reddish-brown colour on my hair ends from my previous dye. 
He also suggested to dye my hair Dark Blueish Grey, somewhat similar to ash grey. It's a style where the colour on the bottom hair ends will be brighter. I was willing to give it a try & so I decided to give him the trust he deserve.
Therefore, Shuji decided to go ahead with hair colouring, mild bleaching and hair treatment for me! (Oh, and a 2cm trim off my hair hehe)

But hey...

I have to say that my stylist was very, very thoughtful & considerate!  The hospitality he had provided felt so warm & "classy"! 
When I was taking off my earrings, Shuji went off somewhere, which I thought 

"Oh, he's probably getting some stuff for my hair..." 

However, to my surprise, he came back with a small little "dish" & told me to put my earrings in it. Not only that, he also pulled out a box placed next to the dressing table on the floor & offered me to place my bag in it when he noticed me placing it on the dressing table. 

 

Of course, his warmth & kindness did not stop there...

As I was still rather sick on the day of my appointment since I've just recovered from a cold, I ended up coughing rather badly before the start of the hair service session. Without hesitation, Shuji rushed to grab a glass of water & mentos mint for me to sooth my throat. 
(He kept asking me whether I'm okay & if it was too cold for me as well.. How sweet of him!!)

Never have I ever felt so pampered at a hair salon before!
I would say that the service provided was rather unique & unusual to me.  Usually, I'll simply place my bag & earrings on the dressing table in hair salons...

Nevertheless, let's move on!
Now, it officially starts! 

Shuji first started off with mild bleaching at the ends of my hair and then washed it off.  (Didn't manage to take a photo of this stage)
Next, I wasn't very sure of what he was doing for the next 3 stages... But I did know that the last was a colouring process though! (I probably forgotten to ask him, & didn't want to bother him too much either, oopsie)

Oh, I like how they provide ear protectors to prevent your ears from getting stained from the subtances! (Not all salons do this)

Throughout the whole session Shuji always checked back on me to ensure that I was okay. (Aww, so caring! Right?)
Well anyway, I had my hair washed about 4 times that day... Shuji seemed to be worried about the long duration for me & the number of times I had to walk back & forth for the hair wash (hahaha!) 
However, it was undeniable that the hair washing process felt so comfortable!  Sinking into the chair made me want to fall asleep into dreamland rather than going back to my seat... 
It felt really different from usual salons because instead of providing thin & short towels (or none at all at times), there is always a warm & thick blanket covered over you during the hair wash. On top of that, Shuji also covered my eyes with a thin cloth (or whatever it is which felt cotton-like) to protect my eyes. Also, during the 2nd hair wash if I remembered it correctly, at the end of the hair wash Shuji used something which produced steam or something similar (might be for the hair treatment). Before doing so, he actually placed a warm towel over the thin cotton-like cloth on my eyes for further protection.

Art Noise's consideration for their customers' welfare is just wow! So much attention to detail.  I wouldn't mind walking back & forth a 1000 times for the hair wash!

After the last hair wash, the salon was left with only Shuji & I. While he was blowing dry my hair, the music that was playing in the background stopped.  After what felt like 3 minutes, it seemed that he was worried about any awkwardness I may have felt from the silence... 

Therefore...
"Hahahaha, so.. Suddenly so quiet!" said Shuji.
And he immediately went to switch on the playlist again... ㅋㅋㅋ
That really cracked me up! 

Finally, he trimmed about 1 - 2 cm of my hair, fixed up my bangs & curled my hair using a curler.  It was my first time having a japanese-style curl instead of the usual korean-style... And I truly felt like a Japanese after looking at the end result! 
The colour of my hair was really pretty too!

And that's the end of my hair session. It was really fun having my photos taken. Thank you Zynn & Shuji, it was a wonderful experience for me ㅎㅎㅎㅎ
Before leaving, I was given 2 products to try out. The SHA Shampoo & Treatment. They are original products from Art Noise, which I will do a review on soon!


My thoughts on Art Noise Singapore:
I definitely feel that the services they've provided are top-notch, and the quality of the hair services are extremely great! 
I really love how the hair treatment left my hair so smooth & soft (even after a week).  Usually, my hair gets really dry in air-conditional rooms. Now, I hardly face such a situation.  Other hair treatments I've gotten at other salons did not give me such results, to be honest.  Furthermore, I see some of my hair shine coming back.  I lost it ever since I first dyed my hair last year :-(
Not to forget that my hair ends still feel just as good even though they were bleached a little.  They don't feel dry at all!
Anyway, the above results may also be due to the help of the products given to me by Art Noise too! (Stay tuned for the review!)

In my opinion, my new hair colour also turned out really great & it felt really new for me. I feel that my hair seem a lot healthier now as well. It's a pity that the photos do not show much of the colours obviously, but I swear that it looks so pretty in real life. I love it soooooo much! 



A special note about my stylist Shuji-san
What I really love about my stylist was that he's such a considerate gentleman, and very well-mannered too. Every single time when he put on or take off the hairdressing capes & blankets over me, he would say "excuse me", without fail. He is really, very polite and patient. And very sweet too!   He was the first stylist I've ever encountered in a salon with such good manners!
100000000000000000 stars for him ㅋㅋㅋ
I really can't wait for my next visit to the hair salon again!


Thank you so much to Art Noise for having me, & special thanks to Zynn as well as my stylist Shuji-san!


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A little more about Art Noise Singapore:
Art Noise Singapore is a Japanese-stylist only hair salon located in Singapore, Holland Village.  If you have yet to know, Art Noise is one of the top-ranking hair salons in Tokyo, Japan itself! 
Singapore is so lucky to have one opened here!

To find out more on their services & pricing, visit their website here:
http://www.art-noise.sg/

You can also find them on their Facebook & Instagram


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Getting There
Nearest MRT Station: Holland Village

Directions:
1. Exit the station from exit B, go up the escalator.
2. Turn left, you will see May Bank.
3. Turn left again, go straight pass the shops and turn right at the corner.
4. Continue walking straight (including crossing the mini alley) all the way to the end  (You will pass shops such as Crystal Jade bakery & kitchen)
5. Next, turn right & you will see 7-eleven ahead of you. 
6. Walk straight all the way, you will also pass by Coffee Bean, Mu Parlour, etc.
7. Just continue walking straight all the way until you see Breko Cafe & Sandwich Bar. (You will also pass by Häagen-Dazs at some point, which will be on the opposite side)
8. Next to Breko Cafe & Sandwich Bar, there will be a stairs going up to Art Noise.  You should see the signage above the stairs.


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Therefore,
If you are looking for a Japanese Hair Salon in Singapore, I highly recommend Art Noise! I may seem as though I put in too many good words for them, but there is really no fault I could find with them! The stay at the salon was a very comfortable & pleasant experience.  I truly felt as though I was in Japan..
Don't believe me?
Well, come! Feel pampered at Art Noise Singapore yourself! ;-)



Mention "Brasel Seng" to receive 20% off total bill!
Tel: 6463-3651 for appointment








More photos:

BEFORE

AFTER
The colours seem more brownish in pictures & due to the lighting.