Down the Silky Road
Chong Seow Wei leaves her uncontrollable bob in the hands of the hair experts at directors-only salon Chez Vous, who tame her mane with a new hair service that resculpts, softens, smoothens, protects and boosts its shine
My frizzy hair and I have always been in a lovehate relationship and most days, my hair wears the pants. I couldn’t wait to show my mane who’s boss with the Resculpting Supreme service, which is one of three hair services in the recently launched Trilogy System created by Chez Vous (05-05 Ngee Ann City Podium, tel: 6732 9388). Rapunzel, Rapunzel
Associate salon director Shawn started me with a wash in the serene shampoo room. I almost fell asleep, while enjoying the firm head massage and watching the colourful scarves hanging from the ceiling gently sway with the breeze from the air con. A pre-treatment mask was then applied to pack on the amino acids and proteins to curtail damage from ensuing hair services.
Kick the Kinks
Back in my chair, a pungent reshaping cream awaited. The blend is customised to deliver three levels of effect (mild, regular and intense) and preps the hair for reshaping by breaking a small proportion of chemical bonds within the hair and rebuilding others. Shawn chose “regular” for me and combed it through the length of my hair before letting it sit for 30min. After rinsing, he layered on a cocktail of keratin, pro-satin and anti-static ingredients to de-frizz and smoothen my hair. After 45min, he whipped out a flat iron to heat-activate the keratin. By now, my hair looked naturally straighter, but not pin straight the way rebonded hair would. A neutraliser was applied to lock in the shape, followed by a 15min refinishing treatment loaded with skincare-inspired goodness, to guard the cuticles (and keep frizzcausing moisture at bay), bump up the shine and strengthen the hair. One more blow-dry and a rub of wonderful smelling serum concluded the nearly three-hour session.
Sleek Moves
I emerged from Chez Vous with smooth, glossy locks that I can’t stop touching. Brand director Eugene Teo passed me a trio of Goldwell Kerasilk Control products to keep the keratin effects going for at least another three months, ideally. His tip: condition the ends of the hair first and, without washing it off, shampoo the scalp area. Rinse off both together and conclude with the mask for 5-15min. After two weeks of regular washes, my ends did regain some of their natural curl but my hair has remained shiny and easy to manage—a godsend for someone who has given up on hair serums and not yet mastered the art of the home blow-dry.
Since its birth in 1947 as the first fragrance from the House of Dior, Miss Dior has been a symbol of the house, loved by women all around the world. Paying tribute to this iconic fragrance, the Let Miss Dior Bloom event in March at Ion Orchard highlighted Dior’s heritage and savoir faire in perfumery through photos and drawings. Visitors could also watch two Dames D’atelier—french craftsmen from the Dior Fragrance Atelier— in action as they put the intricate final touches on the perfume bottles like the baudruchage sealing, perfumer bow and golden thread.
As part of the event, Dior introduced a limited-edition amphora, which is the original bottle that Christian Dior designed for the first Miss Dior fragrance. Chosen for its sensual curves, the amphora flacon has a symbolic beauty that the house is now bringing back with a modern touch. “It’s
really embodying what Mr Dior created in the beginning, and a way to keep our savoir faire which we strongly believe in,” says Parfums Christian Dior’s Asia-pacific regional marketing director, Hervé Debacque. There were just 14 amphoras at the event, and more will be available here again in July.
A large inspiration behind the Miss Dior line was Catherine Dior, Christian
Dior’s youngest sister. The maison’s international fragrance training manager, Cendrine Fournier, describes Catherine as audacious and a leader. “During the war, she was part of the resistance and she didn’t want to accept some rules,” Fournier shares, adding that Catherine used to be in charge of gardening and growing flowers for the perfumes. “She was very much related to the creation of the fragrances. She was definitely the favourite sister of Mr Dior.”
Many variations of Miss Dior have been created over the years, with scents ranging from the sensual Miss Dior Originale to the fresh, sparkling Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. However, Fournier says they share some common traits. “What they have in common is a Dior signature—the rosy scent and the quality of rose that’s used.” She adds that Dior has an exclusive partnership with two ladies in Grasse, France, who produce a type of rose called Rose de Mai only for Dior, which is used in the entire Miss Dior range. Debacque adds, “It’s all about craftsmanship. We believe in people who are passionate about what they do. This is the definition and value of Dior.”