An Envy-able Experience

Beauty — By 88DB Knowledge on August 8, 2012 3:26 pm

“Blue?” I said.

“No,” said Adrian. “How about I give you something more classic that suits your skin tone?” Sold. I admit, it didn’t take much persuasion to win me over in regards to my hair colour. Maybe it was the confident way he said it that made me sit up and pay attention. Or the fact that he was trained under Kim Robinson and knows what he’s talking about.

envy lounge Or maybe it’s the fact that the moment you walk into Envy, you feel calm, relaxed and know you’re in good hands. It’s amazing what the right décor and ambience can create. Another plus point is the professionalism – the staff come up to you and introduce themselves. You’re not left alone sitting there wondering if someone even notices you, let alone wants to serve you.

So as I sit there and watch Adrian the stylist drop lengths of my hair to the floor, along comes Aini, the resident nail artist. And believe you me, the word “artist” is not used lightly here. One of Envy’s unique selling points is its customisable nail art designs. Why choose from a template, when you can have one hand drawn just for you? Alternatively, you can bring a design that you saw, give it to Aini and she will magically make it appear on your nails.

If, however, you’re stuck, or have zero ounce of creativity and imagination, don’t despair. A collection of nail art books will come out for your reference, and she will then take it from there with her own spin. “I haven’t had a design I can’t do yet,” Aini declares proudly. It’s no wonder that she’s done the nails of celebrities like Fann Wong and Fiona Xie for glossy fashion spreads.

envy nails I sit and watch in wonder at the efficiency that is Envy. While Adrian proceeds to colour my hair, Aini parks herself to my right and starts giving me nails inspired by Cath Kidston’s signature country floral designs. If you’re busy and pressed for time, you’ll be impressed at how much time you save with things being done concurrently. It takes awhile for it to sink in that the result of my hair colour will be a complete surprise to me because I gave Adrian free reign. An image I saw in a movie where someone is getting a makeover pops into my head.

It’s 9pm and the end result is a stylish mid- length bob, with a dark chocolate base and lighter brown highlights. I look like I was born with this colour on my head. Plus, I was taught how to maintain this look, which really isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be – bonus points for taking the time out for show-and-tell, rather than speedily sending me on my way.

As for my customised nails, who would have thought that black and gold glitter would contrast so nicely with yellow floral nails? Brilliant.

Envy Nail Lounge and Hair Salon is located at 46 Peck Seah Street. Call 6736 1220 or 6221 1220 for an appointment today.

Looking for more than just nails and hair treats? Go the whole nine yards with 88DB’s Beauty.