Before the Makeover
Time isn’t money when you’re the mom of a newborn; it’s a luxury. So it’s hard to use the few hours of childcare you have a week to make sure you take care of yourself. And for Christina Wacko, who also just returned to Beijing after being stranded until she gave birth, every minute of her day counts.
That’s why it was such a joy to offer her the chance to spruce up her roots and highlights, giving renewed life to her already pretty stunning hair. Wacko and her husband moved to Beijing in 2018 but last winter were stuck in Nepal, then the UK, keeping up on a new pregnancy in the meantime. When they missed the window to return before the baby was born, her blossoming family traveled to Canada, where her husband has citizenship, to welcome their new daughter.
But their family’s story has a happy ending – or new beginning, in this case. They returned to their home in Beijing last January as parents, ready to embrace a whole new view of their host city – and laden with the usual baby items in tow!
So here we find Wacko, six months out from her last hair treatment and looking forward to new highlights for a brighter spring than she had last year. Laurent Falcon stylist Max and his assistants took their time to get to know her hair and understand the processes it has already been through, then talking with Wacko in depth on her desires. It was determined that they needed to strip the bleached areas even lighter in order to attain the color she had previously, and everyone set to work while their subject relaxed into the chair.
A morning of self care quickly turned into lunchtime, however, and the clock started ticking down to when Wacko’s part-time ayi was due to leave. But we all know that if there’s one thing mothers learn, it’s how to meet challenges. That includes rearranging plans when a hair appointment goes longer than expected and your seven month old has to come for a visit. All parents must figure out how to integrate their child into everyday activities as needed; I myself remember how I had to cleverly time a haircut with my toddler’s nap, the stylist going snip snip snip as the child snoozed happily in a Björn with the apron as an umbrella.
And so Wacko and her beautiful child figured it out; her little one enjoyed the bright new sights of the studio and gained an early insight into the mechanisms of hair stylings. She enjoyed the many mirrors and sounds all around her, taking short breaks in between the bleaching process to nurse. As long as she was near her mom, her baby was happy, content, and comfortable.
Wacko herself got a bit nervous the longer it went on, as Laurent Falcon’s artists worked the steps in a different order than she was used to. But once her hair was rinsed, the relief of the beautiful look was evident in her face. She’d brought a stunningly long floral dress that, paired with her new bright hair and incredible brown eyes, created the look of a goddess. Add to the picture her adorable, happy child, and our subject turned into a vision, a retelling of the Madonna and child that would fit in well at any art gallery. Everyone who saw our photo shoot had to simply stop and stare at the personification of happiness, the proud look of a very happy mama and her child.
Laurent Falcon, French Style Salon
New location at Hello Mart 城市市集
2F 48 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区亮马桥路48号
www.laurent-falcon.com
135 0137 2971
KEEP READING: Indulge: Pamper Day – When the Twins Are Away, Mama Will Play
Images: Uni You
This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 May issue
