Florence 
Du came to Beijing when she was in her early twenties; she skipped university and saved up money to travel. Now she is currently completing her degree online and paying for it herself. She met Alex, a software engineer with twelve years of experience, through a mutual friend and they bonded over badminton. In April of 2015, they celebrated both a traditional Chinese wedding and a western style wedding at a beautiful mountain resort. She and her husband just recently announced they were having a baby boy (nicknamed “monkey”) at an intimate baby shower with friends. The Du family eagerly awaits the arrival of their little monkey, especially as they plan to head back to the UK for the birth.
Du typically is a wash, comb, and wear kind of gal. She had been thinking about getting her hair colored for a few months when she got the opportunity for this makeover. As with many first time moms, she asked her peer groups and researched the dangers of dyed hair while pregnant. She was surprised to discover that though dyed hair is not recommended during the first trimester, many Chinese salons refuse to dye hair even past that cautious period.
With six years of experience at Catherine de France, master stylist Wendy mentioned that she is unsure why many salons refuse to dye hair, but that she dyed her hair while pregnant herself. She explained another interesting cultural insight: that many Chinese women prefer male stylists, and when she first started in the industry, she was worried she wouldn’t be able to find a job.
Du enjoyed the treatment and was impressed with the décor and style of the salon. Du and makeup artist Laetitia chatted about makeup and application and how Laetitia maintained her own look. “I wish I could do this myself!” Du blurted. Laetitia responded, “I can teach you.”
Du frequently mentioned how she felt like a diva. Her husband loved the new blonde though her in-laws were shocked with the change at first. She admitted she needed to continue to add oils since the treatment dried her tips, but that she still likes the look, though the maintenance was more than she was used to. She would recommend the salon to others; especially moms who want to turn glam.
Step 1: Hair is washed then cut into layers to create a cascading effect as the hair grows into the style.
Step 2: Hair is dried and then sectioned off. Wendy applied color treatment to both highlight strands and the tips. Wait time was around half an hour.
Step 3: Laetitia adjusted the foundation color by mixing two colors then highlighting and contouring, and set with powder. Eyebrows are shaped shaped with a brown pencil. She created a daytime look coral on the corner, brown accent on the under rim and additional bronze highlight under the brows. Gloss lipstick and mascara completed the first look. An evening look was created with a dark brown shadow wedge to accentuate her eye shape and a bright pink lip for a pop of color.
Seward Mediter Alchemy, 13/0 Argan Oil
Maybelline Dream Satin Skin P01
Mac Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15
Bedhead Small Talk 3-in-1
Retouche Express Correction Instantannee
Max Factor X No. 81 Crème Puff, Pressed Powder
D-Shali Natural Shining Eye Shadow Pencil
Loreal Paris Duchess Rose Blush
Palette Feerique No. 1 Tint Eye Shadow
Catherine de France 法式美容美发沙龙 Tue-Sun 9am-9pm. B1 East Avenue Bldg,10 Xin Dong Lu, Chaoyang District (8442 5120, 135 2147 3492, eastavenue@catherinedefrance.com) 朝阳区新东路10号逸盛阁首层
This article originally appeared on page 12-13 of the October 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.
PHOTOS: UNI YOU
