Kids can be fussy when being groomed by their parents, and no matter how gently it’s done, it hurts! And yes, we know the old saying “you have to suffer to be beautiful”, but as our experience at Laurent Falcon Salon proves, it doesn’t always have to be the case. Our makeover day was amazing and our bad memories of being groomed as kids suddenly disappeared.
Initially, it wasn’t so easy for Sophia Wu to settle on a new look. Luckily, stylist Alex was there to help. Whether you want to recreate a flawless K-Pop look, or simply switch it up with cool bangs, he will ensure that your style shines through. Finally, she settled on a classic ‘Lexie look’, named after the Chinese rap artist with a beautiful and swishy asymmetrical bob, which would also be perfect for summer. It’s all about a short, clean style full of movement and body.
While stylist Alex scrutinized photos of Lexie and came up with a styling strategy with his assistant, we feasted from a tray of assorted snacks, a mug of coffee, salt crackers, and an assortment of candies. Alex also spoke French fluently to another customer, which is yet another advantage of choosing Laurent Falcon for our makeover – it’s a multilingual environment where English, French, and Chinese are spoken.
Alex adeptly began to trim Wu’s thick quilt of hair. After a wash, comb, and blow-dry, he began to cut it into a short, straight, and sleek bob with a surprise dash of purple at the temples. Before this color detail, Wu’s hair had to be lifted several levels, before the semi-permanent dye was applied. It was a long process but the result was worth it: her new style offers Wu loads of versatility as she can hide the purple highlight under the other layers of hair, or show it off when she wishes with a quick hair flip. At the final reveal, Wu had fully transformed into her K-hop icon, and had connected with her model within.
Meanwhile, the makeup artist was already working by Helen Wang’s face. The soft, creamy tone and contrasting eye makeup gave her the look of a real-life anime princess. After extensive consultation, Alex had suggested a chestnut brown balayage on a voluminous beach wave blowout. Alex and stylist Huizi both did foils to lift Wang’s hair color, set against the newly renovated blue wall and white work station backdrop of the salon, with its tasteful vases, tapestries, and all-round Parisian café atmosphere.
The process might not have been painful but it was a long one. The four hours went by slowly. Soon, it was time to head to the sink to wash out the bleach, followed by adding a brown toner to correct the yellow brassiness of the bleaching process and give her the desired chestnut brown look. These new hairstyles will doubtlessly be a little more work to maintain, but we were happy to show them off to our parents nonetheless.
Healthy Hair
● Do not scratch your scalp with your nails when washing your hair to avoid scalp irritation and hair shedding
● Use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners such as those from Kielhs, which are less damaging to dried and color-treated hair
● Apply a nourishing hair mask or deep-treatment once a month
Color Pop:
● Use leave-in treatments for colored hair after showering
● Use heat protectant spray before heat styling and blow-drying
● Use fewer passes on your flat-iron on low to medium heat
Laurent Falcon, French Style Salon
F/2, Sanlitun North Street South.
三里屯北街南43号楼
www.laurent-falcon.com (6409 4243)
KEEP READING: Transforming From Practical Photographer to Fresh-Faced Summer Look Model
Photos: Uni You
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 August issue