Stella Lee ☆ Indonesia Beauty and Travel Blog: hair

How I Get My Pastel Pink Hair

Beauty May 05, 2017

I just realized that I haven't updated my blog about my current pink hair o.o

So I have had pink hair for around a month or so. In fact I only ever tried purple hair but since it was sakura season and I was in mood for going pink, I decided I need to do this once in mylifetime lol

I also put on tons of hair extension again. I was in a break to let my head breath for around 1,5 month before that. For those of you who asked, my current hair is in fact around shoulder length and sometimes when you see me with short hair, it's my real hair

However I love long hair so much so most of the time I achieve that long locks through the help of extension :D

Asked for a cotton candy pink freshly done from the salon (some salon asked you to wash it 3-4 times before you get to see the real shades you asked for, but I was like NO, I WANT THIS COLOR NOW LOL) and I can't be happier than this!

I cant seem to find any stylist in Jakarta that can get me this kind of result, a perfect even pastel pink without any brassiness!

Looks good with sakura, no? :D

Unfortunately the pink doesn't last long (obviously) and the pastel shade fades into peachy orange shade in 2 weeks. Before leaving to Japan, I made sure to retouch it into a darker shade of pink so it would last longer, and I got myself pink shampoo to maintain the shades!

After all, I am pretty happy with my current pink hair though it's pretty high maintenance!

If you want to get this shade, you need to bleach your hair to at least level 10 blonde and put pink dye in the right mixture. I wouldn't recommend you to do that by yourself as this is really tricky and you dont wanna end up with neon pink shade. Dont get me wrong, if neon bold pink hair is what you're after, then it is easier. But pastel hair is really difficult and make sure to visit the right stylist to get it done! I got my hair done by Gomi-san at NALU Salon in Omotesando, Tokyo

However since I might not visit Tokyo anytime soon, when the pink fades and the pink shampoo cant help it anymore, I might fly either to Kuala Lumpur or Tokyo to retouch it at their other branches!

What do you think about my pink hair?

Do you like me with silver, blonde, pink, or other hair colors? :D

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English Speaking Hair Salon in Tokyo - NALU76 Omotesando

Amazing Trips December 02, 2016

I have one or two experiences visiting Japanese hair salon but it's always through the help of my native Japanese friend. Otherwise, visiting it would be so much trouble because my japanese skill is nowhere that good and as we all know, not all japanese speak english 😂 I also need a salon that's trustable enough and I have been reading Cheesie's blog for years to trust her opinion that her salon's sponsor is so far great. I have met her in person a few times and her hair is always amazingly smooth and healthy

Also last time when I was in Singapore, Miyake told me that Number76 has come to Singapore and she did her hair with them including the extension. Touched her hair and I was dying on jealousy 😂

So when an opportunity strikes as an email from their team comes to my inbox, I agree right away. Besides, I'm on my way to Tokyo at that time and their main salon is located at the prestigious area, Omotesando, Tokyo

NALU hair salon is the name for Omotesando's branch, but in Singapore and Malaysia we all know it as Number76. Both offers the same services and hospitality but I am lucky enough to fly down to Tokyo at the right time

Salon in Japan is usually pretty compact and minimalism due to its tight space but NALU manages to hold around 10 seats and I come 3 times during my one month stay in Tokyo and it's always packed with customers! Better reserve first, and first time customer gets 20% discount anyway ^^

Most salons in Japan require reservation as they don't accept walk in customer. NALU accepts walk-in customer but I strongly suggest that you reserve if you dont have much time to spare. Also they have english-speaker staff and some of the staffs understand basic english. Shall you have trouble giving them directions of what you want, they will instantly call the headquarter and get a translator for you lol So attentive!

I had dyed my hair darker for my previous job but this time I wanted it to be lighter. I cant show you the products that they use but rest assured as for the bleaching they use the almighty OLAPLEX as a mixture as well to protect your hair. Also I had taken off my hair extension before as it had been damaged so my hair was shoulder length at that time. But I love myself when I have long hair therefore I want to do hair extension at them (besides, Miyake's hair extension was sooooo amazing)

And lets start the bleaching coloring process~

Being honest with you as usual, I got my color and bleach covered as sponsorship but I had to pay for the extension. It was a little bit expensive but I trust the quality. Besides, it's much cheaper for that quality to be done directly in Japan compared to do it in Singapore or Jakarta so all is worth it. Wait until you see the after picture :D

What I almost forgot about how much I love Japanese salon is their inclined seat and face protection paper. As you can see from the picture above, the seat is automatically inclined once you sit properly. No more lying down on your own and finding the right spot to adjust your head. It's such a simple luxury thing that makes everything seems perfect

Also they cover your face perfectly with a special paper so no water splash will ruin your make up. So thoughtful! The weird thing is also compared to normal Indonesia salon, the stylist who washed my hair had to wash it from the side instead of from the back. And oh boy, dont let me start talking about how thoroughly clean they wash my scalp. I feel bad for washing my hair improperly for the past 24 years, I should learn how to do that like him 😂

My mom who hasn't done her hair for years, joining me in the club as she wants balayage hair #ThePerksOfBlogger'sMom

Her stylist was Gomi-san, a sweet cheerful girl that my mom kept praising to me because she's smiling all the time. That's what I call Japanese Omotenashi!

Look at that soft bouncy gurl and amazing balayage transition created by Gomi-san! WHY I CANT CURL MY HAIR LIKE HER? D":

Before and After

For someone who cant visit salon monthly like her, she wants a low-maintenance colored hair which is why she gets balayage. Besides bleaching and coloring, she also got to try the famous Ultrasonic Hair Treatment and thats why her hair is still silky smooth!

The result is ashy brown that's pretty dark in real life but when the sun hits, the color is lighter (like on the picture)

As for me, this is my before and after!

Cut, Bleach, Color, Treatment, Tape in Extension

I know this is not my usual silver hair but their tape in extension doesn't have silver shade so I picked the lightest ash blonde shade that they have and my stylist did his best to cater on my request

LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS WAVES

So sexy I could die

I showed my stylist the styling that I always wanted to achieve on my own but always failed, and he managed to do it for me. Blood and tears cant return the favor. Also he taught me how to do that at home, which it kinda works but the curl doesn't stay all day like his styling. HELP! :"(

I need to move to Omotesando so my hair can be sexy everyday fml

Also look at that extension, he carefully cut each extension to small pieces instead of taping it as a whole so it blends beautifully on my hair (you can google how to tape in extension, most salons I know of always tape it as it is, which leaves damage to hair due to its weight. And the transparent glue will show obviously)

Nobody can tell it's extension and the quality of the extension is too amazing to be true

You need around 60-80 pieces for whole head in case you are curious

With iijima-san, my stylist!

Please look for him when you come to this salon!

On another note, below the salon, they also open up a cafe named 76CAFE

I came to the cafe after I came back from job in Kansai area (weeks after my visit)

The cafe was crowded and there were even some people queued to get in. It's pretty cozy and their lunch menu is too amazing to be missed. I mean, FREE SOUP AND RICE Refill!! *_*

Also it's included with one drink and beer / wine are included!

Of course since it's japan, water is free lol

The price is pretty decent for Tokyo's standard cafe which is around 1000 yen

I haven't had my dose of roast beef on that trip so I ordered one Roast Beef Rice Bowl with Avocado, and to my surprise the size was pretty huge and it has that dancing poached egg on top

There are a lot of meats compared to my expectation and it totally wraps the rice beautifully

I almost asked for another rice and the only thing that prevents me was how much I had eaten carbs for the past month in Japan to the point I feel fatter T____T

So I threw away my gluttony and instead went to the wrong direction, ordered cake! 😂

I was recommended the Ladybug Mousse by the staff but since it's autumn I thought of getting their limited autumn cake which is Maron Cake. And they need to stop pampering me, instead they gave me 2 cakes including a special sparkler firework to celebrate me coming to the cafe T___T

The taste? Amazingly delicious! They have a tea set with the cake with additional 300 yen for each cake you order but I've had enough of my orange juice. Both of the cakes sweetness are perfect. I am not a fan of overly sweet cake and I hardly eat dessert in Jakarta, however japanese dessert is an exception as it's always so good

The highlight is truly the ladybug cake. My bestie screamed when I sent her the picture and she was crying for missing it out lol The inside is a creamy light soft vanilla mouse and sweet berry flavoured in the middle. And that's what I call a blissful dining experience

Thank you for the experience!

In case you'd like to visit it one day when you come to Tokyo, bookmark this post for future reference and don't forget to check their website as well

NALU SALON & CAFE

150－0001 東京都渋谷区神宮前 4－9－2　

神宮前MMビル2F 2F, MM Bldg, 4-9-2, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Omotesando A2 Exit, 5 mins walk

They also have their branches in Malaysia and Singapore, so in case you dont go to Japan, you can enjoy their service as well when you're traveling nearby Indonesia ^^

See you guys again on my next post!

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Stella Lee's Top 3 Japanese Hair Oil

Beauty October 07, 2016

Hair oil is one of the most essential hair products in my beauty regime simply because it helps restoring my damaged hair to its natural texture. As you guys know, I have bleached my hair since I was 13/14 years old, and I constantly torture my hair. I dont think I have met anyone who has been damaging their hair as much as I do, so I am always searching for the best of the best hair products

No human has ever encountered me that don't know how much love I have towards Japan, especially their beauty industry. I trust my hair to be done by Japanese with Japanese products most of the time, because they know asian hair texture better in my opinion lol

So after years of struggle, I am sharing my Top 3 Japanese Hair Oil

Those 3 are from Essential, Milbon, and Lucido-L

While both Essential and Lucido L can be purchased easily and DonKi or Matsumoto Kiyoshi (Japanese Drugstores) in all over Japan, Milbon is salon-based product that is used by professional. It's probably similar to L'Oreal Professional at Indonesia Salon. You can only buy it if you visit salon that works together with them

Price for these 3 hair oils vary :

Milbon Elujuda (120gr) : 2730 yen

Essential CC Oil (60ml) : 694 yen

Lucido L Argan Rich Oil (60ml) : 1296 yen

Essential is the cheapest, while Milbon is the most expensive if you count with the same 60ml of Milbon Hair Oil, it's 1365 yen. Considering it's professional product, the price is understandable. But Lucido L that has rank of no 1 Drugstore Hair Oil from COSME is around similar price.

While Essential and Milbon comes in plastic bottle which is travel friendly, Lucido L comes in glass bottle that scream luxurious even for a drugstore product, however the glass is so heavy and fragile which means I wont be able to use it for travel

The scent for Milbon Elujuda is just like any regular salon hair products, you know what I mean? While for Essential and Lucido-L, the scent is somewhat a mixture of floral and herbs that's so relaxing

The texture for 3 hair oils is only slightly different and if you're not an oil expert you might not know the difference. Essential, being the cheapest, delivers the stickiest and the less smooth result. For Milbon Elujuda and Lucido L, it's hard to decide which one is the best because these two deliver great performances. It helps my hair smoother, shinier, easier to comb, straighter, and healthier. Meanwhile the price is also not too different, so it's just a matter of accessibility to obtain the product

But if you dont have hair that's as damaged as mine and don't want to splurge too much just for a hair oil, Essential is my recommendation

You can get Milbon in Indonesia as Milbon has entered Indonesia market, you can get the products only at salon collaborated with Milbon (Mostly Japanese SALON) and unfortunately though Lucido-L has entered Indonesia as well, I havent seen the Argan Oil around

Please please let it enter here!

For Essential, you can either purchase it from Singapore or Tokyo directly, whether through an online shopping service, or when you're having holiday over there. The same can be done for Lucido-L

I hope this answers any curiosity of what hair oils I use and I pray that this recommendation list would be helpful if any of you is wondering what hair oil to buy! ^^

See you guys again on my next post!

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5 Things You Should Know About Kose Cosmeport Je L'aime Shiny Repair

Advertorial September 20, 2016

I can say proudly that I am the happiest in terms of seeing how much beauty industry in Indonesia has progressed in the past few years. Back then, purchasing imported beauty products from overseas has been such a hassle and the options are limited. These days there are more and more beauty products that I cant wait to share with you about. The latest one is Je L'Aime and I would like to share with you about this brand!

1. Je l'aime Shiny Repair is Made in Japan

Who doesn't trust Japan Quality? I raise my hand as a person who believes anything made in Japan because their standard quality is one of the best in the world and they make everything in perfection! Je l'aime is a hair care brand from Kose Cosmeport which I often come across whenever I visit cosmetic stores in Japan, and the CM's are all over the country. Featuring top artists such as Matsumoto Arashi to be the brand ambassador for the shampoo has gained mass trust as well

As expected from Japanese beauty products, the packaging is somewhat pretty and colorful that makes it so pleasant in the eyes when placing these babies in the bathroom

Will Matsujun stroke my hair as well if I use Je l'aime shampoo? LOL

2. Je l'aime is Silicone-Free Shampoo

And what's the catch for silicone-free shampoo? Silicone-Free shampoo is promised to give nutrients and moisture better to roots and scalp compared to non-silicone. A lot of cheap shampoos in industries use silicone as one of the ingredients to give your hair silky smooth feel and helps adding shine but they actually will be damaging your hair when used on long-term.

3. Has Perfume Effect For Your Hair

Similar with any perfume but unexpected to find at shampoo, they come in top, middle, and end note. Top note scent will come out when you pump the shampoo out, middle note will be when you apply and wash your hair with the shampoo, while the end note will come out after you've worn it all day

I swear that this shampoo series from Je l'aime is the most fragrant shampoo I have ever had and I cant stop smelling my own hair because it's just soooooooooooo delightful !

Anyway if you're wondered, Treatment means conditioner in Japanese-english. If you use the shampoo and treatment altogether, the scent will be stronger and last much longer. Plus you can make your hair pretty smooth as well, win win solution, isnt it?

4. It comes in many scents to choose from

Je l'aime comes in complete lineup that caters on everyone's concern but I only have two scents from Non Silicone that I have tried so far. I really want to try other scents as well but honestly, I am pretty satisfied with green and pink bottle that I have so far

It's hard for me to decide which one I like the most, but the scent is really about individual's preference. However worry not about the performance as both delivers same great result!

5. Affordable and Available in Indonesia already!

The price for shampoo (500 ml) is only Rp 250.000 each and with treatment (500ml) set will only cost you Rp 400.000 at Lazada! Which for me is pretty affordable as if I buy those shampoos in Tokyo, it costs me the same price but I dont have to worry about hauling it back again to Jakarta that wastes my luggage space and heavy weight baggage! I mean, one set of it will be 1kg. Having amazing hair care brands available in Indonesia has always been the best gift from beauty brands. Thank you Je l'aime for coming to Indonesia!

So far I am blessed and feel like a princess after using the shampoo and treatment series from Je l'aime. My hair feels smooth, shiny, and most importantly it smells good all day long! If only I werent a beauty blogger, I wouldnt share the secret of my sweet-smelling hair to you because I would like people to wonder how come I smell so good. Secret is easy, change your shampoo lol

I truly recommend the shampoo to everyone who read the blog post. Please share your opinion after you try it and I'd be so happy to hear your feedback!

This post is sponsored by Je l'aime but doesnt affect any opinion on this blog

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Ellips Dry Shampoo Review

How I Get My Pastel Pink Hair

English Speaking Hair Salon in Tokyo - NALU76 Omotesando

Stella Lee's Top 3 Japanese Hair Oil

5 Things You Should Know About Kose Cosmeport Je L'aime Shiny Repair

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