The beauty and wellness industry is one sector that is bound to experience a tectonic transformation, post-Covid. So as at-home services and products become all the rage, how do salons up their game and thrive in the new normal? We tried the new salon experience at November Rain-The Salon at Breach Candy-a shining example of great salon experience in the new normal.
As I enter, I’m greeted by the staff who are suited up in full PPE and check my temperature holding a non-contact thermometer. Shoe covers, masks, sanitizers are provided upon arrival. The swish white interiors and the hygiene aspect definitely make the first impression a great one.
The salon is a brainchild of Vrinda Jhaveri who has been a hairstylist for over 13 years. A chance encounter with hairstyling ignited her passion for the industry and since then there has been no looking back. “Our main motto is around creating happy people. Because if you look good, you’ll feel good,” remarks Jhaveri. She exclaims that all services at the salon are guaranteed.
Here I put to test the Keratin treatment for the front section of my hair and a Sea Soul Dead Sea Mineral pedicure. One of the things I love about the salon is that all the products they use are absolutely cruelty-free. Brownie points there! We start off with the Keratin treatment. Here the products of the Italian brand- Liss design by Alfaparf are used. The best about the keratin here when compared to many other keratins I have tried is that this one is formaldehyde-free.
The procedure starts off with a hair wash using the deep cleansing shampoo followed by which my hair is divided into sections and the smoothing fluid is applied. Covered with a cap, this is left for over 20 minutes. Following this, the hair is dried and the straightening iron is used. Post that, my hair is thoroughly rinsed. A rehydrating mask was used followed by the spot-on hair styling.
I read reams about the brand and am glad to see that it contains only the finest botanical ingredients and pure proteins. Overall, I loved how Alfaparf Lisse Design Keratin Treatment works in synergy with my hair’s existing proteins to restructure, soften, and release frizz from my hair. It would be safe to say that it penetrates well inside the hair shaft delivering important conditioning and moisturizing benefits, which improves the overall strength of the hair, making it soft and shiny and restoring hair to its healthy state.
My next treatment is the Sea Soul Dead Sea Mineral pedicure which I can easily say has been one of my best pedicures in recent times. I loved the idea of a candle melting into a wonderful aromatic oil, that gives the skin an instant boost.
The products used here are top-notch and definitely help you nourish skin, tame that tan and leaves your skin soft and supple.
Overall, the salon is eerily quiet- while the free drinks and the magazines are fanned out on every surface and nobody is within 10 feet of you except your stylist, who is swaddled in a mask, face shield, plastic apron, and gloves and yet, this stilted experience makes me feel safe and still enjoy my pamper session. The salon ticks all the right boxes of hygiene, quality of products used, great staff, and the overall treatment. It manages to give my red-carpet moment and leaves me smiling ear-to-ear. And to me, this is the salon experience of the foreseeable future.
Note: The critic was hosted by the salon but all the opinions expressed herewith are her own.
Where: Balmoral Villa, Warden Rd, Mumbai, Breach Candy, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400026
Phone: 099870 19008
