Hair Modelling for Free Styling Products

There is something that occurs in New York City that is amazing. And I don't think it occurs with as much frequency, quality and generosity in Singapore/Asia. This amazing thing I am referring to is... BARGAIN OPPORTUNITIES. And not just regular bargains, I mean super-bargains! Like up to 95% off the price of high-end designer stuff (I usually don't buy branded stuff, but when it is 85% off or more, it gets consideration. And the quality and cut is usually splendid!). There are also warehouse clubs where you can find fresh produce and electronics etc., factory outlets, as well as free stuff and services!

So here is an example of my adventure yesterday:

So I responded to the ad, and on the other line of the call was a friendly lady, who told me the details. I made my way down to the salon on the Upper East Side with the address she gave me. And wow, I found the area to be quite posh when I stepped out of the Metro Station. After walking down 3 streets, I found the Salon just off Lexington Avenue. It was a beautiful Salon, and quite large, occupying 3 storeys. I was sent up to the second storey where I became a hair model for a styling class.

My stylist was G. She was an african-american woman, medium built and a very curvy figure, and had a sweet voice and demeanour. There were 3 other stylists practicing together with G, and the instructor (whom G refers to as a superb stylist) was a thin and petite caucasian woman with a brunette bob called S.

G who had some years of experience of working in a boutique and a hair salon was a well educated woman originally from South America. She has a degree in Political Science, but admits that her first love is fashion. So she took up this 2-2.5 year apprenticeship, so that she can travel world, work a few days of the week, and get well paid. This Salon frequently sends stylists to support the fashion shows in Paris, to work on the models' hair.

So for today, the instructor S required them to do 2 styles. The first was a blow-back style. This was an important basic requirement - the starting palete - before doing other upward combing hairstyles like french twists and buns. The most important part of it is that every root direction has sculpted universally towards the back, such that there is no visible parting in the hair. This is more work then it sounds, and when S spots any imperfection, she points it out to G, explains it and G worked on my hair again until the goal is reached.

The second style was a flat-ironed, center-parted, no volume hair style. Another basic to achieve as a starting point for creating runway hair styles. G was able to achieve this in no time. She was telling me that she worked with all sorts of challenging hair types, and by now she can handle a poodle that comes in and needs to blow it's hair straight out. Lol!

At the end of the day G fulfilled her 2 assignments on my hair before 5.30pm. She went the extra mile in giving me what I requested: soft curls to my hair, as I wanted to go home and surprise hubby (it did not pan out in the end because when I had a hot steamy bath, all the curls fell straight! *sob*). I also collected my FREE three full-sized quality styling products. One for prepping, one for holding, and one for shine. Sweet! G also gave me several free samples as I requested stuff for dry hair ends.

Stuff like these, like free haircuts, free dental, happens often in New York City, because there are many apprentices come here to learn from the "Best". There are just so many talented people all over the world, and I hear that many of them congregate in New York City. You just have to be lucky enough to catch these bargains at the right place, at the right time, and sign up.

What do you think about bargain hunting in Singapore/ NYC?