salon review: STUDIO ZEN SALON (Katipunan)

*Disclosure- all services provided for free.

Last Saturday I got a chance to try out the services at Studio Zen Salon. I went to their newly-opened branch at Katipunan and was lucky enough to check it out before the grand opening (April 11). The place was busy when I arrived but I was entertained right away and didn't have to wait at all.

I decided to get a haircut that day since I went by a whole month without getting my hair trimmed (I get a cut every two weeks!). I'll save you from my usual school sched rants, but I'll say that I was SO thankful my horrible month ended with a nice trip to the salon. My hair was so uneven and thick already so I told them that I wanted it short and thinned out. My stylist that day was Pat and I told him to color it however he wanted to. I know it's a big risk to trust a stylist you've never worked with before but I was THAT BORED with my hairstyle.

Gigi was my photographer that day and not a single photo was out-of-focus. SO amazing.

Most salons don't cover my face when I get a trim. I always end up with so much snippets of hair on my face so I was thankful that they had that clear cover to help!

Pat was taking his time and I just kept looking at the way my hair was getting shaped- it was SO cool. He even mentioned that my hair was suited for "competitions" (LOL) since you could shape it in any way and the style would always come out nicely because of its thickness and texture. 'Twas so nice of him to say that cos I hate how my hair is so thick. It always looks messed up if I don't apply any product or have it trimmed when I'm growing it out...

Getting it colored...

Gigi said I looked like I had an illness of some sort. :))

Purple bangs! They also lightened the rest of my hair a bit.

I took photos around the place since I loved the clean, white interiors!

Private makeup station beside the nail lounge

Nail lounge

Ateneo is right across, and this building is also beside Xanland.

Super friendly people of Studio Zen!

They were very courteous. One of my pet peeves when going to spas or salons would have to be noisy staff. Here, they were focused on their jobs and they didn't chat too much when there were customers.

I KNOW... My eyes look super scary but this shows the true color of my hair now.

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They have this new "All You Want" promo and the 8 different services are surprisingly affordable. That means you just have to pay once and you can go back anytime to avail of the same service for a whole month!

Haircut- P390/month

(unlimited haircut sessions)

Hairset- P990/month

(blow-dry, iron and curl anytime)

Manicure & Pedicure- P590/month

(clean, cut and color as you please)

Foot Spa- P960/month

(an everyday treat to your feet)

Hand Spa- P590/month

(a healthy habit for haggard hands)

Body massage- P1390/month

(get a relaxing rub regularly, from 11AM to 6PM)

Hot oil- P1490-P2960/month

(shine and revitalize every week)

Bonacure- P2960-P3890/month

A month-long rescue and repair for your hair.

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I am lovin' my cut and color! So glad that I don't have to put as much product on my hair anymore. And I didn't even have to give any instructions as to how I wanted it to look like. Usually I'd bring a photo or give the stylist detailed/specific instructions. Definitely going back to maintain this cut or to get another style if I get sick of it.

Thank you so much to Studio Zen for inviting me and for the lovely salon experience! :)

STUDIO ZEN

Katipunan Branch:

2nd Floor #325 Katipunan Avenue

Loyola Heights, Quezon City

tel. no. (02) 442-8004

Cubao Branch:

870 Philam Life Bldg. Gen. Malvar

Araneta Center Cubao, Quezon City

tel. no. (02) 912-2427

(call them to book an appointment)

Visit their site

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fun fun fun fun

Go try the truffled popcorn at KYSS!

Lester + bday girl Nini

Didn't try it since I remember finishing 3/4 of the bowl the first time I tried it. HA. Control thyself, woman.

You love her new hair. Admit it.

"Fringe down" season shouldn't have landed on summertime, but whatevs.

M's tummy peeking out, I's fish lips + double peace sign and my top that looks like an itsy bitsy dress-- I don't really know why this photo was posted.

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Had a meeting with Carla and Alessa one night at Borough. Took only 2 photos. Lame.

Rizza's sammich

My salad.

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This blog post's title isn't really what I would describe these past few weeks for me. I've obviously been out of the events scene and I haven't been posting about anything too exciting. When I started this blog I wanted to just post things for myself, but I can't deny that nowadays I want to post things that other people reading can at least appreciate.

There's just so much that I want to write about now but I'm at that point wherein my mind's just too loud and unorganized to even jot down the proper words that could explain myself without leading anyone into thinking that I've gone mental (okay some might agree that I've always been crazy). Bear with me.

STUCK IN A RUT. On most days, as much as I was pushing myself to remain as optimistic and hopeful, I failed to follow the same advice I've given to people since... I don't know, being hailed as a class psychologist in high school? It's true that the negative traits you call out and dislike in other people are things that you distinguish only because you see them in yourself. I am stubborn, pessimistic, cynical and all things negative. YES. When I get left with my own thoughts too often, my fear of complicating the simple things I'm meant to enjoy can overshadow the fact that I WANT to take things lightly. I NEED to just take things one step at a time. I have to be THANKFUL that I am privileged that things are actually happening.

Being patient doesn't necessarily mean that I enjoy waiting. I question myself as to why I'm always rushing things when "Patience is a virtue" is practically my mantra and something I push on other people. And there's this constant thought as to why I even bother to think about my own demons when I know I could be fixing a ton of things surrounding me. Then I get small wake-up calls, from my mum, my seatmate, the bags under my eyes, telling me to slow down and notice that I've been neglecting myself and avoiding the prescribed ME TIME- which is actually time with Him.

Finding the solutions to any of my questions... Whining, crying, joking about quitting... It never helps. Getting advice from others can only get you so far, nobody really knows you. I forget about turning to the only one who's always there- always waiting for you to seek Him. As I get detached from the things I've promised to hold on to, there's a force that never fails to remind me of them. Answers are never too obvious. Things only return to the surface when you stop searching. It's always about trusting the process, strengthening your faith, reconnecting to your sole purpose of being.

Sometimes all it takes is 24 hours to patch up the void and weeks of self doubt. For me, it involved sitting clearheaded through a birthday party, shooting under the extreme heat and then attending the Sunday service to hear just the things I needed to hear. Still digesting a ton of things for me to be able to undulate through the next few months. Not quite how I pictured the answers would get to me. Intuitiveness and conscious reasoning at a tug-of-war again.

I have no right to wallow in self-pity. Note to self: walk at a comfortable pace, or slither if you must- just get to the finish line and start another one-man marathon after a pat on the back. Never make anyone a standard for yourself.

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Rogue Productions

March 8, 2011 (Tuesday) at Saguijo

Wagyu

Salamin

The Oemons

Good Morning High Fives

Happy birthday, Iona! Thank you for finally saying hi to us :))

Thanks to Julz, Jeula and the rest of Rogue Productions for inviting us. Hailed this one as the "friendship" gig (HAHA) since it was the first time the WTs, Salamin, Wagyu and GMHFs performed together in one night. It was super fun!!!

And oh, Riz and I sang "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele for the first time. We want to record & post a video of it soon!

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killer shoes by DAS

Here are the other photos I took for DAS's first collection:

I bought this pair and got tons of questions about the wearability. They don't hurt at all, but they were a bit loose for me (I got a size 8 and I'm supposedly a US 8.5!). Good thing there's a chain/strap! Plus there's nothing an insole can't fix ;)

They are super danceable and sky high- super flattering! I've worn them more than 5 times, but I've never taken an outfit pic with it... I'm going to do that soon. I AM LOVING THIS PAIR.

Find DAS shoes on:

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Don't ask me anything about pricing/shipping here. Leave them a message on their site instead :)

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