Review: MONSOON-id Hair Saloon

I was still in my office, just after office hours yesterday, when I was wondering aloud if I should go get a haircut.

A colleague of mine then said she too, was in great need to shear down her long, looong tresses (near waist-length hair), and so off we went on a primping spree.


The salon of choice - MONSOON-id, in Tropicana City Mall, which was just down the road from our office.

I have been to MONSOON-id for hairwashes and haircuts before, and so far, I've never had any issues with any of their services. And yesterday was no exception.

Their salons are trendy with full-length mirrors, and they serve you tea as well, as soon as you take a seat in front of one. Hairstylists then come by and have a little chat with you, asking you what you want done.

My request yesterday was simple enough - wash, blow + cut.

So what did I like about the place?

1. They behave very professionally. I've been to quite a variety of salons for hairwashes (my idea of an occasional treat) and I can tell you from firsthand experience, that it's not always a treat.

I used to frequent this very small saloon in a housing area (because I know the lady, who's got great skill actually), but I think I'll stop frequenting the place now. Here's why... she sometimes hire newbie shampoo girls, and once I became the guinea pig for a lesson in shampoo-ing. My scalp felt scratched and raw after, and my neck actually ached for days. Nossiree, no more of that, thank you very much.

So yes, good shampooing skills are actually important, and the lady who shampoo-ed my hair here did a pretty decent job shampooing and massaging. Firm but gentle hands. Nice.

2. They listen. Turns out the lady who shampooed my hair was also a leading stylist (Fanny Fong), and she gave me a trim too. She was very pleasant, asking me quite specifically what I wanted, and she abided by my wishes.

I really hate it when stylists try too hard and over do a cut. Like too much layering, or suggesting you dye your hair a bright orange. Or when they start behaving condescendingly.

I also really hate it when stylists (whom I'm meeting for the first time) try to dig personal information out of me. I don't mind small talk, but do you really need to know if I'm married or if I'm planning to have children? Do you?

Thankfully, she was neither.

3. No hard-sell. My stylist never once suggested I try any of their packages, or suggested any product for me to buy. Which I actually really like. Brownie points for her.

4. Decent prices. The saloon was having a promotion, and I only ended up paying RM40 for a wash, blow + cut. Which to me, is extremely reasonable.

From what I could hear, they also speak passable English, so if you're a bit of a banana (non parle Chinoise), this salon might still work for you. It worked for my colleague, who definitely doesn't speak Mandarin or any Chinese dialects.

So after about an hour or so, my colleague and I both walked out feeling great with clean, happy, and bouncy hair.

I believe I have found myself a new salon! Yay!

(You can check the price list here. But apparently, they go on promotion every now and then, so do check their promotion-list first before walking in!)