First Impressions

One day on impulse I purchased a Groupon deal for a gel manicure + normal pedicure to be used at Tenshi Nail House in SS2.  Having frequent SS2 so often, I had no idea where Tenshi is and have not heard of it before. The deal was really cheap and how bad can a mani/pedi turn out even if the services are bad, right? A week before it expired, I made an appointment and called up for directions. Turns out it is on the same row as Rekindle cafe, and one floor up.  It is a small cosy shop with pretty pink decor of angels; owner and staff were friendly and tended to me with their full attention. There was no hard-selling or them being pushy about upgrading me to other services, but I upgraded my pedicure to gel anyway to be longer-lasting.  Before my departure, I was offered a 3-session package which would cost me as much as the Groupon deal would per session, which totals to about RM138 (if memory serves me right). I happily signed up, pleased with the staff and...

We had some time to kill in the afternoon and decided to drop by and see the progress of Jaya mall and check out its new tenants. Browsing the third floor which is pretty quiet at this point I spotted a beauty parlour which offers manicure and waxing services, as well as threading! While the boyfriend waited for a juice at the kiosk in front, I popped in for a quick eyebrow tidy-up. Ten minutes later, I had neat brows, and to my satisfaction, all for RM5. Here's the current price list, and the boutique's front: Definitely will recommend the threading services. L2-09A, Jaya Shopping Centre, Jalan Semangat, Sekysen 14 46100 Petaling Jaya 03 7931 7453

Honestly, a Google search of Lavines did not turn up with any reviews or solid websites that reassures the sceptical online shopper such as myself. Instead I found page after page of discounted deals that Lavines ran in the past, and also a Facebook page which was last updated in 2011. I was extremely attracted by the location of its outlet and drove past it one day to see what it looks like. Unlike some smaller, unknown beauty outlets in SS2 occupying the upper levels, this outlet is located on the Ground floor and looks fairly attractive and proper. The staff looked professional and despite scaffolding and construction work going on beside it, business seemed alright. photo taken from Groupon deal page I took the plunge and purchased a 2.5 hour facial + massage deal  and made an appointment for myself. Lavines has a text system where they confirm your appointment or contact you by text if you did not answer your phone, which I appreciated.  The facial an...

The same weekend I was at A-Listers in Sunway Giza, there were a few booths in the concourse area promoting various items and services. One of the booths that caught my attention was an express manicure service for RM15 offered by Amante - unbelievably cheap! I smiled at the friendly promoter and told her I'd like a manicure. Now, with most discounted services, I tend to expect poorer service or quality. I was very prepared for a crummy manicure delivered under ten minutes. Au contraire, the staff at Amante spent a good thirty minutes trimming my cuticles, shaping my nails, filing and buffing before moving on to colour application. I was quite impressed at the delivery and would definitely return to Amante for other services if their branches continue to maintain their standard. Amante can be found at 12 locations. They have promotions on a regular basis which can be found on their blog . 

Now, eyebrow threading been something that eluded me in the PJ area. Many years ago I frequented this Indian beauty parlour near the old Giant supermarket in Kelana Jaya. It ceased to operate and my good friend later recommended a place in Bangsar, above McDonald's, that charges only RM5. Now Bangsar is not a place I would go with the intention to get my eyebrows tidied - more of a brunch and shopping sort of place - and I long for somewhere closer to home.  I was in Kota Damansara and thought of trying my luck in this area and  Google  told me that there's a waxing and threading salon in Sunway Giza, A-Listers, about five minutes away. Calling the number on their website for a landmark,  a friendly woman told me they are in the mall, not in the open-aired area where majority of the eateries are at, such as Nandos, Movida's and Boost juice etc. Locating it easily on the second floor beside Adonis and Thai Odyssey, the same woman on the phone attended to me r...