I don’t have great hair. In fact, I have the worst hair in our family, and that says a lot since I’m the lone lady! While it’s fortunate that I have a thick head of hair, it is quite unfortunate that my hair is coarse, rough, and doesn’t stay put. After our beach vacation, it got even worse. Sun damage and my daily habit of bunning it up on trapping it in a ponytail hadn’t done my hair any good.
It was by providence, I believe, that Azta Urban Salon contacted me one day in May, to say that they wanted to pamper some moms in honor of Mother’s Day. (Thanks to the Painters’ Wife, by the way, for making this possible!). I had heard some great reviews about Azta, one of which came from my sister-in-law, when she came home one day with a Cary Mulligan-esque ‘do that I really liked. And so, I was looking forward to my own Azta experience.
I had the chance to visit Azta’s Katipunan branch, where my sis-in-law happened to have gotten her fab haircut.
The location is ideal for those living near the area; it’s situated right smack in the middle of the busy school district. Even on a Saturday, the place is buzzing! Of course, after my treatment was done, the salon had cleared up. Here’s what it’s like inside the Katipunan Branch:
This was my station. Full length mirror!
The staff were attentive and friendly, and immediately offered me my choice of beverage. After assessing my hair, the stylist (hi, Edwin!) recommended that I get the Nounou Pak Treatment by Davines. Since my hair had just come out of a lot of sun damage from the beach, as well as a lot of abuse on my part for keeping it in a ponytail every single day, this treatment seemed perfect. It’s meant to have restorative effect on stressed hair like yours truly.
Step 1: Dry shampoo. This is how they do it here in the Katipunan branch: Saves time, water, and queues at the shower sink.
Step 2: Apply the Nounou Pak Treatment.
The key ingredient in the Nounou Pak treatment is jojoba oil, which has a nourishing and protective effect on hair. It’s complemented by other great ingredients such as olive butter and cherry oil, which have nourishing and moisturizing actions. The treatment was applied even to my hair, massaged onto the scalp for about 10 minutes (which as heaven, especially since I love scalp massages). The treatment is meant to stand for 10-15 minutes without a heat source. Edwin explained that there really wasn’t much of a difference whether a heat source was used or not, since the scalp would already generate the body’s natural heat.
While I waited for the nounou pak to set, Edwin took me through my “Azta Salon Rx,” what they fondly call their “salon prescription.” After a treatment, it’s always best to follow up with hair care products that are suited to the treatment. Here’s my hair care prescription:
No doubt, the Nounou Pak treatment did its job. My normally coarse hair was bouncier and softer. Even after a week, I noticed that the strands didn’t clump together as they normally do. Today, a month after the treatment, I believe that I am due for another round! In fact, the Azta staff recommended natural treatments such as the Nounou Pak over synthetic straightening or relaxing treatments, since these tend to damage the hair in the long run.
Azta Urban Salon is a great place for quality yet affordable hair care. Not only do they offer styling and cuts, but they are very knowledgable about the kind of treatment your hair needs. I liked that they were sincere about offering me a service that would really benefit my hair, and not just be a quick fix to my problems. The salon “Rx” prescriptions are also very helpful, though I must confess that the price of the Davines take-home products was a bit too steep for me at the time! Still, I can vouch for the Nounou Pak’s long-term results.
If you’d like to try any of Azta Urban Salon’s services, do book an appointment with them at any of their seven (7) branches:
- Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City 4346733
- Robinsons Metroeast, 6822107
- Eastwood City, 6876527
- Alabang Town Center, 6592249
- Robinson’s Pioneer, Mandaluyong, 6873289
- SM San Lazaro, Manila, 3531344
- Tomas Morato, Quzon City 9904234
Azta Urban Salon offers basic hair and personal hygiene salon services, plus innovative services such as Dreadlocks, Corn rows, Hair extensions, Eyelash extensions, and Eyelash perming. For more info, “LIKE” them on Facebook (facebook.com/AztaUrbanSalon)
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Nounou Pak treatment and haircut from Azta Urban Salon for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received, and what I have written is my opinion alone. Thank you.
