Singapore

Beauty

by Journeys to Come Thursday, June 23, 2016

Hair salon owner Mary Posterino gives us the low-down on mixing business and leisure (with a toddler!) when travelling to Singapore.

The thought of travelling eight hours on a plane to Singapore with my beautiful 15 month-old daughter, Ava, and hubby, Anthony, was exciting, scary and somewhat daunting at the same time!

However, with the right frame of mind, lots of snacks, new ‘fiddly’ toys, some playdough and anything that kept Ava busy (plus a glass of wine or two for me) the flight was over before we knew it!

Being a hands on business owner of Salon Symmetry, our reasons for travelling to Singapore were not entirely leisure. Three of seven nights I attended business conferences and in all honesty, Singapore wasn’t really a destination on top of my ‘to see’ places. However, it was a great opportunity, so we made a holiday of it.

Mary and her hubby

There are some amazing places to stay, however with a toddler, it’s really important to check out the facilities and look out for a really good pool. I’d also recommend picking accommodation that’s centrally located, but don’t stress too much about this, as public transport and taxis are pretty reliable.

Orchard Road is the place to be if you’re up for a day or two of shopping! However shopping with a little one isn’t always that easy, so we just picked one or two of the many massive shopping plazas along the strip and found that was enough (not to mention the comfort of the air conditioners was devine)!

Sentosa Island is the perfect place for a family day out, there’s so much to do here: Universal Studios, Adventure Cove Waterpark, the aquarium and plenty more – there’s something suitable for all ages and this was definitely one of Ava’s favourite experiences! And the best part is, it’s only approximately 30 minutes drive form central Singapore!

I personally would recommend no more than three or four nights’ stay: Singapore is the perfect stopover for that quick dose of good food, designer shopping and hot/humid weather!

Speaking humidity in Singapore, all I can say is WOW lol…. Be prepared!

Now let’s talk hair: I have naturally curly, coloured hair that generally triples in size and is basically fuzzy and out of control in these hot, humid conditions. My tips for those fellow heads of hair that struggle in conditions like these would be:

Don’t waste your time taking hairdryers or straighteners, no matter how good of a job you’ve done, the humidity and any natural curl or frizz will take over.
Invest in the right products and this will do the trick! Just work with your natural wave/curl and ROCK IT!!

My top 4 MUST HAVE products for taming the mane

1 & 2. Davines Love Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner: also available in 75ml travel sizes. This particular duo is specifically designed for frizzy, coarse, curly/wavy hair and it’s purpose is, along-side its beautiful nourishing benefits for the hair, is smoothing and eliminating frizz and fly aways. Don’t even bother with the products supplied by the hotel.

3. Moroccan Oil Curl Defining Cream: After shampooing and conditioning the hair, give it a good towel dry – DO NOT brush your hair (only comb through your hair when the conditioner is in), as this will separate the curl and you will end up with a frizzy result – the less manipulating the hair, the better!
Work the amount of a 20 cent piece through the hair, mainly on the mid lengths and ends. (You may need to repeat this approximately half hour later, once the curl cream has dried through a little.)

4. Davines Invisible Serum: Apply approximately a 5 cent piece amount over the top. This will create a light shine finish and aid in sealing the curls, creating a weightless barrier to stop the humidity and frizz. This product is so versatile, it can also be applied to wet hair and used to create the perfect sleek pony, without drying with a crunchy or greasy finish!! It’s amazing.