Before the Makeover

Time isn’t money when you’re the mom of a newborn; it’s a luxury. So it’s hard to use the few hours of childcare you have a week to make sure you take care of yourself. And for Christina Wacko, who also just returned to Beijing after being stranded until she gave birth, every minute of her day counts.

That’s why it was such a joy to offer her the chance to spruce up her roots and highlights, giving renewed life to her already pretty stunning hair. Wacko and her husband moved to Beijing in 2018 but last winter were stuck in Nepal, then the UK, keeping up on a new pregnancy in the meantime. When they missed the window to return before the baby was born, her blossoming family traveled to Canada, where her husband has citizenship, to welcome their new daughter.

But their family’s story has a happy ending – or new beginning, in this case. They returned to their home in Beijing last January as parents, ready to embrace a whole new view of their host city – and laden with the usual baby items in tow!

So here we find Wacko, six months out from her last hair treatment and looking forward to new highlights for a brighter spring than she had last year. Laurent Falcon stylist Max and his assistants took their time to get to know her hair and understand the processes it has already been through, then talking with Wacko in depth on her desires. It was determined that they needed to strip the bleached areas even lighter in order to attain the color she had previously, and everyone set to work while their subject relaxed into the chair.

A morning of self care quickly turned into lunchtime, however, and the clock started ticking down to when Wacko’s part-time ayi was due to leave. But we all know that if there’s one thing mothers learn, it’s how to meet challenges. That includes rearranging plans when a hair appointment goes longer than expected and your seven month old has to come for a visit. All parents must figure out how to integrate their child into everyday activities as needed; I myself remember how I had to cleverly time a haircut with my toddler’s nap, the stylist going snip snip snip as the child snoozed happily in a Björn with the apron as an umbrella.

And so Wacko and her beautiful child figured it out; her little one enjoyed the bright new sights of the studio and gained an early insight into the mechanisms of hair stylings. She enjoyed the many mirrors and sounds all around her, taking short breaks in between the bleaching process to nurse. As long as she was near her mom, her baby was happy, content, and comfortable.

Wacko herself got a bit nervous the longer it went on, as Laurent Falcon’s artists worked the steps in a different order than she was used to. But once her hair was rinsed, the relief of the beautiful look was evident in her face. She’d brought a stunningly long floral dress that, paired with her new bright hair and incredible brown eyes, created the look of a goddess. Add to the picture her adorable, happy child, and our subject turned into a vision, a retelling of the Madonna and child that would fit in well at any art gallery. Everyone who saw our photo shoot had to simply stop and stare at the personification of happiness, the proud look of a very happy mama and her child.

Laurent Falcon, French Style Salon

New location at Hello Mart 城市市集
2F 48 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区亮马桥路48号
www.laurent-falcon.com
135 0137 2971

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Images: Uni You

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 May issue

Florence Du came to Beijing when she was in her early twenties; she skipped university and saved up money to travel. Now she is currently completing her degree online and paying for it herself. She met Alex, a software engineer with twelve years of experience, through a mutual friend and they bonded over badminton. In April of 2015, they celebrated both a traditional Chinese wedding and a western style wedding at a beautiful mountain resort. She and her husband just recently announced they were having a baby boy (nicknamed “monkey”) at an intimate baby shower with friends. The Du family eagerly awaits the arrival of their little monkey, especially as they plan to head back to the UK for the birth.
Du typically is a wash, comb, and wear kind of gal. She had been thinking about getting her hair colored for a few months when she got the opportunity for this makeover. As with many first time moms, she asked her peer groups and researched the dangers of dyed hair while pregnant. She was surprised to discover that though dyed hair is not recommended during the first trimester, many Chinese salons refuse to dye hair even past that cautious period.
With six years of experience at Catherine de France, master stylist Wendy mentioned that she is unsure why many salons refuse to dye hair, but that she dyed her hair while pregnant herself. She explained another interesting cultural insight: that many Chinese women prefer male stylists, and when she first started in the industry, she was worried she wouldn’t be able to find a job.
Du enjoyed the treatment and was impressed with the décor and style of the salon. Du and makeup artist Laetitia chatted about makeup and application and how Laetitia maintained her own look. “I wish I could do this myself!” Du blurted. Laetitia responded, “I can teach you.”
Du frequently mentioned how she felt like a diva. Her husband loved the new blonde though her in-laws were shocked with the change at first. She admitted she needed to continue to add oils since the treatment dried her tips, but that she still likes the look, though the maintenance was more than she was used to. She would recommend the salon to others; especially moms who want to turn glam.

Step 1: Hair is washed then cut into layers to create a cascading effect as the hair grows into the style.

Step 2: Hair is dried and then sectioned off. Wendy applied color treatment to both highlight strands and the tips. Wait time was around half an hour.

Step 3: Laetitia adjusted the foundation color by mixing two colors then highlighting and contouring, and set with powder. Eyebrows are shaped shaped with a brown pencil. She created a daytime look coral on the corner, brown accent on the under rim and additional bronze highlight under the brows. Gloss lipstick and mascara completed the first look. An evening look was created with a dark brown shadow wedge to accentuate her eye shape and a bright pink lip for a pop of color.

Seward Mediter Alchemy, 13/0 Argan Oil
Maybelline Dream Satin Skin P01
Mac Matchmaster Foundation SPF 15
Bedhead Small Talk 3-in-1
Retouche Express Correction Instantannee
Max Factor X No. 81 Crème Puff, Pressed Powder
D-Shali Natural Shining Eye Shadow Pencil
Loreal Paris Duchess Rose Blush
Palette Feerique No. 1 Tint Eye Shadow

Catherine de France 法式美容美发沙龙 Tue-Sun 9am-9pm. B1 East Avenue Bldg,10 Xin Dong Lu, Chaoyang District (8442 5120, 135 2147 3492, eastavenue@catherinedefrance.com) 朝阳区新东路10号逸盛阁首层

This article originally appeared on page 12-13 of the October 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTOS: UNI YOU