Friday, December 23, 2016

Good food must share! #foodporn

I used to blog a lot on food, especially cafes that i go to and even compiled them into a blog post listing every single cafe (i think there is about 35 to 40 in total as of now?) but because of Instagram and snapchat, i got lazy to take more photos and neglected my blog. So i was scrolling through my photo app on my iPhone and found these photos of the food i had recently and they were so good that i think they deserve a blog post. So without further a do, here we go! :)

Sunday Folks
44 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-52 Chip Bee Gardens, 278116. Nearest MRT: Holland Village
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Sunday Folks need no introduction. Ever since they opened, we have been seeing photos of these soft serve ice cream waffles on social media (especially Instagram!) and it makes people wonder if it taste as good as it looks! There used to be a long waiting time of about 1.5 hours to get a table but i think as time goes by, the waiting time now is about 30 mins? 
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I really love their perfectly made-to-order square waffles, and of all the soft serve flavours, i really like the dark chocolate and also their roasted Pistachio! The waffles itself already comes with a few strawberries, blueberries, maple syrup and this chocolatey sauce but you can also add on your favourite toppings. I would highly recommend their chocolate covered honey comb! I forgot how much it cost but i think it's less than $15 in total. Good enough to share among 2 pax.


The Populus
146 Neil Rd, Singapore 088875. Nearest MRT: Outram Park
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Was thinking of a place for brunch and my friend recommended The Populus for their quality brunch. The first item in the menu that caught my attention was their signature scrambled eggs ($18.50) I mean, but look at the combination - Croissant, scrambled eggs and bacon. What can go with this combi??? (and it's so insta-worthy, HAHA) The eggs were rich and creamy, croissant was buttery and flaky and the bacon were well done, it was a perfect brunch dish for me.

But do note that The populus is quite popular for the brunch crowd (no pun intended, lol) especially during weekends so you probably have to wait quite awhile before you can get a table. I love the ambience of the place despite the crowd noise. Definitely one of those cafes you can consider going to catch up with friends on a weekday. Keyword - Weekday.


Curious Palette
64 Prinsep St, 188667. Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut
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Another insta-worthy dish - The Berry Ricotta Hotcake ($14.90) that you probably have seen at least once on your instagram feed. Do note that it's made to order so you have to wait a good 30 mins before this delectable dessert arrives at your table. Meanwhile you can just admire how tasteful this cafe is decorated, and maybe take some #ootd shots if there isn't many people around, lol.  The dessert was artistically decorated with lots of berries, sunflower seeds(?), some edible plant (?) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (i have no idea what are those purple powdered stuff on the ice cream) The hot cake was soft and fluffy and everything went really well together. The portion is huge, good to share among 2 or more.

Tendon Ginza Itsuki
101 Tanjong Pagar Rd, 088522. Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar
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For the past few months i have seen people raving about this tendon bowl on social media and i finally decided to try it myself. The queue is crazy so it's best to start queuing even before the restaurant is open (2 timings - 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10pm) Was lucky the first time as i was among the first batch (there is limited seating inside) but the second time i went, i queued about an hour before we could get a table. There is only 2 choice in the menu - the vegetable tendon ($12.90) and Special Tendon ($13.90) and each bowl comes with a chawanmushi and miso soup. Really worth it!

Let me go more in depth into the dish. Firstly, the semi cooked tempura egg hidden amongst all the tempura items. IT'S SO GOOD OMG. I know it's just egg but when the yolk oozes out onto the rice with the soya sauce, it's heavenly. You can easily just eat the egg and rice. Ok, moving on. 2 Ebi Tempura, 2 slices of chicken breast (very soft and tender) and mixed vegetables which can consist of melon, mushroom, long bean etc. It's so delicious and worth it that i don't mind having it every other week, minus the queue. Do note that they fry the tempura on the spot behind the bar and the smell of oil can be really strong. You probably will smell when you leave the restaurant... I would highly recommend everyone reading this to go try this tendon at least once, despite the queue.

Edit: Apparently, there is another restaurant serving Tendon at Suntec... I should try it out soon.


Clinton Street Baking Co. & Restaurant Singapore
1 Purvis St, Singapore 188608. Nearest MRT: Bugis
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Last but not least, a recommendation by a friend. Nowadays when friends ask me to recommend a brunch place, i would recommend them Clinton Street Baking to them because i love the ambience and the quality of the food! I had the above brunch set which consist of hash, eggs done to your preference, 2 thick slice of ham and a biscuit. At first i was skeptical whether the portion would be enough and if it justifies the price but in the end, i was so full and i was so satisfied!
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Despite the price (average about $20/dish) everything on the menu sound so good. The other must try are their pancake stack and their buttermilk chicken with waffles. The warm maple butter that came with the waffles was so good that you might actually want to ask for another portion. Overall the food and the ambience justifies for the price you are paying for.

So that's the 5 different cafes/ food i'm recommending this time! Trust me, they are all worth trying if you are thinking of somewhere to have brunch/ dessert. However i think your overall experience would be better if you go on a weekday, lol.

Psst. I'm in the midst of preparing my Bali travelogue and i'm heading to Taiwan next month! 


Time to hit the gym!                           

Friday, December 16, 2016

Nunsongyee 눈송이 Korean Bingsu!

Even though the bingsu dessert craze hit the shores of Singapore some time last year, can you believe i have yet to try any of this Korean dessert until last weekend! When i first received the invitation by Nunsongyee 눈송이 Korean dessert cafe to try out their outlet exclusive bingsu, i immediately jumped at the chance to have my very first korean bingsu! 
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Address: 9 Yuk Tong Avenue, 596314. Nearest MRT station: Beauty World, Downtown Line.
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Nunsongyee 눈송이 literally means "Snowflake" in Korean and in a short span of 2 years, this Korean dessert cafe grew to 5 outlets in Singapore! (Their first outlet opened in Jan 2015 if you are curious, lol) For the month of Dec each outlet rolled out their outlet-exclusive flavour and for the Bukit Timah outlet that i visited, their flavour is the Melon Bingsu! 
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Melon Bingsu - only available in the month of December 2016
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The presentation of the bingsu isn't over the top compared to the other bingsu, it was rather simple with balls of melon surrounding the shaved ice and topped with a vanilla ice cream. Wished it was more "insta-worthy" but what's most important is definitely the taste. The bingsu came with a small cup of condensed milk which sweetens up the dessert. With little description of the Melon bingsu available (because it's new and outlet exclusive) i literally have no idea what to expect other than the melon fruit and shaved ice. When the dessert arrived at my table, i was like, is that all???
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It was until i dig deeper into the bingsu and found out hidden within the shaved ice were jellies with chunks of pears! It was definitely a pleasant surprise and elevated the taste of the shaved ice. It was quite refreshing and mind you, the portion was really huge. Definitely too much for just 1 person, luckily i brought a couple of friends along for this tasting. 
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I also took the opportunity to try out another of their bingsu in their menu and wanted something that is out-of-the-norm (not the typical mango/ fruity kind of bingsu) and eventually settled for "Snow White" which was a combination of cheese, white chocolate and nuts. I know the combi sounds weird but it was surprisingly good! Overall it's like a sweet savoury taste and hidden within the shaved ice are macadamia nuts with soy beam powder. It's like a premium dessert.
 photo IMG_0307.jpgThe price of the bingsu are ranged from $13.90 to $18.90 (depending on flavour) but each portion is good to share among 2 to 3 (or even 4 person) so you do the math. I'm glad that my very first Korean bingsu experience was at Nunsongyee 눈송이 mainly because the dessert were made with fresh and premium ingredients, and not only that - i love how spacious the cafe was (not forgetting there's also free WIFI and it's opened 24 hours for the Bukit Timah outlet!) For more info on Nunsongyee 눈송이, do refer to their official website at http://www.nunsongyee.sg :)

This is an invited tasting by Nunsongyee 눈송이.

먹자!                                       


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Harry Potter exhibition at Singapore Philatelic Museum!

Every since the trailer of "Fantastic Beast and where to find them" was released, i got reminded how much a harry potter fan i was. I really enjoy reading the books (i still have the whole series on my kindle just in case i want to re-read them) and i remember looking forward to every single of the HP movies. Fantastic beast was really good in my opinion and i enjoyed the movie. I was so intrigued at how it was referenced back to the Harry Potter series and the movie stayed in my head for the next few days. I can't wait for the day where i can finally visit the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando or Japan. (maybe next year?) I still remember going for the Harry potter exhibition 4 years ago and i even did a short blog post on it (link) So when i first heard of another HP exhibition over the Philatelic Museum, i knew i had to visit it soon.
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The Singapore Philatelic Museum. - which honestly i have no idea it exist in Singapore if not for the Harry Potter exhibition. I don't even know what Philatelic means in the first place, which i found out later it means "the study of stamps and postal history and other related items"  The museum is located at 32B Coleman Street, just 10 mins walk from Cityhall MRT station. It's near the old Funan IT mall, around the fire station area. Refer to http://spm.org.sg/visit/location-map photo Photo 23-11-16 10 25 06 AM.jpg
The exhibition is from November 2016 to Jan 2017, 10am to 7pm. Last admission at 6.30pm :)
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Admission to the museum is free for locals and $8 (adults) $6 (children) for foreigners.
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The harry potter exhibition is located on the second level and lined along the stairway are posters and stills from the Harry Potter movie franchise. Can you believe the very first movie came out in 2001? That's 15 years ago. Time really flies.
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It all began with this letter to Harry from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
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Do note that because it's a philatelic museum, what they are really trying to showcase are their collection of Harry Potter stamps and facts. Everything else is in fact is a bonus. In this small exhibition (which only takes up a room in the museum, you get to see the different wand collections, uniform, book and limited edition/ rare collectables contributed by fans.
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There is even an interactive station where you get to wave a fake wand at the screen and see something happen. The station was malfunctioning that day so i still have no idea what it does. But then again it doesn't really matter.
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There is also a lego display of Diagon alley which was really detailed and interesting!
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A photo corner of the Hogwarts express cabin as well as the platform 9 and 3/4 wall for photo opportunities.
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I feel like i need to add some kind of disclaimer at the end of this post because after looking at all the photos in this post, you probably expect it the exhibition to be quite huge but in actual fact, it's only a room full of Harry Potter stuff. What is see in the photo directly above this paragraph is literally what you will see at the exhibition, so don't expect too much when you are there. You probably can spend a good 30 mins looking through everything and take a few photos at the photo corner and that's it. But hey, feel free to look at the other exhibitions in the museum as well :)


Always,                                   

Friday, September 2, 2016

[GIVEAWAY] Sudio Vasa Blå wireless earphone - Simply comment and stand a chance to win!

If you read my previous post on my new Sudio Vasa Blå, you would have read how convenient it was for me to own a wireless ear piece! For those who used the "LOVESUMMER" 35% code and bought your very own Vasa Blå, good for you! (Psst. The code is still valid for now!) For those who are still contemplating whether to get one, the kind folks of Sudio have decided to offer a pair up for me to do a giveaway so here's the chance to win a pair for yourself in just 2 steps!


Step 1: Head over to my instagram - @andystorm (optional whether to follow, not gonna force you, lol) Look for the above #flatlay photo of Sudio and answer the following the question by commenting the answer:

"The Vasa Blå offers ___ hours of active use."

Step 2: Tag 2 friends!

As simple as that! So an example would be: 

8! @xxx @xxx

If you still have no idea what's the answer, do refer to my previous post HERE

Terms & Conditions:
 - This giveaway is hosted only on instagram and entry must meet the above 2 criteria to qualify.
 - Contest will end on 7th September 2016 (Wednesday), 2359H.
 - Winner will be notified via instagram message.


Good luck!                                  

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Sudio Vasa Blå Wireless Review + Discount code!

It's amazing how earphones have “evolved” through the years. From the old school ones, to in-ear (which used to give me a bad headache every time I used it. Anyone with this problem too?) to flat cables to solve the messy wires mystery (why didn't anyone think of flat cables in the past???) and now, wireless ear piece and even just wireless earbuds alone! 

My earphones is like one of “MUST BRING” when heading out of the house. If I rushed out of the house (obviously late) and at the bus stop I realized I didn't bring my earphones out, I would honestly go back home just to take it despite being late. I have done it a few times, lol. And if I were a bit further out of my house, I would literally buy a cheapo one from outside (which I will probably only use once) so that I can listen to music or watch my show on my phone while on the way home. That's how extreme and needy a ear phone is to me. HAHAHA 
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Flat cables was a savior for people like me who dump our earpiece into our bags after use and when we take it out, we have to spend a couple of minutes untangling those wires. But shortly after I joined the gym I realized another problem. When I do exercises like running on treadmill or when I'm cycling, I like to listen to my own songs via my iPhone and the most irritating thing is my earpiece often get yanked out from my ears because of the “sudden tug action” and the cable tend to be out of place, affecting the way I run and exercise. 
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And that's when the kind people of Sudio sent me their Vasa Blå wireless piece for review! (Which I'm really thankful for!) I was so excited to receive my very own wireless earpiece and in my mind I could think of so many ways this pair of wireless earpiece would make my life easier, lol. 
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The Sudio Vasa Blå earpiece came in a pretty gift box which kind of reminds me of Apple’s minimal packaging design and inside contains 2 other box - one contains the earpiece and the other contains a genuine leather case, accessories and owner’s manual. 
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On top of the mentioned, the accessories also includes 4 pairs of extra sleeves, charging cable and metal clip. There are 4 colors available (Rose gold white, Blue, Pink) and I chose the Rose Gold Black. 

Then again, no matter how pretty the packaging or exterior of the ear piece is, what's really important is definitely the sound quality. Paired it with my iPhone within a few seconds (I mean how difficult can it be), played an Adele song (lol!) and I was so pleased with the sound quality! It was crisp clear with a good bass. Honestly I'm no expert when it comes to sound but it was good enough for me. In fact, comparable to my a-Jays or even better! 
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Being a wireless ear piece which connects via Bluetooth, battery life would definitely be a concern but the Vasa Blå offers 8 hours of active use. Doesn't seem to make much difference to my iPhone’s battery as well. Quick charging only requires 10 mins and 120 mins for a full charge. 

Overall I'm really pleased with the Sudio Vasa Blå earpiece and I would recommend it to those who always wanted to jump on the wireless earpiece bandwagon. The Sudio Vasa Blå retails at $165 on their website (14 days no question asked return policy and FREE shipping worldwide!) and guess what? Enjoy a huge 35% DISCOUNT when you quote “LOVESUMMER” (15% code discount + 20% tax rebate for buying online) which means if you buy the Sudio Vasa Bla online, it will set you back at only $112.20! A pretty good deal for a quality earpiece :D A good earpiece are one of those things worth investing. Trust me.


Cheers,                                      

Monday, July 18, 2016

Merrymaker: The online gift marketplace!

Have you ever had a situation where you need to get a last minute gift or you can’t think of what gift to get after walking for hours around the mall or you simply can’t find time to head out to get a gift? Well i have been in such situations a couple of times and i ended up getting last minute typical gifts such as tumbler, mugs or photo frames, LOL 
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Well, i might just have the solution for you. I was recently introduced to an online gift marketplace which helps to find the perfect gift for any occasion, be it birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas etc. With credits given by the kind folks of MerryMaker.com, i got to personally try out out their service and bought some gifts for the people around me (and also something for myself!)

For last minute gift givers, the ultimate solution would definitely be Merrymaker Build-a-box service which is an on-demand service which allows you to put a gift together in seconds. Simply choose the perfect gift from a wide variety of items, the people from Merrymaker will have it wrapped in a beautiful packaging, include a handwritten gift card and have it delivered to your recipient! (Psst. They can even deliver the gift box in under 24 hours! Subject to item availability.) The service cost only $15 on top of the price of your gift(s)! It's considered really cheap with delivery!
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My items came in this huge MerryMaker gift box and the insides was tastefully decorated with dried flowers, paper confetti and even glitter. Imagine the happiness and excitement inside you when opening a gift like that! HAHAHA 
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My mum is a huge fan of scent and so i decided to get her the Peace Candle Gift Box ($38) by The Besotted Things. The gift box contains 2 of their best selling soy candle scent - Ocean and Coriander & white lime. Each tin burns for about 20 to 25 hours. It was packed nicely in a brown box along with some dried plants, perfect for a gift. She loves it btw, hehe
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As for my dad, being constantly outdoor under the sun and also on the road, i got him a pair of Sunglasses by Nectar ($49) in Matt Black frame and black lens. Some of the notable features of the shades include it being lightweight for maximum comfort and UV400 protection. Other than a good meal, this pair of sunglasses would make a good Father’s day gift i guess :) 

One interesting thing among the wide variety of items that MerryMaker.com offers are cakes! They have a range of cakes and food items such as macrons, chocolates and more from established bakeries and brands. I took the chance to order a Rosette Cake ($83 with delivery) from A. Han Bakes and requested for the exterior to be in Ombre Blue to fit the dessert table theme for my BFF - Jiaqi’s birthday party that weekend! What i really like is we can try to request for customization (in my case, change of color, originally it's pink ombre) to make it a perfect gift for your loved ones! 
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Look how pretty the cake turned out! Had the cake delivered on the actual day and the guests were raving at how good the cake was. The interior of the cake is actually Triple chocolate! *drools* A cake can actually be a gift too! 
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Using the remaining credits (which isn’t a lot after i got the previous 3 gifts), i got myself a Starter Granola Gift Set ($9.50) by Proof & Pudding! It comes in 3 individually packed 50g packs and the 3 flavours were Dark chocolate, Cranberry & Turkish Fig and Rock Salt Vanilla. I’m actually munching on chocolate one while typing this post, LOL 
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Instead of browsing the entire Merrymaker catalog for gifts, the items are pre-arranged into several categories such as “Gifts under $30”, “Gifts under $50”, “Gifts for him/ her”, “Personalized gifts”, “Experience gifts” etc so it makes it easier to find the perfect gift. Before i end this post, here’s a couple of pretty interesting and not-so-typical gifts i found after browsing MerryMaker.com:

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Last but not least, if you are considering trying out Merrymaker gift services, do use the gift code - “ANDYMERRY10” to get $10 credits for your purchase! Valid till 31 August 2016.


Happy Shopping!                              

Monday, July 11, 2016

CLASSIC by Tai Wah

Recently i was invited by Tai Wah to try out their hair services at their newly opened hair and beauty salon - CLASSIC by Tai Wah. If the brand Tai Wah rings a bell to you, yes you are right. It's the same Tai Wah which has a rich heritage in the professional hair and beauty industry and has more than 50 years of experience training hairdressers and beauty therapists at using their very own equipment and machinery. CLASSIC by Tai Wah offers the ultimate one-stop hair, face and body pampering experience and it's located at the heart of Raffles Place. Made an appointment at 3 pm that day :)
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The Salon features reception and retail area, 8 seater hairdressing area, barbering corner and 3 cozy beauty rooms
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As i was seated at one of the seats in this spacious salon, i was immediately offered a drink and a wet towel. After a chat with my stylist, i explained that i wanted 3 things. Firstly was to get a haircut (duh!) secondly, i want to get rid of my unsightly white hair and lastly, treatment. No fancy stuff for now, maybe in the future, LOL Always wanted ash grey!
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What i notice throughout the 1.5 hour session is that the team was really committed to provide me with what i require by understanding and customizing the menu based on my personal and lifestyle needs. The staffs were polite and attentive. Simple things like asking if the temperature of the water is alright when washing hair are the little things that count. (I also shamelessly asked for their WIFI password which they offered immediately, lol) Good customer service. I'm quite sure they have no idea i was a blogger and was there to try out their service, and probably write about them.

Sometimes it's not just about the end product (which i was very satisfied btw) but it's also the process. My stylist also explained to me about how i have been cutting my hair shape wrongly which makes it looks flat at the back and immediately rectified it for me. My hair was washed like a total of 3 times that afternoon. LOL I basically dyed my hair like total black so it looks much healthier. I think i would want to go back for the Nioxin scalp treatment next time.
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The Hair, Face and Body services CLASSIC offers include Korean Digital Perms, Creative Hair Coloring, Olaplex Treatment, Nioxin Scalp Treatment, Stem Cell Facial,V-Shaped Lifttox Face Treatment, Precious Gold Eye Treatment, Body Contouring, Body Massage, Gua Sha to Waxing Services. They also provide Manicure and pedicure services upon appointment too. Now that's what you called a one stop salon with face, hair and body pampering experience.
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62 Cecil Street, TPI Building #01-00 Singapore 049710 ( Opposite Capita Green) 

Operating Hours: 
Monday to Friday: 11:00am - 7:00pm ( Last appointment at 5:00pm ) 
Saturday: 11:00am - 3:00pm ( Last appointment at 1:00pm ) 

I was really a satisfied customer and i'm not saying this because i was invited but because i felt the customer service as well as i love the end result of the session. Cuts are only priced at $45 for men, $55 for women, and guess what, only $20 for students! Their coloring services, perming/ straightening as well as treatment for hair are pretty affordable too and the good news is, simple quote "andystorm" for 30% all hair services! :D


Till then,