Being fuzz-free is a great way to enter December. Rupini’s remains my choice but I don’t live in Singapore anymore. Its first outlet was this hole-in-the-wall somewhere in Little India. I tagged along with a former flat mate for her bi-weekly beauty ritual and when she went that weekend, the place was packed to the rafters that one could barely move. I suppose that necessitated the move to a bigger location, a more central location, which meant Orchard Road. The price is just part of its appeal – it started out as S$5 for neatly threaded eyebrows. Looking and feeling like Aishwarya Rai, with her immaculate eyebrows, is quite a steal even when it went up to S$8.
Browhaus, a popular brow and lash grooming salon in Singapore, was a place that I never patronised until I relocated to Indonesia. I am a supporter of Rupini’s sedulous eyebrow experts, but I doubt if plans are underway for opening franchises overseas so I had to search for a new professional eyebrow shearer. Not that my eyebrows were starting to look like the Great Birnam woods that Macbeth feared, but it sure felt like they were growing and moving towards the tainted king of Scotland.
Vanity is relentless so I dragged my gal-pal with me to the lower ground floor of Senayan City Mall for a pruning session. At the entrance are cushy stools for those waiting to be sheared and those waiting for their sheared partners, and counters. The one on the left, very near the entrance, is for eyebrow-and-lash services, which unfortunately, was attended by a crabby receptionist. The other counter further right is for waxing services.
Vanity is really inexorable so I booked my session and so did my gal-pal. Verdict? I am still a Rupini’s patron but Browhaus will do in spite of the grumpy attendant. The shearers are pleasant, adroit and meticulous – they thread and pluck to perfection and round up the session with a nice cup of ginger tea.
Browhaus Senayan City Mall
Lower Ground Floor, L-101
Jl Asia Afrika lot 19, Jakarta 10270
T: +62 21 7278 1486
F: +62 21 7278 1255
Hours: 10am – 10pm Monday to Sunday
Fee: Rp90,000 (eyebrows)
*Browhaus outlets are also located in Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia.
Simplify and Breathe 