KJStudio by COVO @ Outram Park Keong Saik Rd & East Coast Road

Due to negligence of the receptionist in scheduling my next appointment, KJstudio insists on charging new set price for my touch up. I’ve been with them for 6 months and visited them every 3-4 weeks. KJstudio’s dismissal of their loyal customer is pure absurdity. There was one time the extension lashed didn’t last for 2 days. I messaged KJstudio 2 days after my appointment to address my concern and request to go down for a quick fix. *Note: KJstudio promises free touch up within a week from your appointment should there be problems with the extension lashes.* They strategically scheduled me in for an appointment after a week and then charged me for the touch up. I paid for it and didn’t make a fuss of it. Judging from the way KJstudio operates, it’s concerning where there’s no hospitality, goodwill for its customers.

Review approved by Beauty Undercover

My very first eyelash Extension was done in KJSTUDIO n i immediately fall in love wif my gorgeous lashes ever since ;p Experience during e process was pleasant n comfortable though it lasted for ard 1.5hr (i did 2D lashes ard 300 strands btw)... the beautician was v meticulous n detailed:)

As it was my first time having extension, it's nt fair for me to give comparison... but i hv to say i did receive many compliments on how dazzling my eyes were aft e ext... Aft 4 weeks, e ext still looked pretty n intact.... But pricing wise, it's relatively higher n i might search for better bargain as extension has to be done on almost monthly basis... perhaps KjStudio can consider selling "package" for long term customers... ^_^

Review approved by Beauty Undercover

I was looking for a Japanese-run lash extension shop with affordable rates for retouch. A lot of shops did not offer retouch rates at all so to find something as affordable as what KJStudio offers, I felt quite lucky. While their new set rates are not the cheapest, their touch-up service is a good deal in the long run if you wish to maintain your extensions on the regular.

I also was attracted to their shop as they had a website with an updated pricelist and an active Facebook page. In there you can see lots of pictures of the staff, their work, the customers and description of promos. Seems like a really approachable shop.

The Shop:
The shop is located in Keong Saik Road between Chinatown and Outram Park. I dislike going here as it is a bit out of the way. I also am not a fan of what I feel is the sometimes pretentious atmosphere of the whole street. Though I had the experience of staying in one of the boutique hotels (Naumi Liora) and do recall it was a great experience. Anyway I digress!

KJStudio is a really nice, cosy shop on a second floor of a shophouse. There was a small waiting area with fashion magazines and a water dispenser. They also had a thick catalogue with descriptions and samples of their work, which comes useful when trying to choose the type of lashes you want on yourself. In a different room, they also had toilet and a spacious makeup area that can sit 3 people. This is a big plus as you do not need to rush after the treatment and can take the time to fix yourself up should you wish to.

I was asked to fill up a client info form. Then they proceeded to describe to me the type of lashes they have. They used sable lashes, had 4 types of curls and a variety of thickness and lengths to choose from. The staff can speak good English and seemed friendly so you can explain to them confidently your concerns and the type of look you are going for.

Volume Lash:
During the time I went, they were having 20% off on their Volume Lash set. It sounded like the Cluster Lashes that I had a few years back and they easily fell off because I think they were a bit unwieldy for my lashes to stick to. But after looking at the description in the catalogue, it seemed to me that while the Cluster Lash method uses 1 lash extension with many strands/split ends, Volume Lash involves attaching many lash extensions to 1 eyelash. It is a very subtle difference so I am not sure how different it would be in terms comfort and longevity. I guess in their method, there is more control in how the lash would be glued to your eyes and which direction or angle they would be placed. I also expressed my concern of them being too heavy, but they said that they only use 0.6mm thick lashes so it would be quite light. I normally get 1.5mm and above so 3 lash extensions to a lash would still feel lighter than what I am used to. Looking at the touch-up rates for Volume Lash, I saw that they were considerably more expensive than Single-Lashes’ so I am not sure if it would be sustainable in the long run. Despite my concerns, I was quite curious as to what I will look like so I just opted for 2D Volume Lash (S$160) which involves 2 extensions to a lash.

The Experience:
They led me to their treatment area which had 3 beds with curtain partitions in between. I spied a 4th bed but could not really tell for sure. The room was spacious so I felt I had my own private space even though there were customers being attended to my left and right. The bed and the blanket were comfy and felt clean. I must say I like the ambience of the place too. It had quite a high ceiling with natural light coming in from the window. They played relaxing music from Spotify which I felt was quite a good choice and gave a hip touch to the place. The only minus point was you could hear *loud* footsteps from the upstairs room from time to time. It is an old shophouse after all.

For the treatment itself, it was quite a pleasant experience. The stylist taped only the bottom part of my eyes so it did not feel so restrictive. You could also smell the stylist hands as she applied a fragrant lotion before starting, a small thing that I find thoughtful and special. The whole process took about an hour and 15 minutes. All throughout I felt no pain and in fact, barely felt any movement on my lashes. It definitely amazes me every time how lash stylists can do what they do.

Volume Lash 2D:
When I saw my 2D lashes on the mirror the first time, I thought it looked not much different from single lashes. I would say it looked abundant, but not something that plenty of single lashes cannot mimic. It also felt very light, non-irritating and looked very natural, too natural in fact. 0.60mm seems to be the same thickness as a single coat of mascara so getting Volume Lash would not really satisfy if you really like thick lashes. It is long-lasting though as after 3 weeks, only a few gaps appeared and if you do not mind, you can actually go on without touching-up.

Single-Lash Touch-up:
For my touch up, I asked if I can get single lashes without paying the new set rate and they allowed it. From what I understand, touch-up rates are applicable if you are getting the same type of curl and thickness, so that means I had to stay on 0.60mm C-curl single-lash. But then again, I felt that they have not really firmed up the rules and exceptions for touch-ups so it seems that there is room for negotiation should you want a change from your previous extension designs. If you forget the details of your extensions, they keep a file of your lash history with the shop which makes it really handy for everybody. Unfortunately though, they do not mention to you how many lashes remaining and have been put after each treatment so remember to ask them as this will be useful for your own reference.

As for the result of my single-lash touch up, it confirms to me that there is not much difference from 2D lashes really. Perhaps, some would say that the gap from one lash extension to the other is larger, but we are talking in millimetres here so I was not really bothered by it. I think I will definitely stick to getting single lashes for now.

Overall:
In a nutshell, 2D lashes are not better than single lashes. If you want a spidery, mascara look, go for single lashes 1.5mm onwards as volume lash would not achieve this no matter how many you put. If you are going for that falsies fan look, I think you better start looking at 3D onwards. Even then, I am not really sure how long it would last. If you see the pictures in the catalogue, they look quite nice so, I guess I would try this out when a special occasion rolls around.

I also want to commend the several well thought-out services and offerings of their business, the relevant, hip and approachable feel of the shop and the friendly smiles of their staff. I think this shop is one of the best in Singapore.

 

Review obtained from http://non-sponsored.blogspot.com/2015/08/kjstudio-by-covo.html

Had my lashes done under the Aki promotion. Lashes not as neatly done as those I have seen on reviewers who had theirs done by Jeane.

Review approved by Beauty Undercover