Cote Minam Hair Experience

When boys are as pretty as flowers, does your heart skip a beat? 😘

As a brand extension of Lee Ka Ja, and sister brand of Walking On Sunshine, Cote Minam is the group’s newest opening.

Using the same concept of plants and floral, leather seats and wood finishing, windows with natural light, the unique selling point at Cote Minam is Minam! Minam refers to handsome boys. In Korea especially, the boys can look as pretty as girls, with defined and gentle facial features. 

Located at a corner within Bugis Junction, Cote Minam has a cozy and welcoming ambience. Upon arrival, I was invited to a comfortable leather sofa to complete my customer profile. After that, Matt, who was my stylist, came over to  greet me. Well-groomed, boy next door, blessed with deep set eyes,  the eyes definitely shone through especially with the face mask on. 

As Matt brought me to my seat, he shared that he chose this corner because of the painting which his customers can see while doing their hair. Later on throughout the conversation, I gathered that Matt, amidst his dashing good looks, has depth in his thought processes. 

I shared with him I was considering a hair balayage or hair colour which allows for grey hair regrowth to be less visible, showing him photos of the styles I like. He analysed my hair texture and enquired about my current hair routine. He explained that as I still have a chemical perm, any chemical service like bleaching or rebonding is not advisable. 

He suggested instead I should focus on improving my hair condition through hair treatments and subsequent home care products. I am usually inquisitive and would probe, especially when the recommendation is not in line with my preference. Matt was patient and he used a good mix of technical and practical explanations to convince me why I should consider his recommendations. 

We then commenced with a root colour touch up. During the process, I found out that Matt has been in this line for 8 years, with a couple of years in a local salon before joining Lee Ka Ja and trained under a Korean director before he was assigned with his own customers. 

Having experienced the different hair salon concepts, I shared with him what I like about each. Being a Korean hair salon, ambience is a big factor and for Cote Minam, it is about flowers and natural lighting. Unlike its related salons, the hair stylist here attends to his customer from start till end. This is a plus factor for me as the hair stylist has already gathered my likes and dislikes and hence has the background knowledge to be able to service me much better during the entire hair service. 

As Matt commenced on the Milbon Smooth Treatment, he explained the purpose of each step as it comes along. I then asked why he did not recommend the signature Cinderella treatment. He explained the purpose of hair treatment is to maximise the water molecules and protein in the hair cuticles. The Milbon Smooth Treatment is more suitable for coarser hair strands while the Cinderella Treatment is more suitable for thinner hair strands. 

Matt then demonstrated how the hair should be blown dry and how using a flat iron thereafter would help in styling. Thereafter, he presented me with a small bouquet of flower, which is Cote Minam’s way of thanking and delighting the customer.

I had a pleasant experience with Matt at Cote Minam, more so being educated on the hair care process. I like it that even if I did not get to do my original intended hair service, I was given an informed choice of why something else suits me better. Thank you @coteminam.Matt and @coteminam.sg for the pleasant and educational hair experience.