Vancity Vibes | DAY 9: So'o Salon + Purple Hair

At long last, the day had arrived.
Long awaited was my return to Vancouver, and even longer was my commitment to adopting purple treads. In the months leading up to a prospective West Coast vacation, I had fervently researched the desired style, eventually also confirming my salon of choice.

The appointment had been secured on the date of arrival, my decision utterly unaltered by the price and duration. I mean, I'm here anyway and wasn't about to lose out on the opportunity.

The earliest appointment slot of 11 AM was obtained, for I had been warned of the lengthy procedure time. Inclusive of bleaching and styling, it was anticipated that entire process would span five to six hours.

I evaluated my options for the journey: 15 minutes of walking or 30 minutes by bus. The choice was simple, and so I began a slow trek along the River Road gravel trail. A gorgeous view of the mountains accompanied my walk.
Turning onto Hollybridge Way, there was no longer shade within sight. 19-degree weather proved scorching under direct sunlight.

​The doors of So'o were wide open. In I strode to relay news of my arrival to the faux nail-donning receptionist.

My stylist appeared shortly afterwards and ushered me inside. At this point, we commenced discussion on the desired outcome, consulting both my references images and his past projects. I had my eyes set on a trendy layered style that, admittedly, seemed to be popular locally than back home. While maintaining the top layer natural, the bottom layer would adopt a cool purple. However, unlike most partial dye jobs, I requested to maintain the bottom-most layer its natural shade.

​The stylist agreed, expressing respect towards my decision. We then went back-and-forth to confirm the precise shade of purple. Even based on reference photos, he noted that, oftentimes, the same dye job could appear distinctly different depending on angles and lighting. We agreed upon a cool purple, void of warm, pinky undertones.

As part of the booking, I had requested a trim as well. Once again, the stylist was diligent in confirming the length to be removed and ensured confirmation was received before proceeding. Likewise, he repeated this for each step of procedure before initiating, explaining the steps he would be taking.

For the first time in any colouring appointment, I was permitted to keep my glasses on. This was tremendously helpful, as I would retain, at best, 40% vision strength otherwise. Smartphone use could continue in parallel.

He began to separate sections of hair for bleaching. At first, he worked silently, but curiosity soon crept up from within. He posed the question, "Why did you want to leave a small section?" It had probably come an uncommon request. "instead of dying the entire bottom section?"
"When it grows out, it will look ugly." I began to explain my rationale, though he caught on quickly.
"Ah! So you can hide the parts underneath black hair!" He nodded, acknowledging my thought process. "You are smart."

My strands were a yellowy blonde after the first round of bleaching. A touch had come into contact with my ear, causing a burning sensation. The stylist quickly followed up with ear covers and carefully cleaned off any exposed areas of skin. The gap in bleaching relieved my ear tremendously, though I did find that particular section to be less pigmented than the rest, even after the job was done.

Two rounds of bleaching spanned approximately three hours. In this time, my battery was slowly depleted. My concerns were relayed to the stylist again, who set off in search of a USB Type C cable for Android. With majority of the staff being iPhone users, some time passed before he returned with the correct cable for my needs. It was a very courteous act, and I was truly appreciative of him taking the time to search the salon grounds.

More small talk was made over the course of the treatment, especially when it came to the colouring portion.
"Did you want to colour these sides as well?" He gestured to the pieces that would frame my face.
I contemplated the idea for a moment, then responded, "What do you think? Will it look nice?"
He thought for a moment as well, then concluded, "Yes, I think it will nice."
"Ok! Let's do it."

Admittedly, his English understanding was far better than I had expected, at least much better than any of the Korean stylists at Hair Bank. I learned that, despite a very young-looking appearance, he was, in fact, ten years older than me! His opinion of Kérastase smelling like gin and tonic was another amusing remark that stuck with me.
Most of the other stylists in the vicinity could be heard communicating in Chinese, either Cantonese or Mandarin. 

There was exceptional transparency throughout the process, for beyond detailing the next step, he would show me the packaging of each product being applied. When asked about maintenance procedures, he advised against heat styling where possible and usage of a "not-too-hot" hair dryer for regular hairdrying. I also learned of purple shampoo, which was to be used 1-2 weeks following the dye job to replenish and boost purple tones through staining.

Many, many hours later, my purple hair saw the light - literally. The dual-toned look I had coveted so direly was finally mine, and exactly the way I wanted! I was thrilled with the final results. He had even tinted over my coppery, mid-COVID dye job with black for uniformity.

​Needless to say, I requested images of my fresh do. Surprisingly, so did the stylist! He eagerly snapped photos of my hair by the window on the ground floor before attempting a second round on the second floor studio. The space had been dedicated for photos, complete with a softbox setup.

​Around 5 PM, when all photos had been taken (quantity over quality-style...), I bid him farewell and zipped off to Richmond Centre in search of sustenance and the recommended purple shampoo.

Beard Papa's resided along my path, so I couldn't resist stopping by. The dessert shop had been tragically difficult to visit as it was closed on Mondays and only open between 12-6 PM on other days.

​Startling it was to discover that half the store had been converted into a warehouse for snacks and other household items. Boxes of watermelon were stacked by the entrance, while rows instant noodle containers were spotted behind the cashier. The dine-in area was closed. The business operated strictly on cash or debit.

​In search of nostalgia, I took to a trio of cream puffs and a single cheesecake slice. The latter no longer featured a crust; it was rigid, yet still fluffy and delicious. The Choux Cream, I must say though, are hardly the same. Sampling the Green Tea rendition, I found an absence of egginess in the custard and lack of substance in the choux. The overall impression was watery and not uniform in texture. There was also no matcha to be tasted. The Original and Éclair Cream Puffs were taken home for later consumption, though ultimately forgotten in the face of other, more attractive treats.

Zennkai had hung a "Back in 10" sign on their door when I arrived at the mall. I proceeded to explore in this time, acquiring a Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich from Starbucks as my late lunch.

When it was discovered that the purple shampoo was an online exclusive, back to So'o I went. The in-salon price was subject to a 10% markup, though was the quickest method of preventing loss of saturation down the ̶r̶o̶a̶d̶ drain. I was recommended to hold off on using the shampoo and merely monitor for changes in colour for the time being. When the time came, I was cautioned to use gloves, for purple shampoo stains the nails and cuticles.

I paused by T&T en route back, purchasing my first discount dinner of the trip. And unlike the likes of GTA T&Ts, the food remained fresh - No stale sushi here!

​Might I add, my Marinated Chicken Thighs, Seaweed salad, and Golden Pineapple Dragonfruit Drink were rather delicious.