February issue 2009

Located on Bukhari Commercial, Bina Khan: Salon and Training is a tad out of the way for people coming from areas other than Defence or Clifton. But the services offered and the royal treatment the customers receive, as opposed to the assembly-line treatment you get at other large-scale salons, where one is passed on from the manicurist to the waxing woman and so forth, makes it worth the drive. The staff is polite and customers are offered an assortment of teas to chose from, coffee, Nimco chilli chips and chocolate. More importantly, it was heartening to see Khan herself serve tea instead of ordering her workers around.

The salon is set up tastefully in hues of brown and black, with attention to detail; the fresh flowers all over the salon and crystal chandeliers (not a common sight in a beauty salon) lend the place a charming and homely feel. A double-storied space, the basement houses the manicure and pedicure stations and the facial area, while the upstairs is reserved for make-up and hair. Available at the salon are the Davines hair product range, known to be used by Jennifer Aniston. Compared to other salons, the prices offered here are quite competitive and, in some instances, even lower than the competitors. A wash and blow dry costs Rs.500, but throw in another Rs.100, and you can pick from the Davines range of shampoos and conditioners. For Rs.150, you can get ‘The Morning After Hair Fix,’ which is the restoration of a hair style for those customers who have visited the salon a day earlier for a blow dry.

And for those women who have never been able to find the perfect arch for their eyebrow, they can schedule a consultation with Khan and get the optimum arch and shape for their not-so-shapely brows.