Business booms for beauty parlours ahead of Eid

A beauty parlour in the posh Chatteswary road area.Photo: STAR

In comparison to the capital, Chittagong was quite a 'conservative' city for many a year as far as the modern idea or trend of glamour, beauty and fashion were concerned. And nowadays, Chittagong is not much behind the capital in those terms.
A remarkable change has started, slowly but steadily, in recent years to grip the diffident Chittagong with the boom and popularity of beauty parlour. The country's commercial capital that once had only one parlour named Lucy about 30 years ago now has over 150 parlours and one can easily find one of them in every nook and corner in the city. Once a matter of individual's amateur hobby, beauty parlours have now turned to be a lucrative business especially prospective young women entrepreneurs' dream.
Following Lucy, established by former national cricketer Shafiqul Hoque Hira's wife Latifa Hoque Lucy at city's posh Mehdibag area in late seventies, numerous beauty parlours have come up in the city to cater the beauty-needs of girls and women. The names like New Look at Chatteswari Road, Eves at Nasirabad Housing Society, Fair Touch at Mehdibag, Touch & Glow at OR Nizam Road, Alviras Beauty Care at OR Nizam Road, Lee Beauty Parlour & Skin Care at VIP Tower, La Figurina at Mehdibag, Roma Beauty Parlour at Jamal Khan Road and Bibiana at Katalganj have become familiar to them.
With the boom of parlours, a stiff competition among them has also been surfaced to attract customers, and the parlour owners are in a frenzy to offer attractive discount or package in this regard.
The Eid or Puja festivity is known as the 'peak time' and the parlour owners quite naturally target these two largest religious festivals of the Muslim and Hindu community. As another Eid festivity is drawing nearer this year, the beauty parlours in Chittagong have already wore a festive look with extra polish of indoor and outdoor decoration. An unprecedented craze this time among the girls and women has also been seen. Although parlour business gets momentum one week before Eid day, many of the parlour houses are receiving advance booking in great number.
“We believe, alongside attractive offers, many parlours in the city have come up with newer ideas shunning the traditional trend of make-up or get-up. And newer styles in hair cutting, facial and make-up have been added to generate popularity among the customers,” said Nigar Sultana Mukta, owner of New Look and a beauty expert.
Mukta, with training from Lakme Training Institute in Mumbai and Mogha International in Bangkok, opened her parlour with a band of skilled and highly trained beauticians who give emphasis on cleanness and better client services.
“Usually, most of my clients come to have hair cut, hair colour and different types of facial during Eid. This time, our special offers are aroma gold herbal facial, ginseng facial, and gold and diamond facial, and these are done with world famous brand products having no side effect on skin,” Mukta said, adding that her parlour charge Tk 120 to Tk 1,000 for different services with 10 percent discount in rebonding and hair colour.
Alviras Beauty Care, however, offers service for both male and female. They charge Tk 4,000 to Tk 15,000 for straightening of hair, Tk 50 to Tk 350 for normal hair cutting, Tk 800 to Tk 1,200 for body massage, Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000 for model make-up and Tk 800 to Tk 3,000 for party make-up.
LD Liza, owner of Lee Beauty Parlour & Skin Care, said majority of her clients belong to young girls and young married women and they generally turn in after Ramadan 20 to do facial, bleach, clean-up, stylish hair cut and hair colour.
“This time, our special offers are spa facial, diamond facial and boy cut and the cost for these ranges from Tk 180 to Tk 1,200,” she said.