I was presented a free voucher to experience a Collagen facial worth RM380 at Bluunis Salon so who’s to pass it up? I go for regular facials and I’ve been to quite a few places but prefer to only stick to one regular one. I’d never seen Bluunis around before but when I found out it was formerly known as Ultimate Expression the jigsaw fell into place – wasn’t that some slimming centre? My spidey sense started tingling…
Anyway, my facial was at Sunway Pyramid because the voucher came from there. I got there right on the dot of my appointment and was quickly ushered into a small room to fill up a form. “Ah this is where the hard-sell starts” I thought.
To my surprise, there was no hard sell. Yet.
No Skin consultation
To my utter surprise there was no skin consultation. No consultation as to whether my skin was dry or oily or what facial might be a better option. I know the voucher was for an Intensive Collagen Facial but it was my first time at the salon and there was no attempt to create a customer profile at all.
Bluunis Salon was very noisy
After being made to change into a pair of slippers, I was led into the inner section. The inner section of the salon is partitioned off into cubicles. Each cubicle fits a narrow bed and a locker for you to keep your bag. The problem was, the rooms are partitioned with plasterboard and the doors are sliding plywood. So you hear EVERYTHING that’s going on outside and next door.
I could hear some ladies talking at the top of their voices and the loud smacking sounds of a massage from next door. It was distracting.
The air conditioning too was not turned down so it was quite warm. To make things worse a thick duvet is placed over you so you slowly roast during the facial.
The facial was rather roughly executed
Usually, facialists would talk you through the products and procedure as it is executed especially if its your first time at the salon. Its part of the whole experience so you know whats happening. Mine didn’t.
It was carried out mostly in silence. Makeup Remover, Cleanser, Exfoliating scrub and toner. The execution felt a little rough on my skin and a lot of pressure was applied. Usually also, most salons will avoid the eye area when cleansing the face – not so here. Premature wrinkles alert!
The steamer was not overly hot but it was left on for a long time. I’d never had that happen before. The lady had left the room and did not come back for quite a while.
No handwashing after handling equipment and before touching the face
I was again a little surprised that upon re-entering the room, no attempt was made to wash her hands before she went on to the extraction of backheads. Again, my spidey sense was tingling. This is not good. In other salons I go to, the facialist always washes her hands upon re-entering the room or after handling equipment, before she continues with the facial. After extraction, nothing was put on the sensitive areas and I noticed after the facial that there were some red marks. I quickly slathered on the Vitamin E oil when I got home and it looked better the next day.
Equipment was not handled well
I was left lying on the bed for a while while the lady went off to locate her equipment for the collagen serum. No attempt was made to explain this to me. It was only after I heard the sounds of a machine being man-handled into the room did I realise that the machine was being used. One would have expected them to ensure it was in place before the facial began. She also could not make it work and had to swap the machine, taking up even more time.
Products were used only very sparingly
The collagen serum was applied not on my face but on the metal rod of the equipment. At other places I frequent, a thick layer of serum/gel is applied on my face then any machine is used in long regular strokes on the face.
At Bluunis the collagen was applied as needed i.e. when the rod starts sticking to the skin indicating more lubrication was needed. The rod was also manipulated in a devil may care manner, run any old how across my face to spread the gel over it, not to much as to use it as a treatment. A kid could have done a better job. In fact, it felt like a kid was playing with toy cars on my face, running it back and forth and back and forth… I don’t think it is good for your skin to do that.
A lot of time-wasting during the facial
I grade the facial salons I go to based on the time they spend attending to you. It is a service after all. The more time the facialist spends outside the room, the more points I deduct. At my regular salon, when a mask is placed on the face, the facialist will usually then conduct a neck and shoulder massage or hand massage which ends just as the mask is to be removed. That is what I call an efficient use of time.
Here, a mask was placed and then I was left to my devices for the 3rd or 4th time in the session. Fortunately I dozed off. At other times throughout the facial, the lady would leave the room for no reason and leave me in there wondering what’s happening. Time wasting.
The Intensive Collagen Facial left my skin feeling dry
The products used were by a brand called Histomer. I’d never heard of it but I’m not knocking that. Usually, after a collagen facial, my skin feels plump and moisturized. After this facial, my skin felt dry. No sunscreen was applied although my facial was in the middle of the day. I find that a big no-no. Not when you later comment that I can prevent further pigmentation or freckles by using sunblock!
There is hard-sell of products and facial packages
The hard-sell came after the facial. They tried to sell me a package deal of 4 facials with products for RM888 which they say is worth RM2400. I declined because I did not enjoy the facial session and the products did not agree with me. To her credit, other than a half-hearted attempt to sell me the package, she did not pull out all the tricks in the book to be nasty. I might have turned nasty then too instead of politely saying I was not interested and leaving.
The Bluunis facial is over priced and overvalued
The facial I had was the Intensive Collagen Facial which was priced at RM380 a session. It lasts about 1.5 hours. Comparing the products used and the service I got from Bluunis with my regular facial salon at Kanebo and at the Lancome Beauty Institute, I find the Bluunis facial overpriced. In fact, I’ve since been to 129 Faubourg (Sothys) and the Clarins Beauty Institute and I can say with authority that the Bluunis facial is seriously overpriced!
At both Kanebo and Lancome, you know just what products are used on your skin and they do not skimp on the products. At both salons, I get top notch service with no time-wasting and ladies who know what they are doing and who behave in a professional manner. At both salons I don’t recall any facial exceeding the RM350 mark (unless the very high end luxury products are being used in which case I don’t mind paying for it!) and at RM350 you can expect a 2-2.5 hour treatment which is bliss really.
This experience at Bluunis reminds me again of why I go to certain facial salons and not to others and I’m reminded again of my tips on choosing a facial salon.
I always believe that a first time trial session should always show the best service available because most impressions are based on the first experience. A good first experience might be the clincher to make me sign up for further sessions. When I’m presented with shoddy service because it’s free or because its a discounted first time offer, I never return because who’s to say I’m not having to PAY for shoddy service next time?! I’m afraid Bluunis has failed to give me a good impression and I know I will not return, nor will I recommend it to my friends.
Have you been to Bluunis for a facial? Did you enjoy your experience and if you’ve only been there once, will you return? Do share your experiences – perhaps I got a dud :P
Stay beautiful,
Paris B
Hi Paris,
Great review. Looks like Bluunis really is not very professional. I cringe when u mentioned that they do not wash their hands after handling of equipments and all. It’s def a big no-no. And RM350 is quite steep for a facial using a not so known brand.
Hi Sweetlikechocolate
Yeah it was quite an awful experience and the price shocked me – many “branded” salons don’t even charge that much
eeep! they have such lousy services! i remember last time i had some jusco vouchers, and one of them was this bluunis. thank goodness i didnt bother to go! no wonder they arent famous at all.
Hi prettybeautiful
I think they are new – a rebranding of Ultimate Expression that must have disappeared for some reason :P
OK, this is just the cynic in me talking. Perhaps they knew you weren’t a paying customer (with the voucher and all), that’s why the shoddy service? If you were a paying one, you might get better service? Not that it justifies for any form of crap service, just me being a cynic. Hmm, maybe I’ll just go treat myself to a spa and facial when I get my tax returns! :D
Hey Geekchic
LOL… not to worry I did think so too but then I also thought – heck! IF this is what I get for free, imagine how much worse it can be if I had paid! :P Yes, go treat yourself. I have no returns boo!
i went there (mv outlet) few yrs back wanted to try the FREE facial. but they introduced another facial to me which was on promotion. so tried the one on promotion. end up with red marks on my face which i never experienced that at my regular facial.
at the end of d facial she started hard sell the couse. it was more than rm2k for 6x facial n products sufficient and to be used during facial which we normally dun pay for d products. she even gave me her staff discount voucher cost a few hundred but i rejected her offer. she wasn’t too happy n show me her black face since i didn’t take up the couse.
Hi Winnie
Oh dear it looks like we share the same crappy experience at the same salon. I never buy into the “Buy it for today only” selling point because its just pressure tactics and having learnt of prices in other salons, I’m pretty aware of prices these days.
omg this salon sounds terrible!! thanks for the review!
Hi aichaku
Not sure if they have infiltrated south of the border yet ;)
Thanks for sharing this Paris. It will save many reader’s headache and heartache.. What lousy service they provide! :)
Hi Kim Fah
You’re welcome! I’m sure they have “happy customers” though – I saw… rather heard… quite a few people moving around in other rooms.
geekchic: To be REALLY cynical, I’d say that’s the best service they can give since they want to rope people in. And after paying… it gets worse.
PB: Thanks so much for playing guinea pig dear. So far the best place for a facial I’ve heard of is still Clarins.
Hey Kahani
You know me – always game for a challenge ;) Clarins is lovely! Definitely worth a visit.
What?! No hand washing? Nothing applied on the sensitive spots after extraction?
Customers could get more acne with the infection. This facial salon sucks.
Hi Shay
Yes no handwashing (no washbasin in the room either) and yes I signed for a list of products used. This was just what I saw in the room. Strangely, I never have to sign for products used at all the other salons I go to. All I do is sign on my record sheet to record the date I attended.
Btw, I hope the products on the picture is not ALL the products they used on you for the facial, Paris.
After my facial, I’m always asked to check and sign a long list of products from cleansing products to aromatherapy massage oils to mask product, etc. My facial is also 1.5hrs long but the product list is easily 3 times more than whats shown in the picture.
I know the old Ultimate Expression specialized in eyebrow embroidery. But if Bluunis took over (or just a name change), they should have care for their all-time good service (whether or not it’s an eyebrow embroidery or a facial session). This isn’t good.
BTW, Bluunis in Queensbay Penang is also hard sell for their eyebrow embroidery services (which is about RM480+-) which I think is overly priced! -_-“
Hi Sue
Bluunis does eyebrow embroidery too. I don’t know how that service is.
I usually did my facial treatment at Dermalogica and it’s really worth it. Thx Paris for the alarm. So we can never be cheated by the free voucher…
Hi Fuss
I’ve never been to Dermalogica yet. I’m happy to get free vouchers but I never expect crappy service like this :(
yikes! that’s horrible! Lol at the slow roast ;)
If I can sleep and snore during a facial, means I truly enjoyed it. Lol!
Hi Connie
Yep! A true test of a facial is whether you fall asleep :)
Sounds to me like another duplicate of New York Skin Solution – free first trial, extreme hardsell, overly priced package, one-time offer tactics, partitioned and narrow room, noisy, unknown products ingredients and left red marks on the face.
Hi Sylvia
Yeah it was similar except my New York experience had hard sell before AND after and they wouldn’t let me go until I threw a fit!
my aunt wanted a brow embroidery and she went to ask Bluunis in Subang Parade about this. i must say i won’t trust them for this, cause the lady consultant that answer my aunt has two deep strips on her brow, we just can’t help but focus on her brows as the light makeup on her face make the brows stand out more! it is kinda funny for a consultant try to convince customers but have bad result on herself!
hi, Im planning ti bring along my mom for eyebrow embroidery at Blunnis which located at Jusco, Bandar Perda, Penang.
Is there any comment?
hi could you please recommend some good facial salons at sunway? thanks
and also thanks for reviewing bluunis ;)
hi there,i just did my facial today at bluunis because last few weeks they were having some promotion like if u buy the mask for rm68,u will get free facial that cost rm238…
but the mask that i bought,they used it during facial time.my facial took about 2 hours.it was so so..not to say horrible..but dermalogica one is better..i mean the service..the beautician will explain the product during facial time and they will do skin analysis before facial..which bluunis did not do it
Me too. They not even push you buy their products after facial but also psycho you to buy serum when facial progress. Not only this salon like that, nowdays, many salon also like that.
PB, i can’t tell you how thankful i am that you put up this review.
You’ve absolutely took the words right out of my mouth!
I’ve been a customer of Bluunis (aka The Ultimate Expression then) for the past 4 years now and can totally identify with every remarks that you made in your post. The only reason that kept me going back is the facial lady whom i’ve grown close with & she never pushes me to buy/ sign-up for their facial packages unlike her colleagues. And now that she’s left, i am already considering to leave Bluunis for good! Seriously, I would not recommend this for anyone.
Finally, i’ve found someone shared the same experienced like me. I had a terrible experience with ultimate impression a.k.a bluunis. There were no rooms for me to lodge complaint for their services (be it embroidery or facial). They tried to cover each other when i tried to complain from branch to branch. At last, i emailed the customer service to raise my concern. Initially, they showed their concern and replied my email. However, when they noticed that the complaint of my imbalance eyebrow and lousy facial was due to their fault and poor service. I did not receive any reply till to-date.
Bluunis is def a big NO-NO.
i think we must look back ourself before we complaint to other ppl…
and for my personal experience i found that i like bluunis treatment and the package that they give us….
although that is expensive package, but they would like to take out their own staff voucher for few hundred ringgit to discount for us i think we must say thank you to them for the kindnesses….to be is kindness not hard sell……. thx
honestly i think their staff voucher is a scam. right after I paid my embroidery package they try to sell facial package to me.. I refuse. the second time i come for touch up they tell me i win RM300 voucher from lucky draw and it valid only for a week. Seriously I think the rm300 voucher dont even exist.they never show me the reall voucher or any form of letter to tell me ive won. fyi i paid my embroidery package in cash. I think they thought i got so much money that is why they offer me the rm300 voucher. I doubt their kindness. Definitely a scam.