At the end of every month, when people take stock of their spends, they are usually taken aback by how much they are spending on food delivery apps. When I am looking at the bills at the end of the month, I am struck by my expenditure at salons. Manicures and pedicures are my favourites, but once within the cool confines of a salon, I am easily upsold to other services- I will end up getting a head massage, a quick clean up for my face. I am tempted by services promising relaxation and will often end up spending hours at a salon or spa, indulging in pampering sessions, hoping they never have to end. They invariably do. Sigh. While cleanliness and a great finish for the nails is important to me, I am not too particular about the philosophies the salon subscribes to. So when the chance to try Kiahmoi came along, I was drawn to the idea. Kiahmoi’s claim is that it is India’s first 100% vegan boutique salon.
The term vegan has found quite a following and you run the risk of turning up at a place that sees this as a great way to capitalise on the trend or one that includes a service that tokenistic at best. Kiahmoi is quite the departure from this. Here, the take veganism quite seriously and this goes right down to the decor.
Let’s take a moment to talk about the decor at Kiahmoi- it’s unlike any salon you’ve seen. The shades here are muted; the chairs are in hues of rose and minty pastels. The walls are sandy brown and the furniture here is all vegan leather. Shruti, the owner of the Kiahmoi, tells me that the couch here is made of vegan materials and it is this level of detailing that had me impressed. One of the other things that stood out to me is just how little it takes to be a stickler for what you believe in.
At Kiahmoi, the products used are top notch quality but not brands that you’ve never heard of. Which is interesting because we often think that being vegan would involve scouring the internet for obscure brands. Very far from the truth – the brands used at Kiahmoi, like Rene Furterer and Kevin Murphy are vegan, I guess we just have to look a little harder if we really want to make that switch.
A quick chat with Shruti and you’ll know that she truly believes in the power of good skincare, the luxury of quiet and customised services. We chat about skincare and discuss how we are both wary of products peddled to us from giant, flood lit hoardings. Kiahmoi only has coveted brands in their skincare portfolio, something that Shruti looks into personally.
Kiahmoi has personal cabins for services- perfect for when you are looking to unwind after a long day. If you’re anything like me, you will appreciate the quiet and seclusion this affords you, allowing you to catch up on a series or a book you’ve been wanting to read. I tried the head massage which was extremely relaxing, the manicure and pedicure services in which they use vegan polishes. They washed my hair after this and gave me a blow dry that had me touching my hair almost constantly. was also intrigued by the concept of Silent Treatments at Kiahmoi. Ask for this and you will be asked no questions and conversation will cease till the end of the service. So, yes, they won’t be upselling you to a shampoo. Sounds refreshing.
Kiahmoi is situated in Bandra- where you are likely to find salons aplenty. Priced competitively compared to the ones in the area, Kiahmoi is a boutique salon with a heart. And fresh watermenlon juice. It’s found a permanent customer in me. Check out their Instagram page here.
I wrote about a red carpet facial as well, you can read that here.
