Just last year, Time For Myself Beauty Salon opened in Banilad. The woman behind it is Jinah Oh, a Korean beauty expert. Time For Myself is a beauty salon where you can get a total beauty service. They offer a variety of services from your head down to your toes—including hair, makeup, eyebrow microblading, piercing, and nails.
While living in Korea, Jinah worked as a makeup artist for K-dramas. Although her salon here in Cebu is fairly new, she has been in the industry for 8 years now, and she’s happy to share her expertise in Cebu.
“I want my customers to experience more about the Korean beauty skills and techniques and be satisfied,” says Jinah. She spent most of her education—high school and university, in particular—in Cebu, so it’s not hard to see why she wants to share a part of her culture to the Cebuanos.
In her downtime, she replies to messages and e-mails.
Unlike many beauty shops in the city, Jinah is hands-on when it comes to working at Time For Myself. Particular with providing good service for her customers’ satisfaction, she goes to work regularly to tend to her customers as much as she can.
“I come to the salon at around 9 in the morning. I usually prepare myself first, arrange the schedules for the customers and then wear my apron and work,” says Jinah when asked what a typical work day is like for her. “Since I handle the salon’s social media, I reply to all the messages and comments one by one in between my breaks. Sometimes, I would do my nails,” she adds.
TFM Beauty Salon’s extensive range of nail polish colours
During her days off, she’s still running errands for the salon. “I have to go to many places to buy what we need in the salon and I do the groceries as well,” Jinah says. “I also reply to the salon’s social media messages but sometimes, I hangout with my friends and grab some beer.”
A perfect day for her is when she can do what she wants to do, and eat what she wants to eat. “Just spending a simple life without any worries would make a perfect day,” she adds. Although salon work really keeps her occupied, she is quite happy with what she is doing now. “This is what I have always wanted for in my life. I’ve worked in different beauty events in Korea under other people’s names but now, I can do what I love most in a place that is my own,” she explains.
Makeup services are also available at the salon.
Jinah recounts her experience as a makeup artist in Korea, and shares that she barely got sleep or rest days, which put a lot of stress on her body. “Having worked as a staff in a Korean drama, I wouldn’t say that my job right now is challenging,” she says, and goes to describe what she finds challenging in her current job. “When you work so much, you don’t really get stressed,” she adds.
With everything that she has achieved for her dream, Jinah also wishes that she can share her knowledge on beauty to Filipinos.
“I’ve been wishing for beauty to become one of the university courses so that they can have the basic knowledge about the beauty industry since the beauty market in the Philippines is growing fast. In Korea, it’s standard for us to learn about it,” she divulges.
This begs the question: is beauty not that big of a thing in the Philippines yet? Considering the many brands and products popping up in the market, it does make you think if this holds any truth. Nevertheless, whatever the beauty industry’s status is here, it seems to be leagues away from Korea’s beauty industry, and it’s evidenced in how many Filipinos follow their skincare routines and makeup styles.
This beauty expert’s life is quite interesting, but just like any other person, she dreams of doing the little things that every one of us might have thought about at some point of our lives. Like most people, Jinah also loves pets. She even has a cat that she brings with her when working in the salon.
“If there was one thing I could do for the rest of my life, I would build a huge house where all the homeless dogs and cats live together,” she shares. Her cat was a stray that she plucked off the streets, and is now living a life where she’s well taken cared of.
Of course, getting a makeup or skincare tip from Jinah would be a must and that’s exactly what we asked from her. “I always moisturize my skin right after I take a bath so that I do not give time for my skin to dry. I do not use too much products for skin care because it might block my pore and irritate my skin,” she replies. “As for makeup, I wear anything but remember, proper cleansing is more important than wearing makeup.”
Check out Time For Myself Beauty Salon at Banilad, Cebu City. While you’re there, get a chance to meet Jinah. Who knows, you might get a chance to ask her more tips on skincare and makeup. With the quality services she provides, your time there would really be worth it.
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