Twin cities salons buzzing with pre-Eid beauty appointments

Islamabad : On the eve of Eidul Fitr beauty parlours and mehndi stalls experienced a surge in clientele, casting a vibrant spell of excitement, colour, and tradition over the twin cities, setting the tone for joyous Eid celebrations.

Beauty salons and mehndi artists across the twin cities were inundated with a frantic influx of clients, as women of all ages flocked to get pampered and adorned for the upcoming Eid celebrations.

In a frenzy of pre-Eid pampering, beauty salons were fully booked, offering an array of treatments from rejuvenating facials and elaborate bridal makeovers to intricate mehndi designs, as women gear up to celebrate the festive occasion with glamour and elegance.

Salon owners across the twin cities reported a surge in bookings weeks in advance, with savvy customers securing coveted appointments as early as a month prior to Eid in a bid to avoid the inevitable last-minute rush and ensure a stress-free, glamorous celebration.

Talking to this agency, Sara Ali, a beautician at a prominent salon in Islamabad, said, “Our schedule is packed, and we are even working extra hours to accommodate the rush.” Rozina, another beautician at a namely beauty parlour in Rawalpindi, said that a lot of female customers were requesting trending makeup and hairstyle bookings before the Eid festival, and the demand for mehndi application had also doubled.

Mehndi artists, too, were finding it difficult to keep up with the surge in customers. Many had set up temporary booths in bustling marketplaces like Jinnah Super, Saddar, and Raja Bazaar, where women of all ages queue up to get their hands adorned with traditional henna patterns. Sadaf, a mehndi artist at a prominent market in Islamabad, said that she set up a temporary booth every Eid. This year, all trending options of mehndi designs were available for women clients.

“I am happy with the overwhelming response; the crowd is almost double, and the business is a profitable option as Eid is approaching,” she shared proudly. Ayesha Khan, a mehndi artist in Rawalpindi, shared that we had been working non-stop for the last few days, as girls and women want the best henna designs for Eid. “Some customers even bring reference pictures from social media, asking for the latest trending designs,” she added. Due to the high demand, prices for beauty treatments and mehndi application had also surged.

Salon owners attribute the rise to increased costs of cosmetics and labour. A salon manager at F-7 explained that imported beauty products had become expensive, and with inflation, we have had to adjust our rates accordingly. Despite the price hike, the festive spirit remained high.

Many women of twin cities considered their salon visits and mehndi application an essential part of Eid preparations. Amina Bibi, a client at this salon, shared that no Eid was complete without a visit to the parlour and mehndi on both hands. Beenish, another client of a prominent parlour in Rawalpindi, said, “It’s a tradition that we eagerly wait for every year”.