BEAUTY: most women strive for it throughout life. As a woman interested in make-up and beauty, I have sampled many hair salons around the city of Phnom Penh.

But a week ago, while driving back from school, I was surprised to find a salon I hadn’t tried yet.

The salon in question is close to the Pizza Company, on Street 261, and opened earlier this month.  Its name? 4G Salon.

Without hesitation, I decided to give it a go.  I needed my hair washed, anyway.

As soon as I entered the shop, I was greeted with welcoming smiles and kind words by several stylists.

Smiling back, I headed to a seat in the corner of the shop, in which everything – the armchairs, the tables, even the mirror frames –   was decorated in a tasteful red-and-white pattern.

The seats are a metre apart to fac-ilitate easy movement and provide for better service.  The shop is also cool and air-conditioned, and customers receive  a free bottle of mineral water.

4G offer almost every salon service possible, including hair, make-up, facial massage, body massage, nails, steam bath and body scrapes.

Body lotions, hair treatments, fac-ial masks, and more are displayed in rows for customers who want to test the products at home when they are not free to come to the salon.

While I was having my hair washed, I chatted with several employees.  I asked them why there was a picture of Cambodian television presenter Sim Solika, along with three other women, on their wall.

Staff informed me that Sim Solika owned the shop with her three sisters, and that “4G” was short for Four Girls.

Before drying my hair, the staff gave me a massage on the top of my head.  Their hands felt gentle and soft, almost enough to make me want to fall asleep.

4G charges reasonable prices. I paid $3 for hair wash and stretching, and the shop is similar to many others in terms of  the services and facilities it provides.

But the shop seemed quiet and I was the only customer at the time, perhaps because it has just opened and hasn’t done a promotion campaign.  But it’s not very accessible, being far from the city centre.