A Beauty Day Out in Serangoon: NEX and Serangoon Gardens

Serangoon is two neighbourhoods in one, and that is exactly why it makes such a good beauty day. On one side sits NEX, the north-east’s biggest mall, built right on top of an MRT interchange and packed with hair salons, nail bars, facial spas and lash studios. A short ride away is Serangoon Gardens, the low-rise “village” of landed homes, cafes and old-school hawker food that locals have loved for decades. Start in one, finish in the other, and you get convenience in the morning and character in the evening.

This is not a listicle. It is a proper guide to building a beauty day out in Serangoon, from your first appointment at NEX to dinner at Chomp Chomp, with the best spots to know for each treatment category.

Why Serangoon Works for a Beauty Day

Serangoon MRT is an interchange for the North East Line and the Circle Line, with the bus interchange below NEX, so getting here is easy from almost anywhere. Once you are inside the mall, a haircut, a gel manicure, a facial and a lash appointment can all happen without stepping outdoors, which counts for a lot on a wet afternoon. The beauty salons in Serangoon’s NEX are spread across several floors, from the basements up to level 4, so it pays to know your unit numbers before you arrive.

NEX leans towards established chains and dependable neighbourhood salons rather than boutique studios, and prices sit at a comfortable heartland level. Serangoon Gardens brings the contrast. Its streets radiate from the circus, the roundabout where Serangoon Garden Way meets Kensington Park Road, and the shophouses and myVillage mall around it hold independent hair and nail salons, brunch cafes and two well-known hawker centres. It suits anyone who wants a full day of treatments that ends somewhere with a bit more soul than a food court.

Morning: Start with Hair

NK Hairworks (NEX)

NK Hairworks at NEX is the hair salon at NEX to book when colour is the main event. The NK group traces its roots back to 1992, and the NEX branch focuses on colour, balayage and scalp treatments alongside everyday cuts. It sits on basement 2, close to the MRT and bus interchange, so it makes an easy first stop.

Colour appointments take time, so book the first slot of the day and let the rest of your plans fit around it. If you are booking a scalp treatment as well, mention it when you reserve so the stylist can allow for it.

Location: 23 Serangoon Central, #B2-56 NEX, Singapore 556083
Opening hours: Daily from 11am (closing times vary by listing, so check before you go).
Best for: Hair colour, balayage, scalp treatments.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

Cuttour Hair Studio (Serangoon Gardens)

If you would rather begin the day in the village, Cuttour Hair Studio at myVillage is the Serangoon Gardens hair salon families have stayed with for years, from toddlers having their first cuts to grandparents having their colour done. Reviewers mention clients who started coming in middle school and still return as adults.

The menu covers cuts, colour, Korean perms, straightening and keratin, plus scalp and hydration treatments. Joyce is the stylist long-time regulars name for cuts, and Janet for colour. It is not the cheapest trim nearby, but it is the one people keep. It sits two doors from The Nail Artistry, so a cut and a manicure in the same building is easy.

Location: 1 Maju Avenue, #01-25 myVillage, Singapore 556679
Price range: Ladies’ cut from $58, men’s cut from $48, children’s cut $30, colour from $108, Korean perm from $308.
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm.
Best for: A stylist you will keep, family haircuts, colour.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

Mid-Morning: Nails

Nail Palace (NEX)

For a nail salon at NEX with a long track record, Nail Palace on basement 1 is the safe choice. The chain’s Classic Gel Manicure has picked up spa awards from Singapore Women’s Weekly and Harper’s Bazaar, and the brand uses its own in-house gel polish. The NEX outlet covers gel nails, nail extensions and pedicures.

It opens at 10am and runs late, which makes it easy to slot in before or after a hair appointment. Weekend afternoons are the busiest time, so book ahead if you need a specific slot.

Location: 23 Serangoon Central, #B1-69 NEX, Singapore 556083
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9:30pm.
Best for: Classic gel manicures, extensions, pedicures.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

The Nail Artistry (Serangoon Gardens)

The Nail Artistry at myVillage is the nail salon in Serangoon Gardens to know about, tucked into the small mall on Maju Avenue just off the circus. It is a good option if you would rather keep your NEX time for hair and skin and do your nails in the village later on.

Because it stays open until 9pm every day, you can book a late-afternoon or early-evening set and walk straight to dinner afterwards. It is one of the easiest ways to make the Gardens part of your beauty day rather than just the place you eat.

Location: 1 Maju Avenue, #01-23 myVillage, Singapore 556679
Opening hours: Weekdays 11am to 9pm, weekends 10am to 9pm.
Best for: An evening manicure before dinner in the Gardens.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

Lunch Break

NEX has plenty of choice for lunch, and Serangoon Gardens has the better hawker food. Three options worth knowing:

Chin Mee Chin at NEX on basement 2, the first outlet outside Katong for the century-old bakery, opened in August 2026 with the kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs regulars queue for, plus iced Kaya Cloud Kopi. Food Junction on level 4 of NEX reopened after a revamp with new stalls and is the quickest option if you have a facial booked soon after. Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre at 49A Serangoon Garden Way is the one to visit if you start in the Gardens: Aliff Nasi Lemak is the stall most people point you to, and Garden Street Kway Chap and Ah Seng Braised Duck Rice have loyal followings too. Like all hawker centres, it closes for a few cleaning days each year, so check NEA’s schedule before you go.

Afternoon: Facial at NEX

Spacio TCM Wellness

For a facial at NEX, Spacio on level 4 is one of the better-known beauty names in the mall. It is a beauty-first wellness spa with a TCM slant, so alongside classic facials you will find guasha and a chemical peel option, plus brow embroidery and body treatments if you want to add something on.

It suits anyone who likes the idea of combining a facial with a bit of traditional wellness in one visit. Go in knowing what you want and pay for a single session first; you can decide on anything longer term later.

Location: 23 Serangoon Central, #04-23 NEX, Singapore 556083
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm.
Best for: Guasha and TCM-inspired facials.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

Cheryl W

Cheryl W on basement 2, which shares its unit with Jean Yip, is best known as a slimming and postpartum wellness brand, but its facial menu is a draw in its own right. The feel is polished and results-led rather than purely relaxing, which suits anyone who wants visible improvement from a single session.

If you are comparing facial options in Serangoon, our round-up of facials at NEX covers Motherlove for pregnancy-safe treatments and C&S Beauty for a one-stop visit, and our guide to facials in Kovan and Upper Serangoon covers the small owner-run studios one stop up the North East Line.

Location: 23 Serangoon Central, #B2-31/32 NEX (inside Jean Yip), Singapore 556083
Best for: Results-led facials, postpartum clients.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

Late Afternoon: Lashes and Brows

Perky Lash

Perky Lash on level 3 of NEX is a dedicated lash studio rather than a general salon, which is what you want for extensions. The menu covers lash extensions and collagen lash lifts with tint, plus brow services such as henna brows and misty brow embroidery. The brand has long promoted nett, per-session pricing rather than packages.

Book it as your last NEX appointment of the day, so you leave with fresh lashes and nothing else touching your face. If you are still deciding between a lift and extensions, this honest comparison covers the difference in cost, upkeep and lifestyle fit.

Location: 23 Serangoon Central, #03-27 NEX, Singapore 556083
Opening hours: Daily from 11am.
Best for: Lash extensions, lash lifts, henna brows.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

C&S Beauty

For brows, C&S Beauty on level 4 is a single-outlet neighbourhood salon that handles eyebrow shaping, design and embroidery, as well as lash extensions. It is a practical all-rounder, and handy if brows are the last thing on your list before you leave NEX.

Location: 23 Serangoon Central, #04-32 NEX, Singapore 556083
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 9pm.
Best for: Brow shaping and embroidery, lash extensions.
Book: Book on Glamingo →

Evening: Wind Down in Serangoon Gardens

Once the appointments are done, leave the mall behind. Serangoon Gardens is a short bus or taxi ride from NEX, and the pace changes the moment you arrive at the circus. If you have time before dinner, wander the streets around Kensington Park Road and Maju Avenue, or book a late manicure at The Nail Artistry in myVillage.

Dinner belongs to Chomp Chomp Food Centre at 20 Kensington Park Road, the evening-only hawker centre that reopened in January 2026 after an upgrade. Stalls start opening in the late afternoon and most trade until late, and satay, fried Hokkien mee and BBQ seafood are the classic orders. Individual stalls have their own rest days, so arrive with a backup in mind. If you would prefer to sit down with a coffee or brunch-style plate, Apollo Coffee Bar at 65 Serangoon Garden Way has a courtyard setting and stays open until 10pm from Tuesday to Saturday (it closes earlier on Sunday and is closed on Monday).

If you only have time for NEX, our complete guide to beauty at NEX goes floor by floor through the mall’s hair salons, facial spas, nail bars and lash studios.

Building Your Day: A Sample Itinerary

Time	What	Where
11am	Hair cut or colour	NK Hairworks (NEX) or Cuttour Hair Studio (Serangoon Gardens)
1pm	Lunch	Chin Mee Chin or Food Junction at NEX
2pm	Nails	Nail Palace (NEX)
3:30pm	Facial	Spacio TCM Wellness or Cheryl W (NEX)
5pm	Lashes or brows	Perky Lash or C&S Beauty (NEX)
6:30pm	Head to the village	Serangoon Gardens, with an optional manicure at The Nail Artistry
7:30pm	Dinner	Chomp Chomp Food Centre or Apollo Coffee Bar

Not every appointment needs to be on the same day. Many people in the north-east use NEX for their regular hair, nail and facial bookings and save Serangoon Gardens for a slower weekend afternoon. Opening hours at mall salons and hawker stalls do shift, so confirm your slots when you book. What makes Serangoon work is the pairing: a mall that gets everything done, and a village that makes you want to stay for dinner.

Find and book all the salons in this guide on Glamingo. Browse by treatment, area, and price range to compare options across NEX, Serangoon Central and Serangoon Gardens and book directly, without the back-and-forth.