One of your most important relationships is the one you have with your hairdresser. If you've been going to the same salon for the past five years, you know exactly why that's not an exaggeration. Finding someone who understands both you and your hair perfectly is not the easiest process, after all. It requires some tedious salon-hopping, which may or may not cause some major disasters for your mane along the way. To shorten your search for "the one," we list down the salons and hairstylists that celebs and fashion insiders in Manila count on:
10 Best Hair Salons in Manila for Haircut and Hair Color
1. Jing Monis Salon
Celebrity hairstylist Jing Monis owns a string of eponymous salons in Makati, Alabang, and Quezon City. It's where stars like Kathryn Bernardo, Angelica Panganiban, and Judy Ann Santos go to get their signature looks shaped up, with the occasional hair transformation that'll break the internet like Sue Ramirez's short 'do last year.
Address: Greenbelt 1 Paseo De Roxas, Makati City
Contact number: 0917 830 6515
2. Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell
If you've always wondered why not a strand of hair from Maricar Reyes-Poon's pastel pink pixie cut is ever out of place, then you should probably ask Alex Carbonell. He's the one who gives timeless cuts to Happy Skin's Rissa Mananquil-Trillo and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, too, in case you need a more wash-and-go look.
Address: Greenbelt 5, Shangri-la Hotel at the Fort
Contact Number: 501 30 62, 09275767698 (Greenbelt 5); 0906 564 2980, 805 3918 (Shangri-la Hotel at the Fort)
3. Koop Studio
Name your dream hair color and Fendi George can probably make it come true. The double tap-worthy locks of Lauren Reid, Denise Laurel, and Kryz Uy were all crafted on his swivel chair, and there's a reason they all keep coming back.
Address: 2/F Highstreet South Corporate Plaza, BGC
Contact Number: 0916 766 6429
4. Toni & Guy SM Aura
Maggie Wilson's IG-famous ash blonde mane is by Maté Grafl, the creative director of Toni & Guy Philippines. He can be your go-to guy for achieving an effortless balayage, chic long layers, or even a platinum blonde bob!
Address: Lower G/F SM Aura 26th St., Corner McKinley Parkway, Taguig
5. Emphasis Salon
Whether you're gunning for a versatile straight 'do like Liza Soberano's or glazed locks à la Marie Lozano's, Black Jacob from Emphasis Salon has you covered. The colorist can make any drastic transformation look subtle, which means you won't have to worry about the upkeep for a few months.
Address: G/F Joya Lofts, Rockwell Center, Makati
Contact numbers: 403 01 17, 403 01 19
6. JuRo Salon Exclusif
This is one of the few places in Manila where you can get a real precision haircut, a.k.a. the most customized haircut you can get at a salon. Here, Vidal Sassoon Academy-trained haircutter Jude Hipolito can give you the sharpest bob of your life, while his partner and master colorist Rose Velasco can whip up hair colors you didn't even know existed. They've worked together to design wash-and-go looks you've seen KC Concepcion, Kate Valdez, and Paolo Avelino swear by.
Address: Unit 2D, Kensington Place, 1st Avenue Cor. 29th St, Crescent Park West, Taguig
7. Hairshaft Salon Vertis North
If you're from Quezon City and want a cool new hair color, run over to Carl Dana of Hairshaft Salon in Vertis North. He's responsible for Arci Muñoz's split pink locks and Myrtle Sarrosa's dreamy pastel tresses, so you will definitely be in good hands. That said, don't be shy to ask him for a wearable look like Katrina Halili's shoulder-length hair, too, because he's guaranteed to deliver.
Address: 3/F Ayala Malls Vertis North, Quezon City
Contact number: 0918 252 7621
8. Symmetria Salon
Celeste Tuviera isn't just the creative director of Symmetria Salon. She's also the shared hairdresser of Marian Rivera, Maine Mendoza, and Liz Uy, who all go to the internationally-trained stylist for classic haircuts that grow out beautifully.
Address: Unit Retail 3 The Trion Tower 1 McKinley Parkway cor. 8th Ave., BGC, Taguig
Contact Numbers: 8088180, 09178263572
9. Basement Salon Rockwell
Giving texture to limp, straight hair is Joe Almakdesi's specialty. He can give your tresses a lift with a new cut or color when you drop by his spot in Basement Salon Rockwell. The salon's creative director has done his hair magic on Pia Wurtzbach, but going on a quick scroll on his Instagram would give you tons of inspo, too!
Address: 2/F Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati
Contact numbers: 0917 819 2222 or 0939 915 1923
10. The BLOC by Junie Sierra & Co.
This salon in BGC is the newest celebrity go-to for all things hair. It's where Alice Dixson and Karen Gallman get their trims and dye jobs, while Martine Ho and Jess Wilson have creative director Junie Sierra on speed dial for camera-ready waves.
Address: Lower G/F, C2 Building, 28th St. Cor. 7th Ave., Bonifacio High Street Central, Taguig
Contact numbers: 403 2033, 0917 565 0676
