I'm the type of girl who's both experimental and OC with her hair. Meaning I've had my hair cut long, short, pixie, shaggy, layered, blunt, full bangs, side-swept bangs, baby bangs, and styled curly and wavy, colored fiery red, platinum blonde, gray, ash brown, and etc. Yes, my tresses have been through a lot. And because of my eclectic change of hair styles through the years, I've been a lot more particular and aware of how my stylist should or shouldn't cut, treat, and color my hair.
My last cut and treatment was at STYLUXe Salon and Makeup Studio at The Fort. And it's safe to say that they probably did my favorite layered hair cut and style.
What is it: STYLUXe Salon and Makeup Studio, Ground floor, Arya Residences, Bonifacio Global City
IMAGE STYLUXe
STYLUXe Salon is a premier hair and makeup studio by celebrity hairstylist John Valle and makeup artist Paolo Maranan. John's superstar client roster includes Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Barretto, Solenn Huessaff, and Sarah Geronimo to name a few, while Paolo Maranan has done makeup for some of Manila's prettiest faces like Rhian Ramos, Solenn, and Sam Pinto. John shares that the concept of the salon is to give their clients the "celebrity VIP" treatment that promises intuitive service, the use of high quality products and equipment, skilled hair stylists and makeup artists, and an overall luxe experience. You could also book John or Paolo through STYLUXe! So if you've been dying to get your hair and makeup done like your favorite celebrity, all you need to do is set an appointment.
IMAGE STYLUXe
The Luxe Room at STYLUXe.
One of the notable features of STYLUXe is its VIP room that has it's own shampoo dock so you don't need to walk around the salon with a towel. The room is also big enough to have a friend stay with you during your uninterrupted treatment or styling sesh. Their stylist assistants also offer tea the moment you take your seat.
IMAGE STYLUXe
The products used and offered include the complete Davines hair range, Bed Head by TIGI, Aesop (they're the only salon to carry it here), as well as Balmain hair care and styling products which you don't usually see in other salons. Their stylists also use the Dyson Supersonic because, as John says, "We want people to feel like they're getting the best."
Current Condition:
IMAGE STYLUXe
Before my treatment and cut.
My hair is over-processed. It used to be a gray color that slowly turned into a cool ash brown. But to get those special colors, it had to be bleached thrice. Even though I've been blonde before, my last bleach job really damaged my hair. I felt like the stylist let it cook longer than it was supposed to, and it severely damaged the ends of my hair. I've also developed a sensitive scalp and experience severe falling hair.
Because of all of my tress problems, I only wash my hair every three days, do a conditioning treatment at home weekly, and make sure to put hair oil before and after blowdrying.
What I Had Done:
Even though it was tempting to get my hair colored, I didn't because of my current condition. Instead, I opted for a layered haircut and a treatment for dry, damaged, and colored hair.
IMAGE Davines
The Davines NouNou Hair Mask smells so good once applied and leaves your hair feeling really soft.
As soon as you take your seat, their stylist, in my case it was STYLUXe's Creative Director Nelson Cruz, assesses your hair and picks the treatment fit for you. They opted for Davines' NouNou Hair Mask for processed hair. Although during my treatment the stylist assistant didn't know what product she was lathering on, and it turned me off a little. Being that OC client, especially when it comes to beauty services like these, even the salon attendants should know what they're doing to your hair. They do, however, give you a complimentary massage, tea, and a bottle of Evian water on the house while waiting for your treatment to finish.
In about 30 minutes they wash your hair, and it does smell and feel softer after the mask, although there aren't any visible results (it didn't look particularly shiny or smoother). After a quick blow dry, Nelson went on with the cut. It was a simple enough layered 'do, but some stylists tend to over cut and it sometimes results in something shaggy rather than layered. But I was more than happy with how Nelson cut my hair, and took into consideration my lazy styling routine ('cause I don't always blow dry) so it'll still look good messy. Also, I was lucky enough that John dropped by to say hello and he actually styled my new 'do in loose messy curls.
IMAGE Maura Rodriguez
My hair after Nelson's cut and John's styling.
IMAGE Maura Rodriguez
The cut from the back.
Conclusion:
Overall, I really did feel pampered and it was such treat to have John style my hair. It's also great to know that STYLUXe is conscious of what kind of "VIP" treatment their customers want to have, and their Luxe room answers that one-on-one private salon experience to a T. I also felt safe in the hands of Nelson Cruz, the Creative Director, most especially because he listens to what you want and works his way around that. My only concern is the stylist assistant who didn't seem knowledgeable enough with regards to the products used, but everyone else on the team, including the salon manager and marketing manager, are very accommodating. So if you want to feel like a celebrity for a day, STYLUXe is definitely worth trying.
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