Groomed by the Masters: My JURO Salon Exclusif Experience

Photo credits: kira-ramirez.com

I have always thought that my hair is already at its peak condition, until I met Jude Hippolito and Rose Macarinas. Unknown to most Filipinos, these guys are the hidden gems of our local salon industry. They’re not as publicity savvy as most popular hairstylists today, but little did people know that some of the country’s top hairdressers were mentored by Jude and Rose. In their little salon tucked away in the quiet area of Bonifacio Global City’s Burgos Circle, is where I, along with a few selected bloggers, have experienced premium and expert hair styling and coloring at its finest. Click READ MORE and find out what makes JURO SALON EXCLUSIF the best destination when you are looking for serious hair styling.

Commercial: Food pics!

Okay, back to the program.

Photo credits: kira-ramirez.com

"They can try copying my techniques, but they can't copy my hands!" - Jude Hippolito

Jude and Rose have been doing hair for more than 20 years. Jude has perfected his craft at the famous Vidal Sassoon Academy under the guidance of the school’s directors, who deeply knew the foundation of hair cutting. FYI, Jude is one of the country’s ‘Precision Cutters’. What’s a ‘Precision Cutter’, you ask. A precision cutter has a deep understanding of the scientific and aesthetic aspects of hair cutting. From the term itself, everything a precision cutter does is PRECISE: From the hand force applied to the strands, to the angles of the cut, and even to the elevation of hair during cutting, everything is exact and measured. A precision cutter pays great attention to symmetry, for it is the foundation of great looking hair. Jude told me that when hair is symmetrical, it’s easier to style, it grows stronger, and looks more beautiful.

However, we don’t know a lot of Filipino precision cutters. Maybe it’s either they’re retired, or have migrated to another country to pursue their craft. Thank goodness Jude is here. He could’ve moved to another country and pursued his craft, (and earned more money at the same time) but he decided to stay because he’s such a Pinoy at heart, and he really wants each and every Filipino to experience what it truly means to have gorgeous looking hair.

"A hair stylist should really have the natural talent for colors in order for them to create well- colored hair." -Rose Macarinas

Rose Macarinas is the country’s Hair Color Specialist. She has trained a bevy of Filipino hair stylists in the art of hair coloring. She used to work in a hair color company, and her passion and love for colors have led her to meet the company’s New Zealand- based director, who later on have trained her so well in this art. Rose treats hair coloring as an art, not just a plain salon service. And this is what sets her apart from a lot of hair dressers: Like a painter who can naturally bring life to a plain canvas, Rose brings vitality back to boring hair effortlessly. She has the natural eye for mixing and matching colors, and this is an essential talent that most stylists do not have, unfortunately. I will bet all the cash in my wallet because I swear, she really knows what color will suit you best!

Hair styling is an experience, and what better way to understand what they do but by letting Jude and Rose cut and color our crowning glories! Sarah and I were chosen as the event’s models because we were the early birds in the venue. This just proves that it pays to be on time! :D

Jude examining Sarah's hair and telling us why it doesn't look so nice. Lol.

Photo credits: kira-ramirez.com

Jude examining my hair and telling me why it doesn't look so nice too!

Bottomline, Sarah and I's hair aren't symmetrical, that's why it looks flat, limp, and unruly.

Jude correcting Sarah's hair

Jude correcting my hair. If you've noticed, he has cut my hair while I'm standing up. I've noticed that he does this to girls with long hair. I don't know his reason, but I think it helps him shape it better.

Voila. Here's my new hair. I had it layered, and I let Jude trim the dry ends. And check out the pic on the right: My hair looks almost commercial- worthy here!

I told Jude that my hair has a tendency to lose its shape and beauty a day after undergoing a hair cut, but Jude assured me that this time around, it won't. I asked him why and he said: "Because your hair now has a better shape. This time, it will be more obedient to you." Jude said that his cut can last for 4 months. Well, it won't stop growing, but it will grow beautifully that you don't feel the need to get a hair cut. I also asked him why he didn't let his assistants curl my hair, and he said that there's no use getting a hair cut if you'll just hide it in fancy curls. A new hair cut is supposed to be flaunted. If you're just going to hide it behind curls, might as well save your money and curl it yourself. He even said that the reason why most salons would always curl your hair after a hair cut is because they want to mask their not-so-stellar cuts. O.O

To put his claims to the test, I checked my hair in the mirror right after waking up. Indeed, it looks better than what it was before. Usually, my bed hair looks really awful and I have to wash it to make it look nicer. But after my session with Jude, my hair looks great even if its unwashed! Talk about waking up on the right side of the bed!

So this is my unwashed hair. You can never make me leave the house without me washing it. But since it looks very nice, I went back to JuRo salon without washing my hair to get my complimentary hair color treatment from Rose.

I spotted Kira, who also went back to JuRo for her complimentary session.

Contrary to popular belief, salons don't really make you look gorgeous. You sometimes see yourself in your weirdest state whenever you're getting your hair done. LOL!

I've let Rose choose the right color for me because I trust her expertise, but I told her that I want my new color to enhance my tan, and make my hair look bigger and fuller.

Tadah! My new and improved hair color.

Just the way I like it: Rich, golden brown with golden highlights. And it looks bigger now! Dang, she really knows color!

Rose has added low lights, (to give an illusion of thicker hair) mid-lights, (to add a fading effect on my hair color) and highlights (to add dimension to my hair) to the base color, which is midtone brown. Rose has used Pureology's Colorseal on my hair to make the color last longer. Colorseal is equivalent to Cellophane, the post- hair color treatment that most stylists would recommend to you. At JuRo, you don't have to pay for it separately because they put Colorseal onto your freshly- colored hair for free! :)

Here's a comparison pic of my previous and current hair. I'd be an a$$ if I say I didn't like my hair color before. I did, but it got more and more reddish as time went by. I don't know if the hair color used wasn't good or it was supposed to lighten up. But I digress. I am so in love with my hair color now. It has richer bronze undertones, looks more golden and most importantly, it makes me look more tan! And check out my hair's current shape: It has more body, and its cut looks neater!

The big question is: "How much are their services?" To tell you the truth, they are expensive. Jude charges P6,500.00 a pop, while Rose's rate starts at P3,500.00, and depending on the technique she'll use on you. My jaw dropped when I've found out that their services cost THIS much. But when I've tried their services for myself, I've finally understood why: You pay for personalized service. Jude and Rose's services are tailor- made not only for your face shape, but for you. They take everything into consideration such as your skin tone, body shape, and even your personal style so that your hair will be uniquely you. And this, my friends, is something that you won't get from ordinary salons. At JuRo, you get what you pay for.

Look at it this way. When you buy a luxurious handbag, you pay for the quality of the bag, as well as the reputation of the brand. And most importantly, toting a luxury handbag makes you look and feel successful and confident. This analogy applies to JuRo: You pay a hefty premium for quality service, and that great feeling you have when you come out of the salon knowing that the masters of hair have groomed your crowning glory. Quality is quality, folks.

It was such an amazing experience. I also had a wonderful time talking about a lot of stuff with Jude and Rose. I have learned a lot about hair, and most importantly, about passion. And thanks to their cute daughter, Sophia, for entertaining me with her iPad games while I was having my treatments!

JuRo also gave me Pureology's volumizing shampoo and conditioner to keep my hair looking bouncy and volumized.

My hair in daylight: Check out the pic on the left: The layers of my hair look so clean, and they fall beautifully all over.

And here's me with my unwashed hair again. I bet if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't know that I didn't comb my hair!

The foundation of great hair is symmetry, and this is something we should all pay attention to. For without it, our hair can never look beautiful no matter how much we style it, and how many hair products we put on it! I've come to realize that the secret of celebrities' gorgeous- looking locks aren't hair products, but hair stylists. Great hair stylists understand that beautiful hair has good form. This goes to show that you don't pay them a lot for nothing! I am so happy for experiencing expert salon service at JuRo!

Thank you for reading this very long post. :)

JuRo Salon exclusif is located at 2nd fl., Kensington Place, Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio Global City. This is a by-appointment-only salon, but walk-ins are welcome although they can only grant you consultation. Why? It is because they do not have assistant stylists. As much as possible, they want to do the work themselves. (Yup, that's how much they take you seriously!) They have one assistant stylist on stand-by, but you'd also have to make an appointment too. Package for first- timers is P7,500.00, inclusive of hair cut and color.