Back in November I shared with you my lavendream hair c/o the BEST hair dream team ever: Sir Jude and Miss Rose of JuRo Salon Exclusif. I ended that post with a statement that I don't think I'll be going back to black anytime soon.

A couple of weeks after that blog post, I turned into a purple belle, all thanks to Sir Jude and Miss Rose!

On December 4, I marched into JuRo Salon Exclusif for a haircut. I was ecstatic to be sitting on JuRo Salon's magical chair again! Sir Jude, ever the wizard with a pair of scissors, worked his magic on my hair and I felt even more chic in no time!

My roots peeked out after my haircut and we all thought it provided a nice contrast against the lavender, but Miss Rose had other plans. She said she'll color my hair purple-blue, and how could I refuse? In just less than three hours, I went from being a lavendream girl to a purple belle!


With my purple-blue hair and my pixie cut, I couldn't help but remember my childhood fantasies of being a purple faery! I'll be like Tinkerbell, only with a cooler outfit and edgier hair. Hee.

Now that it has been almost a month since my visit, what are my post-purple thoughts?


It's easier to maintain than my lavender hair. When I had lavender hair, I had to use the Elgon I/care Haircolor Rinse Coloring Conditioning Cream in Viola Intenso (Deep Violet) at least once a week to make sure the color remains vibrant and does not fade into oblivion that quickly, whereas I never had to do that with my current purple hair.


I was happy to bust my bright lipsticks out of storage again. When I had lavender hair, I only ever used my pink and nude lipsticks. Now I also get to use my reds and plums again! My purple lipsticks haven't seen the light of day in weeks, though, because I don't want to look like a walking ube jam. Heh.

In case it's not obvious yet, I am SO HAPPY with my hairstyle and color that I really don't want to go back to black anytime soon! Thank you so much, Sir Jude and Miss Rose! More than my awesome cut and color though, it's the duo behind JuRo Salon that makes the experience much more enjoyable. December is one of their busiest months and it was full house that night owing to the fact that many people were booking appointments for their holiday makeovers; I'm sure they were already feeling tired but we never heard a peep. The JuRo power couple remained energetic and jolly all throughout the day, and emphatically swapped stories with everyone. Such is their passion and dedication to their craft, and it shows on how happy their customers feel not only upon leaving the salon, but also days and even months after the JuRo Salon experience! I can personally attest to this!


If you are in the mood to treat yo'self to a New Year Makeover and you have the means to do so, then I highly recommend that you contact the JuRo duo for a consultation by calling (02) 822 5673. I promise you that it'll be a life-changing moment. I don't even know why I made do with my haircuts from before; Sir Jude and Miss Rose forever ruined other salons for me, and it's worth it.

When your boss tells you that you'll get your hair cut and colored by the top hairstylists in the country, do you clap your hands and blabber excitedly about what hairstyle you're going to get? Because that's what I did.

Last Thursday, I went to JuRo Salon Exclusif in Fort Bonifacio for another session with Sir Jude and Miss Rose. Old readers of this blog will remember that I first had my hair treated by them back in 2012, and at the time it was the best haircut I ever had. Now I have a new favorite cut and color, and it's awesome that they're also the ones who beat their own "record". Not surprising, as they are indeed the country's top team when it comes to precision cut, color, and style, as recognized by numerous publications and their discerning clients from here and abroad. They are so passionate about hair that they even travel out of the country at least once a year to learn the newest hair trends and techniques that they can then tailor-made to their clients' needs and specifications.

I didn't have a decent BEFORE photo from the day so here's a photo taken a day before my JuRo appointment instead.

I love Sir Jude and Miss Rose not only because of their expertise, but also because they are two of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met. When they ask you questions, you know they are not just trying to make small talk because you're their client; they are really interested in you.

Sir Jude is a graduate of Vidal Sassoon and is a certified, licensed cosmetologist in California. He employs a technique called the precision cutting.

The precision haircut was based on the theory that, with proper design and attention to detail, any texture of hair, even the most unruly, could be tamed and easily styled. This was accomplished by the scientific and artful hair stylist by means of engineering the haircut, taking into consideration wave patterns, or lack thereof, the creation of design lines, weight-lines, guidelines, and pivot points that allowed the freshly cut head of hair to fall naturally and flow into the predetermined desired style. (source)

After catching up over cakes and coffee (Sir Jude is a huge coffee connoisseur), we went to work. And by that I meant I sat back and took photos while the power duo (and their two assistants) worked their magic on me.

Prepping my hair for my haircut

In no time at all, I went from this:


to this:


I LOVE MY HAIR! I have convinced myself to grow my hair longer again after I got tired of my pixie cut, but Sir Jude told me I shouldn't let it grow past my shoulders, because then my head will be weighed down by too much hair, heh. I hate that it's too thick but I guess I'd rather have this than thinning hair.

After Sir Jude cut my hair, I was prepped for color. A day before my session, I actually told Miss Rose that I'd like to try having purple hair as it is a color I've always been intrigued by but never got the gall to try. I mean, really, how bad could it be? I've tried red before and it turned out alright. I guess it's because purple is such a tricky color. I don't want to risk looking like Barney, Grimace, Tinky-Winky, or Katy Perry! But with the able hands of Miss Rose, I know I am safe.

Subtly striking. Yes, that's what I was going for.


After prepping my hair for color, the next step was to bleach some of my hair because Miss Rose wanted to give me dark purple verging on blue to give it dimension.

Feast your eyes, as this is the only time you'll see me with blond hair!

For those who are curious, Miss Rose used Majirel, L’Oreal’s top salon hair color brand, on my hair. It has two treatment innovations infused in its formula (Ionene-G and Incell) that makes hair stronger and healthier with every change of color. Props to both its formula and Miss Rose's expertise as I didn't feel any discomfort at all while having my hair colored, as opposed to feeling like twenty pairs of hands were pulling my hair to different directions the last time I had my color professionally done!

AFTER

What do you think?


I hope I've always come across as honest and genuine in my reviews. Everything I've raved about are worth raving about, and things I wasn't really satisfied with I just didn't bother writing about. In that note, I'd like to say that Sir Jude and Miss Rose are really the BEST in their field. Even my friends told me this is the best haircut they've seen me have, and you know I've experimented with a lot.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: JuRo Salon Exclusif charges a premium fee for cut and color, but you are assured that you are paying for high level of expertise, quality, precision, and years of experience. I love them and the wonders they've done to my hair and my self-esteem that I am very much willing to save up for my next cut and color. If you know me personally, you know how hard it is for me to save up, heh. Seriously, call them at (02)8225673 to book a hair consultation, and if you are are convinced and (this is very important) you have the means and capacity to do so, then schedule your hair couture appointment as soon as possible. You may also visit their website and follow them on Instagram for more testimonials.

I had my hair cut and colored last Thursday. Here are some photos I took the Sunday after:




I love how the color seems to cascade in purple waves then ends with dark purple streaks with a tinge of blue, and I love that it doesn't show as bright under fluorescent lighting or when it's dark. Purple hair requires a certain level of chutzpah and I hope I was able to pull it off. Do you think I achieved my goal of having subtly striking hair?


For my home hair-care/ maintenance, I use the Super Smooth line from Pureology, which is 100% vegan, has zero sulfates, and made with organic botanicals. You can use other sulfate-free products for your hair of course, but what's good about this brand is that with every purchase of any Pureology product, a percentage of sales will go to ICanServe Foundation to help fund their support programs for breast cancer patients. These are available at leading image salons nationwide, like JuRo Salon Exclusif. For more information, you may visit L'Oreal Professionnel's Facebook page.

I'm grateful that my job lets me meet really amazing, inspiring, and passionate people, and the JuRo duo is just one of them. Thanks again for giving new life to my hair, Sir Jude and Miss Rose!

Disclosure: I was given a free Hair Couture treatment but I was not compensated nor required to write this post. All opinions are my own.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with my hair. I love that it's thick, but I hate that it becomes so unmanageable and seems to have a life of its own whenever I forget to put any styling product on it.

All throughout high school until about four years after I graduated from college I resigned myself to accepting the fact that my hair will never be as beautiful as the long, silky-straight manes always featured in commercials and print ads. Blame the power of advertising (or my gullible, impressionable mind) but I honestly thought I cannot be beautiful without long, silky-straight hair. I knew I wasn't the only one. Remember how prevalent rebonding was before? I never had my hair rebonded though; I've always believed pin-straight hair doesn't really suit my personality. So yeah baby, I let it all hang out. Some days I tied it up in a ponytail.

Long-time readers of my blog will remember these photos.

Behold, Krissy circa 2010 I pretended the waves were big, loose curls LOL.

November of that year, I got bored and got a bob.

March 2011, I got birthday bangs.

I really wanted to get a pixie cut and thought long and hard for months. One day in June, after failing to find anything to buy at the mall, my friend Mich and I got hair makeovers  instead! Oh na na, what's my name?

It worked well for me because the style is meant to be unmanageable. Every morning after taking a shower, I just slap on some styling paste then head out. No need to fuss over combs or hairbrushes. Perfect. So perfect that I have tried different variations of the pixie cut since then. The best cut I've EVER had in my life, like ever, I had last Saturday at JURO Salon Exclusif.

Spanking clean salons make me giddy :)

When asked what my favorite color is, I always couldn't give a straight, definite answer. One moment it's yellow, next time it's pink, other times it's teal. Purple always belongs to the top five, though. Whether it be violet, magenta, or lavender, I love the whole spectrum of shades of purple.

And so when I got the chance to sit on JuRo Salon Exclusif's magical chair again, I took the opportunity to get my dream hair color. No better time to experiment than on my last year in my 20s, yes?

I have been wanting to dye my hair this shade since forever but I never followed through because I have every reason to dread and doubt this decision. Will it look good okay on me? Will I attract unnecessary attention? Will I be able to pull it off? What finally pushed me to go for it? Knowing that I can trust Sir Jude and Miss Rose to NEVER let me [and my hair] down plus the additional encouragement from my boyfriend. Now, having had this hair for four weeks now, I say YES! to every single one of those questions and, at the risk of sounding narcissistic, let me say that I love it.

Let me walk you through my experience on the road to my lavendream (lavender + dream) hair. Yep, totally coined that term while seated on my JuRo Salon magical chair.

On November 23 I arrived at JuRo Salon in Kensington Place, BGC for my 10 AM appointment, all chirpy and jumpy. It was the StrangeLit book launch the next day and of course I wanted to look great. Prior to that, the last time I was with this magical hair duo was a little over a year ago, so we chatted a little before we went to "work". What's amazing is that it was like no time has passed at all; we easily fell into comfortable conversation, swapping stories and anecdotes like three friends catching up. They're two of the best and most respected people in the hair industry yet they don't have any airs at all. Passion for their craft oozes with every snip of the scissor and brush of color, and sitting on their chair is a big privilege I am really thankful for, if only to be a living witness to their level of expertise and dedication.

Sir Jude giving me the iconic Vidal Sasson Five-Point Haircut

According to Sir Jude (and as verified by the world wide web), this haircut is one of the most iconic yet complicated to execute. I felt so giddy that I now belong to the roster of people with this signature cut that includes Rihanna, Keira Knightley, and Grace Coddington. I may have a love-hate relationship with my hair, but in that moment I don't think I've ever loved or appreciated my hair as much. It held the precision haircut very well, and I really hope there's a magical button I can press so that this hairstyle and length can stay forever. 

Next it was Miss Rose's turn to transform me.

My hair underwent three bleach baths, each eliminating different color tones (reds, bronzes, and coppers for the first and yellows on the second) but all serving the purpose of providing a clear palette with which Miss Rose can work her magic on. 

I remember when I first had my hair dyed red almost two years ago. It hurt like twenty pairs of hands were pulling on my hair that I was nearly in tears and almost begged the stylist to take it off. Except for the blue streaks that Miss Rose did on my hair last year, I've actually never had my hair bleached before so to be honest I was a little scared. Thanks to Miss Rose's skillful hands and this little potion below, I didn't have any reason to! 

Free of silicone or oils, Olaplex links broken bonds in the hair during and after chemical services making them stronger than they were before. Because of Olaplex, my hair actually came out better and softer, not fried nor damaged like on those bleach horror stories!



Blondes have more fun! I almost didn't want to proceed after seeing my hair this white because I thought it looked cool. But nope, I came here for one thing, and so...


For this session, Miss Rose used Elgon on me. Elgon is an Italian brand that originated in Milan, international capital of fashion and style, in 1970. The brand grew by formulating and producing color cosmetics and has been working for over 40 years with professional hairdressers who believe in the power of beauty and creative capacity of their work. Today Elgon is present in over 70 countries and currently holds an Innovative Training Academy in Florence. They have also sent Sir Jude and Miss Rose to different countries across Asia as well as regions in the Philippines to train hairdressers and share their craft. I'll let you see for yourself how it worked on me. Dun dun dun dunnn...

My Lavendream Five-Point Haircut from the back while Sadness looks on, jealous of my hair

So bold, so lush, so lavender! Frankly I felt like I was a fairy! My boyfriend loves it, I love it, everyone loves it! I am in love with the color and cut and I don't think I'll be going back to black anytime soon.

Sir Jude and Miss Rose also gave me more Elgon products for maintenance and color care. I got the Shampoo and Serum from the Elgon Argan Haircare line as well as the Elgon I/care Haircolor Rinse Coloring Conditioning Cream in Viola Intenso (Deep Violet) and I have been using them ever since! I especially like I/care; I use it when I feel like my hair starts looking dull (as lavender hair is wont to do) and it instantly becomes a healthy and vibrant shade of violet again!


In conclusion, Sir Jude and Miss Rose are the best people to ever happen to my hair and I can't stress this enough. You pay a premium price but it if you have funds to spare, why not? I guarantee that it's a magical experience from beginning to end. The best thing about it? This kind of magic is not fictional - they can really perform your biggest fantasies for your hair and make it a reality. I should know, I experienced it myself.

My favorite look with this hair: lined and mascara'd eyes, sparkly lids, and pink lips Mauve, hot, rosey, pale - all shades of pink work!

Another year beckons, and if you're looking to transform your hair [and your life in the process], then book a consultation with them soon by calling (02) 822 5673. They get crazy busy come the holidays (case in point: there were six other ladies in the salon with me including my friend Phoebe, but they're masters in multi-tasking and not once did I feel neglected) so get on that phone now.

I know I said I've dreamt of having this hair for so long, but I didn't know the extent of how much I wanted it until I finally had it. Even now I look in the mirror and get pleasantly surprised. Right now I already have roots but it still looks good! (Shameless plug: Follow me on Instagram for lavendream hair updates.) Thank you for this transformation, Sir Jude and Miss Rose!


Disclosure: I work in PR and JuRo Salon Exclusif is one of our clients but I was not compensated nor requested to write this review. All opinions are my own. Read my blog’s complete Disclosure Policy here.