JURO Salon: That fabled P6,500 hair cut
"So why do you charge P6,500 for a hair cut?" I asked Jude Hipolito as he was busy snipping at my hair. He looked me in the eye and said, "It's not about me, it's about you." He explained that some women are at that point in their lives when they can afford to splurge on themselves. They're able to buy designer bags and clothes - so why not a designer hair cut? He knows what he's worth, and he has his price out there. If you can splurge for the best hair cut ever then go to him. If not, you don't have to.
Jude and Rose, the dynamic duo behind JURO Salon
Now I don't mean that to sound snobbish. Even though Jude has 20 years of experience as a hair cutter, doing the hair of the stars and training celebrity hair stylists, he's a pretty laidback guy with a genuinely warm and humble personality. He relishes telling stories and you can see that he also likes to listen. He's a quiet, soft-spoken guy, not the big shot hair stylist type who can't even part with a smile.
Jude doing my hair
Jude tells me that he trains in the US every year to be updated on the latest trends and techniques in the business of hair. He calls himself a precision hair cutter, meaning that each cut is tailored to your face shape, hair texture, lifestyle, down to how your hair will grow out in the months to come. I can see that he considers cutting hair as an art. He's good and he's proud of it. Thus, the price tag.
Rose is Jude's bubbly wife. They met in Boracay around 20 years ago, when Jude started his small salon there. They now have seven kids together, would you believe! Rose does the color mixing and application. Her on-hand service is P3,000, which isn't bad considering that it's around P2,000+ in other high end salons. I love Rose because she's kind and friendly (well, much like Jude) and she followed my requests! I wanted a discreet color, a super mild dye, and I don't want the chemicals to touch my scalp.
True enough, there was no sting (she used L'Oreal INOA) and I didn't experience any hair fall afterwards. I love the color she picked out for me because it works with my skintone and eyes wonderfully! There were obvious highlights in the beginning, which I felt ambivalent about, but they softened more as I washed my hair and now I like 'em better.
If you get the package, it's P7,500 for both the cut and color. It does sound extravagant for a hair job, and I thought as much months ago when I tried to book there and was dropped with the price tag. Well it is extravagant! But it's not the kind of thing you think of in terms like, "Oh but other high-end cutters charge only P2,000- P3,000! Why can't he charge that amount and be competitive?"
Styled my hair myself with a blow drier and some product. It's easy!
It's the same reason Louis Vuitton bags, for example, are priced at a minimum of P30,000 and not P5,000 like Nine West. You're paying for the chance to own something exclusive and of premium quality. You're paying for the expertise employed in the product. You don't have to, but if you want to and you can then go for it.
I love my hair cut, seriously. People have been complimenting me too so I'm thinking it's not just me! This kind of style is difficult to achieve for my hair type and face shape because like I said, I have a chubby face and wavy, frizzy hair. But Jude and Rose pulled it off and made me look fab in short hair - a style I cursed three years ago! So tell me. Is it worth it? I think so, and if I ever need to get short hair again or have a complex style like this, I will probably go back to JURO. For normal layers and trims I will probably go with less expensive salons.
Jude and Rose. They say they're the best. Out of all the stylists I've tried in the past, I damn agree that they are.
Disclosure: The cut and color was provided for PR purposes, i.e., I got my 'do for free.
