The first Kaizen Salon opened in Santa Monica, California, 10 years ago and remained the lone branch until the owners realized how lucrative a market Manila can be. And thank goodness they did! The Kaizen team is composed of Jude and Alan Hipolito, both graduates of the prestigious Vidal Sassoon School, both in London and Los Angeles, and Rose Velasco, who has worked with the top hair color companies as trainer and educator. Ironically, the first local Kaizen branch opened in Boracay, and not in busy Manila. When I asked why, they replied with "Why not?" Aside from no traffic, there is also no pollution, and the client base comes from every country around the globe.

Kaizen offers every single service your skin and hair may need but their haircuts and coloring jobs are their pride and glory. I had firsthand experience at their Quezon City branch with Jude and Rose attending to my hair’s needs. Aside from asking the customer what she wants her hair to look like, they give suggestions on what may look good after considering your head shape, your hair’s texture and condition and the shape of your face. Rose, on the other hand, talked me out of going too blonde. After over-exposure to the sun and chemical processing, my hair is hardly in good shape, and too much bleach would compromise my hair’s condition even more. They never compromise the condition of a customer’s hair to achieve a look that they want. Healthy hair is where everything starts from, so that’s their first priority.

I got the best hi-lights and now my hair is three shades of perfection. I have blonde streaks, but it’s predominantly brown and light brown. Jude, on the other hand, promised me the best haircut I’ve ever had. My hair is naturally wavy and it follows almost any style I put it in, so it’s hard to find a stylist that can give me a cut that will look curly and straight, so I was quite skeptical at first. You know what? Jude delivered and for the first time, I have no complaints about my hair. I love what they did to it.

When I asked for advice on how to care for our precious mane, the answer was simple. Pick a stylist you trust and half your problems will be solved. Also, good quality products help a lot.

What they use: For professional products, we use Wella, Phyto and MOP (Modern Organic Products), Wella’s System Professional and Back To Basics, Phyto, as well as, products that one can only find in Kaizen: Secret Professional, MOP, Sexy Hair Concepts, L’Anza, Lorenz-Germaine and BioSilk.

What I loved: My haircut and color. I’ve never been happier with my hair.

Tucked in a corner of Power Plant, and away from the hustle and bustle of the mall, is a sanctuary called Basement Salon. It’s not a new place but it’s definitely a second home for regular clients and a treat for newbies. What’s cool about Basement is that each part of the salon has it’s own hair-washing area, meaning you don’t have to go to a common area and wait in line while someone else gets her hair shampooed. There are many dividers throughout the salon, so even if the place is hardly ever empty, you never feel suffocated or overcrowded.

I was given a hair treatment and spray tan. It takes about two to three hours to airbrush a tan on your whole body, depending on how dark you want to become. It also takes four hours for it to dry completely so make sure you have no immediate plans right after getting one. Spray on tans are great because they give you a warm glow and you can get away with wearing less makeup than you would normally use.

Though Basement prices are definitely not "basement" prices, the atmosphere, services and the staff justify the cost. The neutral palette and hardwood floors spell relaxation and at the same time the mix of r&b, latin, soul and world music keeps the place modern and young.

What they use: Phyto, Tigi Bedhead, Paul Mitchell and Schwarzkopf

What I loved: The safe-from-UV-rays spray tan.