A cut above the rest

By Pranz Kaeno

?It all started with a need,? says Joyce Manas-Magpale, managing director of Bruno?s Barbers, as she recounts how the barbershop started. Her sister, Amy Manas, thought it was time to give her son a haircut. Dismayed by other barbershops, she and her sisters (Karina, Peachy, and Joyce) started Bruno?s Barbers in Alabang in 1990. They chose the name ?Bruno?s? thinking it was easy to remember and sounded manly. Customers started to flock to the barbershop. Soon, Bruno?s trendy and quality offerings was not only bringing in the men, it started attracting women, too.

Launching itself as a pioneer in the ?barbershop-as-lifestyle-experience? Bruno?s Barbers is as current as the hippest salon in town. ?It?s a misconception that we only offer formal, traditional haircuts for men,? says Amy, who also serves as president of the trendy barbershop. ?People don?t know that most of our barbers are trained to layer, texturize, and even color hair.?

The well-updated barbers at Bruno?s can do the latest cuts for only P150 for men and P200 for the ladies. Customers wanting to have their hair colored can also rely on Bruno?s Barbers as they use only high-quality products like the German label Schwarzkopf. They can choose to have solid color, highlights, lowlights, and other trendy color styles without breaking their wallets since at Bruno?s starting price for a full hair color is 30- to 50-percent cheaper than what is offered by other salons.

But what makes Bruno?s Barbers a cut above the rest, so to speak, is that they listen well and execute well.

?Communication is sometimes amiss between a client and a hairdresser in a usual salon environment,? observes Amy. ?And with communication, I mean, a meeting of expectations. At Bruno?s Barbers, we hear out clients, carefully assess what we want, and work competently in delivering the desired look and effect. It?s ideal if the client can bring a photograph of the hairstyle he or she wants to have recreated so the guesswork is minimized.?

Going beyond scissors and razors, guests can just walk in and pamper themselves with Bruno?s soothing offerings: manicure and pedicure, foot spa, total hair repair, hot oil, mentholated scalp treatment, medicated dandruff treatment, facial treatment, and the hand/foot/scalp massages, ear cleaning, and yes even shoe shine.

Trying it out

Outside, a traditional barber pole with its swirling blue, red, and white greets passersby. Inside, guests are welcomed by a slick, zen-like, modern interior reflecting their ?comfortable, clean, with excellent service? motto.

The receptionist, surrounded by high-end hair products usually found in posh salons, smiled at me as she took note of my requests.

My barber for the day was Joshua Binay. When he asked me what kind of haircut I would like to have, I just specified how much hair to trim and pretty much left the rest up to him. After a few snips, I saw my hair take on a new form. And true enough it was something I would only expect from a salon. After the haircut, Joshua gave me a massage reminiscent of the good ole barbershop. The mentholated scalp treatment came after and it was an instant favorite. The cooling effect of menthol and the soothing scalp massage effectively calmed my senses. It is a great stress reliever and I would recommend it to anyone seeking instant relaxation.

Lastly, I tried their facial treatment. My therapist, Jovy Yamomo, did a great job that I am convinced Bruno?s facial treatment is as good as the ones offered in most spas. Now that?s a trendy barbershop that does not only make you look good but also makes you feel good without shaving your wallet.