Most places are going to be open during Chinese New Year. But if there’s one thing that’s not, it’s a hair salon!

There’s an old Chinese superstition that if you cut your hair during the first month of the new lunar year, you risk bringing bad luck upon your uncles – and specifically the uncles on your mother’s side. That’s why locals will usually try to squeeze in a haircut right before CNY.

So, mommas, if you’ve got a brother and you love him, get the kids to a salon before Jan 31!

Here’s a list of kid-friendly salons suitable for anyone 0-12 years old. Like grown-up salons, they tend to get super busy right before CNY, so it’s best to give them a call first rather than showing up and having to wait in the queue.

Joy Kids

Located in Solana Mall (where almost everything kid-friendly is located…) this bubbly hair salon is great for young ones. They’ve got chairs in the shape of race cars and a team of hairdressers who have seen their fair share of temper tantrums. They’re open daily from 10am-10pm and charge RMB 80 for a wash and RMB 150 for a cut.

Contact:
Tel: 185 0087 3141
2F Solana Mall by the skating rink
蓝色港湾2层朝阳公园路6号

BB Hair BB hair儿童理发

Open daily from 10am-6pm. Single-visit is RMB 138 per cut. There’s no need to make a reservation. BB Hair welcomes walk-ins, however, due to Covid, they’ve shortened their working hours and don’t recommend going in the late afternoon.

Contact:
Tel: 5336 0218/137 1804 7998
East Huilongguan Dajie 521
回龙观东大街良庄商业楼五楼521

Daimeng

Open daily from 10am-10pm. The latest appointment they’ll take is at 8pm. Single visits cost RMB 168 per cut.

Contact:
Tel: 84430699
12 Taiyang gong Middle Road 
太阳宫中路12号凯德MALL3-35

Guaiguai Rabbit Kids’ Hair Salon

Open daily from 10am-8pm. Single visits are RMB 150 per cut.

Contact:
Tel: 136 2130 5773
Wangjing Xilu, Chaoyang District
望京西路41号

Luobotou Kids’ Hair Salon

Open daily from 10am-6pm. Single-visit cuts are RMB 188.

Contact:
Tel:151 1021 6659
Stall 171, Bldg 1, North Tower of Shangdu SOHO, Jinghua Beijie
景华北街尚都SOHOB1楼171室 

KEEP READING: Chinese New Year Taboos

Images: Dianping

The end of the year is a gala season and Beijing has no shortage of fabulous black-tie charity events for you to choose from. This month for Indulge, I’m excited to feature my good friend, and mom to three handsome boys, Elisabeth Kang, who essentially attends every gala in the city.

Already a Laurent Falcon regular, Kang met the beijingkids team at Laurent Falcon in Sanlitun for a makeover that’s worthy of any red carpet.

One of the things we love about Laurent Falcon is that their stylists will never try to push any current trend on their guests. It’s just a fact that the same hairstyle isn’t going to work for every person, and having a hair dresser who doesn’t try to convince you to get the most recent hair trend saves you a lot of stress and frustration.

What Kang asked for was unconventional, but Laurent Falcon was able to deliver exactly what she pictured. She asked for a blonde balayage color fade with no additional treatment to her roots so that her natural grey hairs could still visibly grow out. Not every woman is trying to hide their age. Some wear their grey hairs proudly.

Spending the day at Laurent Falcon watching her get her hair done was surprisingly fun! The hair salon has a brand new cocktail menu with delicious options for their guests (and guests’ guests) to enjoy, they also added some of the best salon furniture, so it was very comfortable for me to wait. Which brings me back to charity galas. It’s always more fun to attend these events with your closest friends, and getting ready together is one of the best parts. With a salon that will make you over from head to toe all while providing you with endless cocktails, more of us should make pre-party group pampering a part of our holiday gala tradition.

Following hair and makeup at Laurent Falcon, Kang showed off one of her favorite formal wear looks – a custom-made embroidered skirt paired with a simple gold top and handmade fascinator to bring the whole look together. Looking like a golden trophy, this beautiful mom is ready for any party this city throws her way.

Hair: Laurent Falcon, French Style Salon F/2, Sanlitun North Street South www.laurent-falcon.com (6409 4243) Wardrobe: Hat by Elisabeth Koch Millinery Location: Hulu by TRB

This article appeared in the beijingkids December 2019 Giving Back issue

In Beijing the movie-star lifestyle can be found in PanSi Palace, a tripartite alignment of hair and beauty boutique, women’s fashion, and speakeasy saloon, which together hold an overwhelming vibe of glitz-and-glam in an otherwise lackluster area.

Bubble Bar was the first concept to be developed, and has already established itself as an experimental speakeasy bar. The newest additions to the family are Love Boutique and Beauty Salon – one an internationally branded female oriented clothing store with partitioned makeup area, the other a cutting edge hair salon.

In the middle is the gargantuan Love Boutique. Through the door you are met with floor to ceiling whitewash accentuated by vintage coving and shimmering chandeliers. A large swathe of empty space must be cut through before you get to the clothing collections. Femininity exudes itself here with an ample mix of both pastel and punchy dresses (RMB 1000-4000) and edgy two-piece items (RMB 1000-3000) hailing from far-reaching places in America, Asia, and Europe. Small statement piece jewelry shines in-between the clothing (starting RMB 600) and a raised make-up room with Dior, Givenchy, MAC, and other reputable global brands sits at the back, consultations go for an average RMB 300.

Beauty Salon is accessible via an inner walkway pass. Near the front are cutting stations with vivid red Perspex planes hanging between sections. Walk to the back of the salon and you will find curtained-off rooms for hair washing, and more segregated cutting and styling pods surrounded by high mirrors. Prices are determined by which stylist you want, women you’ll pay more regardless your selection, with the top director going for RMB 1100 (women) and RMB 800 (men) for a cut and finish treatment. A range of color and styling options are also available for discussion.

With a fully enclosed walk-through system between the three divides one partner can go off and get their hair styled while the other browses luxurious clothing or relaxes with a superbly crafted cocktail, all without leaving the premises. Don’t be surprised to find a few hours of your day gone before stepping back out into the real, unglamoros, world.

PanSi Palace,1Love 2Beauty 3Bubble
Daily 10am-9.30pm/10am-10pm/7pm-2am, 8 Xindong Lu, Shoukai Bojun Neighbourhood, Chaoyang District 8418 5641/8418 5342/8418 5331
新东路8号院 (首开铂郡北区)
800m northeast Dongsishitiao (Subway Line 2)

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on June 20, 2014.

Photos by Erin Strong