I walked into Laurent Falcon and the first thing that Max said was “Why do you make these challenges for me?” Let me rewind a few years. The first time I met Max was when he used to work at Blow+Bar and I called him up at night after I had botched a coloring job on the advice of a friend who told me any salon in Beijing can do balayage coloring if you can speak Chinese.

This time, thinking that I could trust the guy who has been giving me the exact haircut I wanted for the past three years, I asked him to chop off my long locks and give me this look:

Five(ish) hours later I left with an incorrectly done bleach job that damaged my hair way more than it needed to and disappointment in my heart. But at least the cut was cute…

So, once again, I called up Max for a hair emergency.

See, after multiple trials and errors when it comes to hair salons in Beijing, I’ve come to this conclusion: You can try a cheap place for a cut provided that you can communicate what you want clearly – either verbally or with photo examples. But when it comes to coloring, you’ve got to go to someone experienced.

I know that for many a makeover at Laurent Falcon is definitely a splurge. Their prices are far from being cheap. But when it comes to coloring … especially when it involves stripping color off, leave it to the professionals with actual experience instead of ending up as a guinea pig for a young hairdresser with the best intentions but no know-how.

It might be more expensive than your local hair salon, but at least you’ll walk out with exactly what you wanted.

For the best color:

From my multiple unfortunate personal experiences, while coloring might seem like an easy thing that anyone with some training can do, pulling it off properly is not. If you’re looking for the balayage look, Laurent Falcon is the place to go.

Find it:
Laurent Falcon
2F, 48 Linagmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (Above Hello Mart)
朝阳区亮马桥路48号2楼
Tel: 130 2104 8914

However, if you’re just looking for a place to get a good haircut, check out one of the many 3AM salons.

Best deal for wash and blow:

3AM has multiple locations in Beijing. When you purchase a RMB 2,000 membership card one of the perks is that you get free wash and blows as often as you like!

Find it:
3AM Hair Salon
(6206), 2F Building 6 Sanlitun SOHO, 8 Gongti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体北路8号三里屯SOHO6号楼2层6206
Tel: 185 1306 0483

If you’ve got recommendations for colorists, be sure to leave their contact information and your experience in the comment section below.

Images: Mina Yan

Our names are Emily Hellqvist and Kathy Shi, and we underwent a hair makeover in the name of journalism. While both of us have never really been to the hair salon for anything other than simple cuts, we didn’t quite know what to expect on the big day. We both went in with an idealistic view of what could come out of it but were soon faced with reality. Things never go according to plan, even if the styles that we wanted were completely different.

Emily’s Experience:

The only times I’ve ever been to the hair salon were to trim or cut my hair – never for anything else. I had always been discouraged from dyeing or curling my hair as my mom is fond of saying that, “Doing anything unnatural to your hair damages it.” Call it the prime teenage rebellious era, but when the opportunity arose for me to do whatever I wanted with my hair, I hopped on board. Hey, what excuse will work better on my tiger mom than, “It’s for work!”

I went in with reference pictures ready. Like the stylist noted, the style I wanted was very European-American, while what Kathy wanted was more Korean. I had been so nervous and excited in the week leading up to it, that when the day came, I was a little bit scared. I was right to be scared though because my emotions were about to endure a roller coaster ride.

It was my first time doing something different with my hair, so I was very new to the environment. When they pulled out the tin foil that they were going to use to bleach my hair, my internal dialogue was a mixture of confusion and horror. What were they going to do? I was like a cat seeing the outside world for the first time – I didn’t know what to feel. Then, after a lot of tin foiling and a lot of waiting, they washed my hair and I think that’s when they dyed it? I did feel some burning sensation on my scalp so that’s what I assume it was. It seemed like he had washed my hair several times but by the time he was drying my hair, I noticed something that seemed different.

The highlights that I had asked for were…not there. Instead, the bleached strands were replaced with grey locks. It wasn’t the light brown that I had asked for – unless I’ve been color blind this whole time? When I asked, the reply was a relatively simple one: “We thought this would look better on you.” At that moment, my heart did about three somersaults and wanted to jump out of my chest. Even if this altered style did look better, shouldn’t they have asked first? Maybe tell me what they were planning on doing instead of letting me find out after they had finished the job. This attitude threw me off – but maybe it’s a normal occurrence, and I was just a rookie in this whole new world.

As they dried and curled my hair, it began to take shape. The colored highlights were growing on me, but I just couldn’t quite get over the fact that they had switched the colors up without letting me know first. But, I’ve been getting compliments since so it all worked out in the end.

Kathy’s Experience:

“Unexpected” would be the perfect word to describe my experience at the hair salon during this seemingly ordinary, but entirely extraordinary Tuesday. As a girl whose long hairstyle has remained unchanged for years – until very recently, that is – going into a hair salon and asking a hairdresser to “create art” was a challenge.

So then why would I describe it as unexpected? One week before I even stepped into the salon, I was already very excited about the makeover and began looking up photos and styles to capture the “ideal me.” Initially, as a K-Pop fan, I wanted a Korean-styled girl kind of look. However, when I showed the photos to the stylist, he firmly rejected the idea and suggested that small curls would suit me better. He suggested that for a magazine shoot, we should go for something a bit more complex than what I would normally wear in daily life. So, this is what happened…

The final look was a far cry from my original plan, and I can’t say I was 100 percent satisfied with it, but this modern disco lady look was a big breakthrough from the normal me.

This was my first time having my hair styled somewhere other than the small hair salon near my home, and it left me with a good impression. I enjoyed the whole process of putting on the makeup, getting my hair done, and doing the photoshoot. It was particularly interesting to watch the transformation taking place in real time. The four hours passed very quickly, and the salon’s staff were super friendly too.

While Emily started the process of getting her hair dyed, I started with makeup. The process of putting on makeup while a photographer documented it made me feel a little like a celebrity.

The whole experience was quite enjoyable. My hairdresser was an easy-going person and very professional. I have to compliment the effort he put into turning my long and messy hair into a shorter, neater version by cutting it into several layers again and again. Unfortunately, those small curls disappeared after a single hair wash – or perhaps fortunately, since in any case, I can’t go out with the exaggerated curves in real life.

大象造型 (三里屯店)

北京市朝阳区工体北路4号院78号楼南侧首层 4 Gongti Beilu, South side of Bld 78, Chaoyang District Tel: 6592 2202

大象造型 (祥云小镇店)

北京市顺义区安泰大街3号楼南侧底商 3 Antai Dajie, Shunyi District
Tel: 8047 6166

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 July-August issue

We see mommy and me classes and events a lot, but what about daddy and me? Let’s not forget about the city’s cool dads!

For one Beijing dad, spending time with his son, Evan, is the best bro time anyone can ask for. Henry Timberlake is a food consultant and a regular on the food and beverage scene. He’s not only known for being a genuinely awesome and down-to-earth guy with a vast knowledge of everything food-related, but also for his signature mustache that he’s been sporting for years.

The father and son duo spent a fabulous morning together at the Laurent Falcon salon in Sanlitun, nibbling snacks while getting a fresh haircut to look sharp and spiffy.

It’s no secret that during the past two months Coronavirus has drastically impacted local businesses, but here, we’re Beijingers and we can adapt to any situation life throws our way. Businesses like Laurent Falcon follow a strict sanitation policy and health and safety regulations for their team. So, with the salon disinfected on a daily basis and the team covering up with masks, business goes on as normal as can be.

Stylists Felix and Max set off to give the Timberlake men a fresh new look. Dad got a color and trim with a clean, crisp razor line before getting some attention to his signature stache.

With little man Evan sitting right across, this salon session turns into a fun day of daddy and son bonding. With their bedhead in check, the Timberlake men change into stylish sweaters and matching shoes and funky socks before taking a stroll around Taikoo Li with more tasty treats in hand.

While hanging out with your friends is great, spending some quality bromance time with your little man is more precious than anything in the world.

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 March – April issue

The ideal weekend for respite, fun, and indulging awaits you in the form of a uniquely crafted women’s only retreat, right in the heart of Beijing. Pauline van Hasselt, of Beijing Mothers and Pauline’s Cuisine, and Caneisha Berry of Berry Thoughtful are the wonder women and masterminds behind the beautifully, enhancing, meditative, and fun weekends, created to encourage women of all creeds to connect and find time to reflect.

After a successful launch of their women’s retreat last summer at EAST Hotel, they are back in full swing to offer a jam-packed weekend full of well being-focused and inspiring activities. In partnership with Jindafit, ladies can look forward to getting their bodies moving and swaying to Afrobeats, in true endorphin-releasing style! There will be beauty and free-flow champagne; a comedy show, and a workshop with Berry.

The weekend retreat also includes a stay at the beautiful EAST Hotel with late check out; three meals, and snacks; hair and mini-massages; plus a photo shoot that will help you to capture the memories you will build during your stay with other girls, who just wanna have fun!

Itinerary, March 9

• Jindafit
• Free-flow brunch
• Bubbles and Beauty Bazaar: hair, massage and photo shoot
• Fashion: Shop till you drop, from local artisan designers
• Bar food
• Surprise Guest Comedy Show
• Overnight Stay

Itinerary, March 10

• Breakfast
• Workshop: vision boarding
• Free time to use the wonderful amenities at East Hotel and the surrounding area

Spots for the retreat are limited, so to secure yourself a fabulicious weekend and I’m sure, a well-deserved break, contact Berry or van Hasselt using the QR codes below to confirm your attendance with a RMB 500 deposit. Something tells me you will not regret it! RMB 2,300 (Single Room), RMB 1,900 (Double Room). March 19 – 10. East Hotel, No. 22 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District (www.east-beijing.com) 北京东隅酒店二楼 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路22号100016

Photos: courtesy of organizers

Life before new motherhood meant that I used home services not only for the convenience but also for the luxury of it. The notion of having my hairstylist care for my tresses while binge-watching my Game of Thrones box set, or having my beautician tend to my weary cuticles in the comfort of my own home would have seemed far-fetched, and not to mention an expensive non-option before moving to this great city, where almost everything is at your fingertips.

Nails, hair, massage, groceries – whether working from home, starting life as a new mother or just plain lazy and needing a break from the outside world, Beijing’s online community and platforms make it easy for anyone to live life as a hermit for a day or two depending on your in-house needs.

Nowadays, five weeks into caring for a newborn, it’s vital that I take advantage of services that offer the option to remain indoors. This has mostly been due to poor air quality, but has not been a bad excuse for times when I just don’t want to leave my apartment. A few days ago, my mom watched in astonishment as I sat in my rocking chair, baby in hand, while I was pampered hand to toe by one of the finest nail technicians in the city – I’ll tell you what I told her, give hermit life a go!

Nails – Xiao Fei
Xiao Fei will polish, buff, clip and soak you into happiness with her professional nail-care service. Xiao Fei and her trusty partner travel all over Beijing, offering a number of beauty services in the comfort of your abode. Not only does she give excellent manicures and pedicures finished off with neatly applied shellac of all colors but can tend to your eyebrows and waxing needs. If you are looking for convenience wrapped up in professionalism, then give her a try. She’s always on time and arrives with a smile. You have to be quick though, her services are in demand, so it’s worth booking at least a few days in advance. WeChat: ZXF19930710

Massage – Angela
Angela is not only a wonderful masseuse but is highly trained in prenatal massage. She is a wonder with all kinds of strains and pains and can click you right back into place where you will find blissful respite from everyday stresses. I used Angela throughout my pregnancy and was extremely happy with her professional service. Her schedule is flexible, and she can work miracles with her hands. Angela doesn’t speak any English, but what’s WeChat good for, if not for its handy translation capabilities, and if you’re anything like me, who wants or needs conversation during a peaceful massage? Make sure to have your preferred lotion or oil on hand. My preference is Arnica Oil – smells divine, soothes, and leaves skin moisturized but not sticky! WeChat: qin635041

Hair – Jasmine
Jasmine has experience handling different hair types, she not only cuts and styles but is a wizard with color. As far as color technicians go, you will do well to find someone as awesome with highlights and new trends as Jasmine. Although working for a high-end hair salon in Sanlitun, Jasmine often makes time for home visits on evenings or on the weekends. Reasonably priced, when she works her magic on locks of any kind, tresses long or short, curly or straight will be left looking salon-finished. My suggestion? Kick back, get the kettle on or the wine on ice, get box-set ready and be prepared to be beautified hermit style – in your home! WeChat: Jasmine523698

Groceries – Carrefour
If you’re not already familiar with the French supermarket chain, Carrefour, then you also might not be aware of the same day and next day delivery options available using their online service. Not only can you have your groceries delivered in time slots between 9am and 10pm, you can sign up for home deliveries using the English version of the website. Take advantage of the convenience of a comprehensive customer service line accessible via email or telephone, also all in English. Order before 9am and have your items delivered to your door on the same day, or select a time slot for the following morning, afternoon or evening. Sign up is quick and easy. Tip: have your address in Chinese handy to help with the sign up for accuracy. www.carrefour.cn

It’s time to treat yourself, and indulge in services accessed and secured through the touch of a button and executed in the comfort and convenience of your own home. Don’t fight the hermit in you, take a break from the notorious stifling Beijing summer heat and crowds, and put that change you’ll spend on a Didi towards a bottle of your favorite wine. Enjoy!

Photos: Adobe Creative Cloud

The grand opening of the new Blow+Bar in Shunyi Pinnacle Plaza has to be postponed due to roof issues. The opening date is moved to the 5th of November and the grand opening party will held the 11th of November.

I am always ready to defend Shunyi. Shunyi has a great international community, I count many of the Shunyi mothers as my friends, and even though I sometimes dread the taxi ride there, I am always surprised by all of the fun things to do and family-friendly vibes. One common complaint I hear from the ladies in Shunyi is that a good haircut or some highlights is hard to come by and usually they have to travel to the city to get their luscious locks taken care of.

I come as the bearer of great news; my favorite city hair salon is opening a second location in Shunyi at Pinnacle Plaza. Blow+Bar is an award-winning salon from Singapore and has very skilled stylists. I always walk away happy and pampered with my hair. Multitasking is something we mothers have gotten very clever at, so while you get your hair done here, you can also have a nice glass of wine. We deserve it! The salon has a bar and provides wine or bubbles to get you into the party mood. It is the perfect unwinding experience to get your hair done while completely letting your hair down.

The first Beijing branch opened last year in Sanlitun and Ashely Soh the founder of Blow+Bar gave us some amazing numbers we could not have worded any better: “We have since done 1,250 blowouts, 912 colors, and perms, and served over 1800 glasses of wine and bubbly to happy people. Now ready for our second store. A nice cozy space of 93 square meters with nine seats, plenty of daylight, dark wood fittings and green, comfortable chairs. The opening of this new store marks our 5th store across three cities, (Singapore, Jakarta, and Beijing) while celebrating our 5th anniversary.”

The owner and founder of Blow+Bar told is in an earlier interview “We are very consumer oriented, so our styles and looks are created with the consumer in mind. Whereas most other hair salons create their styles with the hairdressers in mind; what the hairdressers are good at, and what they think is nice.” Soh is a mother of two boys, and she is always ready to pamper both men and women. Blow+Bar has some great deals in store for new clients of the salon. And will have a grand opening party on Saturday, the 4th of November. Check out the flyer below for details and get ready for a great hair day!

Pictures: Blow+Bar

The carefree, stay-at-home-mom of two, Vilma Busquets, moved to Beijing five years ago with her family after he husband, John Lydon, got a job at China Daily. Her two sons, Armando (age 19) and Salomon (17) Lydon-Busquets attended and attend respectively the Beijing No.55 High School International Students Section.

Busquets doesn’t have a skin care routine as she says, “I don’t have the patience for that.” She wears her hair the same way for months on end, as she’s more of a “wash-and-go” kind of person. She hasn’t had a haircut in the last two years and was ready to step out of her comfort zone with a drastic new look. She was unperturbed about the makeover as she knew she was in good hands with London Loft’s creative duo, Scarlett Salmons and Phoebe Gao.

Salmons and Gao recommended Busquets for the makeover and were ready to do something special. On a nice summer morning, Salmons gave Busquets a consultation at their new location on Xinzhong Lu on the fifth floor of the same building as Juice by Melissa. Salmons wanted to give Busquets an assymetrical pixie cut and says, “Summer needs shorter hair to look and feel lighter.” Busquets knew that she was in very capable hands and wasn’t worried one bit.

As for her color, Gao was going to darken her hair then give little splashes of colors red, orange, and blonde. These little splashes of color gave Busquets a youthful look. On her phone, Busquets showed us a photo of her sons holding her up on a skateboard and says, “Looks like fun but I can’t risk the fall.” She got a manicure at the salon and was very pleased by the results.

Her husband and sons were happy with her new look and thought she looked really hip. She definitely plans to go back.

Get the Look
Step 1
Hair is washed then cut to make it easier to color properly.

Step 2
Gao first takes sections of the hair at the front and back to use for different colors as highlights, then colors the rest of the hair with a darker brown.

Step 3
Salmons applies concealer, blue mascara, lip stick, and a little blush to get a minimalist look with pop. Salmons says that active people who are going to be out all summer need to wear little makeup to avoid it getting ruined easily. Finally, hair is styled.

London Loft  
Tue-Sun 9am-8pm. Unit 501, 5/F, Bldg 1, Dongwai Mansions, Dongcheng District (WeChat or SMS 1352019 9568) 北京市东城区新中东路3号院东外公馆1号楼501

This article originally appeared on page 12-13 of the August 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos:Uni You

You know you’ve been in China too long when the story of a Chinese person going into business with a foreigner cues a similar end in your mind before you’ve even heard the story’s conclusion.

People and business models differ, but the results are often the same: The foreigner gets pushed out. The business continues without the foreigner but doesn’t give up the name. The foreigner has no recourse. Details in the case of The London Loft hair-styling salon are slightly different, but the result is not: now there are TWO locations with the same name, but only one features the stylist Scarlet Salmons and colourist Phoebe Gao. Be sure you don’t get fooled!

I’m not generalizing, because there are success stories with long-term business relationships, but stories of foreign business owners being pushed out of the business partnerships and then finding themselves with very limited legal recourse are so plentiful that it’s become the norm not the anomaly.

Remember the restaurant “Salt,” for instance, in Lido? Similar story. Or, what about the Wudaoying (五道营) American-style vegan restaurant “The Veggie Table” that is now no longer associated with its American founder? Then there’s Divina Cakes, an online Italian bakery which currently has no one in charge that even speaks Italian, let alone is from overseas.

When I heard that Scarlet, (a hip British stylist who has been in Beijing for over a decade but whom I only discovered last year), was moving locations from her recently established London Loft salon to “just up the road,” I had a feeling something was up.

Disputes with the previous tenants of the old salon space left them no option but to leave, but the remaining (previous) tenants refused to remove the signage or re-brand the location upon their departure. Local police offered no support. The only option left for London Loft is to exist just “up the road” and advertise as clearly as possible that “the real London Loft has moved”!

Personally, I prefer the new space. While it’s just an office building from the outside, and seems a bit more hidden, the new location is brighter and sunnier; it seems to “breathe” more easily. I suppose that is exactly what happens when one is released from a bad business situation, though!

Last year, I wrote this article about The London Loft when it first opened. This article cites the old location—BEWARE! It has moved!

The REAL London Loft
3 Xinzhongdong Street, Dongwai Mansion, Building 1, 5th floor, Unit 501 / 北京市东城区新中东路3号院东外公馆1号楼501

Local Australian artist, Moo, created these great posters to help Scarlet and Phoebe spread the word, but ultimately it’s all about word of mouth in this expat community. Please tell your friends. Keep going to support these ladies who are both truly exceptional at what they do.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of going to the old location where, aside from identical signage, no one with the same abilities or keen eye for style will be standing behind your head wielding sharp scissors.

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift