So now after close to 2 years, my stylist had left but fret not. I found out he had started his own salon still in Causeway bay! YippEEE!
One of the reason I like Ito san apart from his friendliness but not overly talkative, is that he is serious about his work, does NOT push any hair products unless you ask him for opinion. Despite reading many people complain about their curls not lasting from Hairdo (with no indication who was their stylist), Ito san did my first curl perming and it lasted over 1.5 year, and this is despite the fact that I abuse my hair alot by not blow drying it nightly as advised, I go swimming regularly, and washing my hair nightly without special shampoo. Even though the curls have significantly lessen over time now, it still has that slightly natural wave. I suppose how long your curls last also is highly dependent on your hair texture and nature, as well as how chemically damaged it is from previous treatments.
When my mum visited me in HK, I brought her to Ito and she LOVED her new haircut. Mind you, my mum is a super fussy not easy to please woman who complains alot about all the hair stylists in her long years of cutting hair. Not that her opinion should influence anyone else but I'm just saying...:)
So for those who are looking for a good Japanese hair stylist, here is Ito's new address, and no, I do not get any benefit or discount personally for recommending him. I just happen to understand the frustration of not finding a good hair stylist that doesnt dent a big hole in your pocket at haircuts starting over $600+ like some big names.
I just went for my haircut 2 days back. His current July 2013 price is ($450) for cut under him and cheaper for junior stylist but I forgot to look at the price. I did a hair treatment too which really soften my hair and it cost HK$600.
The place is definitely not fancy or done up like hairdo without the view, but its clean efficient and pleasant environment. Honestly, which is more important? The material stuff or a good stylist? I definitely love the cozy and more comfortable seating here than the stiff hard chair in Hairdo. Incidentally, I went to hairdo page and notice ALOT of senior stylist had left in this year...makes me wonder what happen but I didnt want to probe.
Meet my galfren today whom I havent seen for 2 months and she thought I had my hair permed or curled again but I told her i didnt, not since my perm 1.5years again. Heaven knows how many inches I have cut away since.This was just the layering cut that Ito san did for me and she loved it. I think this says alot of what good skills can do, creating a new look without having to shelf out hundreds of dollars.. So if this is the sort of look (more Japnese) you fancy, Ito may be the guy for you.
I should hav taken one shot just after he cut and blow dry my hair but I had forgotten being too happy. So instead this is the 3rd day, taken with my iphone after shower without dry blowing look ( without any hair product ).
(Left: Taken 1 year ago, 6 months after perm. )
(Right: Taken today, 1 year later with just layering cut. )
Oh! After the end of my session, Ito san even let me pick out a pair of hand made ear rings as a thank you for patronising his new salon. How thoughtful and sweet!
AR salon (Updated Jul 2013)
15/F, Circle Plaza, 499 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
( 銅鑼灣軒尼詩道499號永光中心15樓全層）
Tel: 22414600 (11am-7.30pm)
I think Monday is restday.
AR Salon Facebook (Here)
Peace out.
PS: Those who are concerned and only speaks Cantonese, Ito san also has another HK stylist Beedy who did my perm recently. See my new summer look 2012! Took this shot yesterday while having my hair done - May 2012 (Link). Pampered like a Princess !
Hairstyling sessions updates
New Short Hair! 2013, May. - Link
New Perm for my growing hair. 2013, Nov - Link
Summer hair cut. 2014, Jun - Link
Going for a overdue haircut! 2015, Jan - Link
52 comments:
Does Ito speak Chinese or English?
Hi Monkeytoes,
Ito san actually can speak relatively understandable Cantonese and some English. His staff are HK staff so they will definitely be fluent in Cantonese and possibly Mandarin. If u are still unsure, give them a call and find out. The last time I was chatting to them in both English and Cantonese
I am Japanese living in Hong Kong for 3 years. I am also huge fan of Ito-san. I love his hair cutting skill and his passion for the work!
Hi Kawanoji, I agree!!!! Ito san is very professional and I am glad someone else agrees with me!
How much would coloring and a cut cost?
@annoymous: Depending on your hair length. i think it might be around HK1500 for long hair. u can call them to check.
@annoymous: Depending on your hair length. i think it might be around HK1500 for long hair. u can call them to check.
Thanks! actually does ito-san work there everyday? since i want to go there tuesday and i'm not sure what his working hours are lol
Hihi! Ito San is definitely opened on Tuesday. I believe his salon is off on mondays. He should close by 7pm or 730pm thereabouts depending the time of last appointment I think:)
His weekends slots are more packed so Tuesday actually is great:)
I normally go on Wednesday..lol
should i book an appointment if i want ito-san to do my hair?
hi, your hair style looks very good. Is Ito San also strong on Short Hair style? i just went to a Hair do shop but the senior stylist cut me into a mushroom head. want to find some good one with short hair style.
Hi!! I was wondering if you experienced he is with hair colouring? I really want to colour my hair a Japanese-inspired colour (pinky brown!!).
Thanks :)
@KakaBubb: Sorry for my late reply as I was travelling and iphone browser dont support this page:) Ito san is very good at hair colouring!!!!! In fact, I think that may be his forte apart from perming! hahaha.
The best safe bet if you know exactly the colour you want is to bring the picture to show him. I am not very good at knowing, so I let Ito san advise me instead. He told me my skin colour is not suited for red, so he showed me a range of other colours and twice, my frens commented the colour were great. Even my other stylist in Singapore said it was done very nicely.
@ Anon: Hair-do is very bad at hair cutting if you approach the wrong stylist. It took me 3 tries before i found Ito san. If cutting hair, go for the very senior stylist. Personally I have not cut my hair short so I cannot comment on his strength on short hair.
はじめましで！ I am going to have my hair cut next tue, can i use your client no. to get the discount? :)
Anon@31Oct:
You are most welcome to use it:) Have fun! Let me know how your hairstyle turned out!
yes, those earrings are made by his wife. i also picked a pair :)
Hello, I am an exchange student studying in HK and I am interested in visiting here~ it seems very nice, but of course as a student price is quite important...may I ask about how much a haircut is from/around? Thank you~
anon@10:02pm
Hi, Ito san price is HK$390 for cut under him (senior stylist) . However, please do call him to reconfirm the price since I havent ask him if his price has changed for new patrons since I post this. (I normally do colouring and treatment so I dont really look at my price breakdown).
At the same time feel free to ask the price of other stylists. My recent trip, I saw he has engaged other Japanese stylists in addition to the Hk stylist Beedy, so please ask him about the price for the rest as it may be different..
should i book if i want to go? and if i want ito-san to do my hair, then is it ok to speak in english? if my hair length is around...stopping at the top of my chest (right above the boobs), then how much would coloring cost?
and if i book...or call his name...should i say ito san? or can i just call him ito lol
Hahaha! Normally I would say book under Ito San, unless I recognize Ito san's voice. Sometimes the phone is handled by another HK female colleague.
Hi Nomad, I'll be over in HK next week and after reading your hair post it totally made me feel like colouring my hair there! :) Just hope it won't be super pricey though..
Hi Nomad. I was in love with your curls from your 2012 posting. I've been wanting to have curls so went to AR salon yesterday! Sadly, Ito told me that my hair was too damaged to hold the curls. After cutting my hair, he recommended I do straightening instead. I was fine until they started the process. I think how they work is 2 staff members work on your hair. So my right head of hair was done by a Japanese guy and the left one, a HK girl. I really love how the right side was done, he was very thorough in ironing the hair, blow drying and putting the neutralizer. The left side was bleh. She was doing everything so fast! She got a whole chunk of hair and ironed it. She only put neutralizer on half of my hair, while the Japanese guy put neutralizer from root to tip. I told the Jap guy if he could re-iron the left side, but he just said it doesn't matter. I went to a Jap salon to get Jap service. I think having it 50-50 is worse than just going to a local salon for cheaper. At least there, your whole head looks 'consistent'. Maybe I'm biased but now I wake up and the left side of my hair has gone 'flyaway'. I should have grabbed the remaining neutralizer and put it on the left half of my hair myself! Oh and I used your number but they said it was too long ago so no more 10% off. Just FYI for your readers.... :-)
BTW, I paid 1840 HKD for the perm and cut. :-(
Hi G,
Thanks for your comment and updates!
If you are not happy with your left side and you can see "fly away", call AR and get them to redo the side the HK girl had not done properly. I would since we are paying customers.
PS: Thanks for the updates, I will update my blog on the 10% thigie.
Hi G,
I informed Ito san about your feedback when I went to get my hair trimmed today. He told me you had already went back to him to get your problem rectified. Hope it turned out alrite for u.
Cheers
Hi,
Your hair looks perfect. mine are a total mess. So curly that i want to try japanese rebonding. Do you know if the do if and what is the price range. my hair length is just above the shoulder.
cheers. happy new year of the snake.
marie
Hi Nomad, thanks for your recommendation. Went for a haircut by itosan and I loved it! Btw, do you know what was the product that the salon use before blow-drying your hair? It's a product where they have this specials nozzle to spray directly onto the scalp and the stuff will start the massage & blow drying after that.. Thanks!
Hi Marie,
Happy snake year to u too! I have never done rebonding so I cannot advise u on the price so I will advise u to call the salon to get a better gauge as they will ask u for the current length or any package price they might have. They are close on Monday but else u can call them before 7pm.
Glad u love your experience too!! I know what product u r referring to. It's the scalp massage spray right? I cannot rem the name off hand. Are u thinking of buying it? I don't rem seeing it on sale but I can ask for u if u are interested:)
Wish I can see ur new pretty hair style!!
Hi Nomad, yes, that's the product! Appreciate your help in asking what name/brand is that.
to me a good stylist is one who uses a normal cutting scissors to cut your hair followed by thinning scissors pr shaver when necessary - which was what itosan did.. my previous stylist often uses thinning scissors to start cutting my hair which i very much disliked.
a million thanks for recommending this salon, i'll def visit them when i'm back in HK again! :)
Okie. I will drop Ito san a quick note to ask him but he normally dont reply immediately. Once i have the product name, will post it back here. So u can check back later:) I will pass your "satisfaction" compliments to Ito san, I am sure he will be very happy to hear it:)Else you can pop a note on his AR salon facebook page:) https://www.facebook.com/pages/AR-Salon/167660563329415
Hi,
Love the curls and haircut! Still looks great even after not having it permed for so long. We have a bunch of japanese salons in Hawaii, but I still feel unsatisfied with my haircuts and perms.
Ill be visiting HK in April, I was wondering if you could suggest the best way to get an appt with Ito san for haircut and digi perm?
Thank you :)
Hi Anon,
Thanks for the compliment:)
Normally I would just call their salon to make an appointment. Will your local hotel be able to do that for you if you give them the salon contact?? Otherwise...seeing that you are coming in from the states, I could try to make an appointment for u in April under your name/ nickname if u like. Can u just let me know the time. They are closed on Mon. I dont normally do this but I happen to be planning to have my hair trim this coming week.
Hi Anon@March 12, 2013,
Ito san mentioned the hairscalp massage brand belongs to the brand Milbon. The link is as below.
http://www.milbon.co.jp/products/index.html
@Nomad,
Thanks for the update! I'll check out the product & thanks for helping me check!
No problem Eve. Happy to help:)
Hmm...
I have read your blog about Ito Sans new place.. You mentioned here's the address.. but I dont see the address...
Can you tell me, whats the actual name of the Salon? where is it located?
We are coming to Hk this June 17 and would like to have our haircut there..?
Does the salon also cuts and styles men hair?
Thanks so much for the blog..
THANKSSSS (^^)
Hoping to hear from you soon..
Hi Anon@14 May,
The address is right under the earring photo. In anycase, I will repost it here. The name of the salon is AR Salon.
AR salon
11/f. Golden Bloom Centre, 25 Jardine's Bazaar,Causeway Bay,HK
( F出口 .京華中心方向，轉右見到小巴站個條街直行，7-11樓上）
Tel: (+852) 22414600
To your questions, yes, Ito san and other stylists also have regular male customers.
As for price, you will need to call them to confirm because it varies depending on your existing length, and what u want to do. As I dont work there, it is not fair for me to give you information which may not be accurate.
If you are going on weekend, I will advise u to book in advance (they can get busy as its not a Big salon) and let them know what you want to do esp if it is more than cut.
Hi..can I check was Ito san a Senior Designer or Senior Stylist when he left hair do? I called to ask and his price is 450 for a cut. If he is a Senior Designer when he left, that that price is really reasonable, but if he was Senior Stylist when he left, then he has increased his price. Thanks.
Anonymous @ July 14th
Hi..can I check was Ito san a Senior Designer or Senior Stylist when he left hair do?
=> Sorry for the delay.... I didnt realised I missed this comment. I just checked with Ito san, he told me he was designer when he was in formerly with hairdo.
Hi nomad, just found your blog and thank you so much for the information. I will be in HK this summer and will definitely give Ito San a try. Have you tried the "medical treatment"? I have amino acid treatment here and was wondering if it is similar. Anyhow, I really enjoy your blog, thanks for sharing and your hair looks great.
Hi Anon@July 5th.
Thanks for dropping by and lovely compliment! Nop I have not tried the medical treatment (because I am sooo lazy...that's why I like Ito san coz he saved me having to go to salon often! hahahaha) Maybe I should ask him the next time I see him. Meanwhile, I hope u have a good hair cut with Ito san this summer!!!
Hi Anon@July 5th.
Thanks for dropping by and lovely compliment! Nop I have not tried the medical treatment (because I am sooo lazy...that's why I like Ito san coz he saved me having to go to salon often! hahahaha) Maybe I should ask him the next time I see him. Meanwhile, I hope u have a good hair cut with Ito san this summer!!!
Hello Nomad,
I love you hair style so much, I'm also the customer of Hairdo salon, but my hair is now getting worse and worse, so want to have a change. I've made an appointment with ITO san this Sunday, when I call his salon, the girl ask me any one refer me to go, if yes, I can get a discount. Do you mind to give your customer number for me as my referral person? I'm much appreciate to hearing from you soon, thank you !
Cheers,
Vivian
Dear Vivian
Thanks for the hair compliments! U can tell them that u are referred by this blog and see if they will still offer u the discount. I honestly cannot rem my customer number.
Got my number! 22414600
Oops sorry! Lol! Anycase I checked with Ito San n he replied u can indicate referral from this blog n if it's ur first visit u will get discount . Hope this helps. I had Facebook him ur message comment. Cheers
How much does it cost for a regular haircut for men now (assuming I'm hiring a random hair stylist)?
I m not sure the pricing for guy's cut. I would suggest u contact the salon directly to get the most updated pricing? Thanks:)
hello $450 for hair cut and 10%discount for first time visit!!
anytime call us! 22414600 ☆
thank u!! ITO 伊藤
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