There’s often a vast, terrifying space between where we are and where we want to be. And sometimes, all we need to do is to take a big leap of faith to make that space less daunting.
This was what Rose Bueno did when she decided to move on from being a salon employee after almost two decades and build Artistique Salon and Spa—or Artistique, for short. And it’s not just because of the 17 long years—because when we say she’s done it all, she has really done it all.
“I’ve been in the business since 2002. I started in the back office as an accountant and a purchaser. Then, I became a receptionist,” she recalls, saying she used to be a corporate junkie who worked the 9-to-5 before diving into the salon industry. It was during her stint at the reception of a high-end salon that hairstyling sparked her interest, although she also admits to practicing haircuts on her mom even before she entered the field. “Sabi ko, parang ang saya naman ng trabaho ng hairstylist. That time kasi, the job was very lucrative dahil ang nakikita ko ay mga artista.”
After two years, her journey to being a stylist began. “Sabi ko sa boss ko, baka pwede akong maging apprentice.” Eventually, she started training as an assistant. “Lahat ng “taga”—taga-shampoo, taga-kuha ng products, taga-walis. You’re literally an assistant,” she quips. With it comes the opportunity to learn the job’s technical know-how, which Rose knew would her lead to her dream, so she powered through. “Once kasi alam mo na lahat ng technicals, doon ka na pwede maging junior stylist. Doon ka na pwedeng turuan ng haircuts.”
Having the technical knowledge allowed her to qualify in a two-week course on make-up and hairstyling hosted by the salon she used to work at. “Itinuro samin ‘yung fundamentals. Then, it’s up to us to mix and match,” she says. After some time, Rose bloomed as a senior hair stylist. And for 17 years, working in a salon has become her comfort zone. Until one day, she decided to break free.
“Lahat nalang ng position sa isang salon, nagawa ko na: back office, receptionist, apprentice, junior stylist, senior stylist. Parang ang hindi ko nalang napo-posisyunan ay ‘yung guard,” Rose jokes, half-meant. She immediately followed it with “’Yung [pagiging] may-ari nalang, sabi ko.”
The truth is, endings are also beginnings. When Rose ended her career as an employee, she started to have her own salon with the help of a friend, who invested and helped finance the business. “Artistique Salon was built for me,” she says. “[My friend] said, ‘Ikaw na bahala. Ikaw na ang brand n’yan.’” This is how Artistique Salon and Spa came to life in December 2019, three months before the country was put in a pandemic lockdown.
Out of all the challenges she’s gone through during that time, what Rose remembers was her strong sense of responsibility towards her most loyal clients. “After six months, ‘yung mga client, nag-start na mag-message. ‘Rose, ang pangit ko na. I feel bad.’,” she shares. “As a stylist, nandoon ka tuloy napapaisip sa part na paano mo sila mapapasaya.”
While at first, she was very cautious about going out, she eventually offered home service to her regulars. “Nararamdaman ko ‘yung responsibility ko sa kanila. ‘Yun bang kailangan ko silang pasayahin, kailangan ko silang pagandahin.” There was even a time she handled 20 heads in a day, a result of the long quarantine period everybody endured.
Artistique then was on unstable operating hours, as restrictions changed from time to time. Since they recently just opened then, the most challenging part for Rose was to manage her thoughts of giving up the salon. “Minsan, iniisip mo, magsara nalang,” she shares. “Kung iisipin mo kasi, mas madaling magsara kaysa mag-open nang wala namang pumapasok.”
What made her continue were her employees. Being a new salon had its advantages as well, Rose thought. Since they had just started then, her staff members were still few; so, it was easy for them to implement a split-team arrangement. The costs of PPEs, masks, and other safety essentials were also manageable. A mindset that helped her team stay grateful was “kung mahirap sa part namin, mas mahirap pa sa part ng restaurants. And they survive.”
For Rose, every haircut is personalized. Because “every hair, every person, iba-iba ‘yung problem.” Her personal approach to hairstyling involves problem-solving because her goal is to always help her clients and make them fall in love with their natural hair. “Ang professional stylist, alam kung ano ‘yung reason kung bakit niya ginagawa [‘yung bawat gupit], at kung kailangan ba talaga,” she explains.
One of the many nuggets of wisdom she learned from her previous boss that she always takes with her: “Haircutting is not really an art. It’s engineering,” she shares. “Kasi every elevation or opposite direction [you take], ‘yung hatak mo [sa buhok] from left to right, kung bakit moving forward or backward ‘yung kamay mo, lahat ‘yan may reason [and corresponding result]. Sasamahan mo nalang ng artistic style mo, kasi kapag hinawakan mo ‘yung client, [dapat] ma-visualize mo na how he or she looks.” Rose believes that science is what solves the hair problems of her clients, but it's her creativity that beautifies them.
Moving toward a bright future for Artistique, Rose only hopes to “sustain and cover all the salon’s expenses,” at least for now. She still can’t bring herself to increase their prices because they’re still establishing a strong foothold, so her goal is to attract more clients instead. “Ngayong pandemic, hindi ka naman na nangangarap na kumita ng husto eh,” she says. These days, survival is a simple, but realistic dream.
She’s proud that in spite of being a small neighborhood salon in Mandaluyong, Artistique delivers premium service at par with the excellence of the well-established salons in the Philippines. “Kaya naming ibigay ‘yung level na makukuha mo sa high-end salon. Kung ano ‘yung gawa ko noon, ganon pa rin hanggang ngayon,” she says with pride.
Looking back, quitting her salon job was just the first step to many leaps of faith that Rose has taken throughout her journey. As she gracefully continues to face her future and that of Artistique’s, she takes with her the same light, courage, and positivity that pushed her to jump forward many years back.
Artistique Salon and Spa is at 2/F Zitan Retail Podium, Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. Discover and know more about Artistique Salon and Spa on Parlon. Follow Artistique Salon and Spa on Facebook and Instagram.
Photos courtesy of Rose Bueno and Artistique Salon and Spa
