A Colorful Life

By Robbie Pangilinan

Adlai Peter Antonio adds color to the people around him, on their hair that is, and in the process, in their lives as well.


Adlai, known as the son of “Hairdresser to the Stars” and owner/creative director of Salon de Manila (SDM) Pin Antonio, is carving his own niche in the business. He represented the Antonios’ famous salon as an interpreter of a hair collection in the Davines World Style Contest and was recognized as one of the best hairstylists in Asia last year. He represented the country in the 2009 Best of Asia World Tour conducted by Matrix, the top brand in hairstyling in the world.



The International Culinary Arts graduate, just in his early 20s, is already a master of precision cutting and creative coloring. Of course, he is guided by no less than his mom, as well as SDM’s head colorist, Lilia Lacbayen. Adlai and Pin develop their own styles, colors and cuts. They usually take inspiration from world-famous Vidal Sassoon where they have taken several courses.



For Adlai, hair color enhances a beautiful and edgy cut. Proper positioning of the highlights to blend with the base color makes a style perfect. And this stylist to famous celebrities Claudine Baretto-Santiago, Kyla and Carmina Villaroel, among others, is a perfectionist when it comes to hairstyling and coloring.



“Everything should be precise. Everything has a formula for me, hindi dapat hula-hula lang,” Adlai says.

Adlai sees no limit to the creativity one can put on in hair coloring. But for 2010, he wants it bold and stylish. He recommends mahogany brown with a touch of ash for the base color, this shade, he says, softens the features of the face. Highlights can be any color that blends with the base.



Browns are great for base for Filipinos who are usually dark-haired. Reddish brown, ash brown, tobacco brown, and SDM’s own shade called Louis Vuitton brown are among Adlai’s favorites.

According to Adlai, there are specific colors that match certain skin tones, but it is always the image the client wants to project that is important. This is where the expertise and creativity of the hairstylist comes in. And SDM boasts of its well-researched, first-class and personal service that takes care of individual client’s hair care needs.



“I always take extra care in everything I do for my clients. That’s our SOP in Salon de Manila. We bring a lot of colors, a lot of styles, but not to extent that we damage the hair. We take good care of our clients, that’s our commitment in our craft,” Adlai shares.



Adlai always experiments with different colors on his own hair. Reddish brown for the base with blue, violet and red highlights blending with each other is his favorite formula. “It may sound peculiar to mix these colors, but the positioning is what makes it look good. Only professionals can properly position the colors, like our stylists in SDM,” says Adlai, who admits he is not afraid to try and be bold about his style.



Colored hair is not just fashionable, it also helps make one look younger and fresher. It even takes the stress off one’s face. Of course, if you have white hair, Adlai recommends putting on color every month. But if it’s just for style, you can change colors every two or three months. Strong chemicals in some hair coloring products can damage the hair. But Adlai assures that SDM uses milk-based products with low peroxide, and they have their unique but secret treatment that does not damage the hair. “That’s our look, that’s our style. That’s Salon de Manila. We make a difference,” Adlai says.



With Adlai adding color not just to his clients’ hair but to the image of SDM, the famous salon of the stars is sure to be more successful and fashionable. #