Hairstylist to some of local showbiz’s hottest, Alex Carbonell is known for his layered cuts that grow well as weeks go by and for choosing hair color that complements skin tones.
Bianca Gonzales, Toni Gonzaga, Ruffa Gutierrez, Lovi Poe, Isabel Daza, Raymond and Richard Gutierrez are just a few of the celebrities that can attest to this.
His serious skills with scissors are a likely product of being in the business for almost 25 years. Carbonell now runs Studio Fix Salon where he serves as chief creative artistic director. He is also chief creative and learning director for Bench Fix salons.
As of late I’m fixated on… the true passion of salon business. After four years of Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell at Greenbelt 5, we now have our second salon at Greenbelt 3. We are now planning to open another salon, our Studio Fix Three at the Century Mall at Kalayaan Avenue.
I’ve also been doing a lot of… hair shows for top hair brands like Revlon, L’Oreal, Cynos and Schwarzkopf. On stage, I perform like a cutter who exhibits the latest cutting technique while dancing to my chosen fast music.
Hair that holds its shape
I am most known for cuts that… grow well as weeks go by. A lot of clients have noticed the big difference of having a cut by me when the hair starts to grow and can still hold its shape.
“The color completes my cut,” is a famous tagline which I always offer my loyal clients. I can confidently design the right color placement in the hair that I just cut.
A stand out trend I’ve been doing on my clients for the holidays are… pixie cuts with inner cuts, undercuts, curvature and disconnection; medium collarbone length that has definite outline but bouncy layers for volume and movement, and sleek, side-swept bangs; long layers with seamless inner cuts and lengthy cascading layers; and feather razor cutting as a modern tool to create texture and light movement into the haircut. You need intensive training to know the real secret of this cutting technique.
Hair-care product I’ve been using these days are… Cynos Moroccan Argan Oil. This product is for both hair and skin. The argan oil is a healing oil that can smoothen rough, frizzy and very damaged hair.
Only Freeze Spray by Cynos is a “combable” hair spray that holds the hair, yet is easy to comb. Cynos Balance treatment is a leave-on conditioner that I spray to make hair softer and easy to manipulate. I use this product whenever I do feather razor cutting. Argan Oil Ultra Hydrating Mask is for hair that is sensitized from chemical services.
Beauty school
Second to hair, I enjoy… teaching! I allot two days a week (Tuesday and Thursday) to teaching Basic, Advance and Intensive Hairdressing Courses to my advocates and trainees at the Fix Training Center. We have an exclusive academy located at Market! Market! Mall in Taguig where I teach batches of students to be deployed in our new Fix salons nationwide. As of this writing, I must have taught 2,500 students who are now considered hair professionals in the hair industry.
In my bathroom counter, you’ll find products like… Dior Skin range; Dior snow toning lotion to SPF skin; Franche mineral range, especially Chiral range (very light product); Close-Up Fire Freeze toothpaste; Oracare original flavor mouthwash; Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay liquid soap and bar soap; and a Muji Scrub and Soft face towel.
Top tip
“A styling secret to adding that extra oomph to your hair is to always start with the correct foundation (with hair, that is). Choose the right shampoo, conditioner and masque that complement the condition, porosity and texture of your hair.
If hair, for example, is dry and dull, you may actually use a moisture or hydrate shampoo that can add the right amount of moisture into the hair’s cuticle and cortex, followed by a moisturizing conditioner to seal the moisture and leave it smoother and healthier.
For a look that’s completely different, Alex shares a simple trick.
“I always have this amazing principle where one cut can be switched to three different hair looks or hairstyles. We can also rely on the wonders of clip-on hair
extensions that are real human hair extensions. Try purchasing a fringe-hair-extension for a quick add-on to your bangs area.”
Alex’s choice products come from Rustan’s department store and Watsons. His favorite Cynos hair products are available at Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell Greenbelt 3 and 5, Creations by Lourd Ramos, and Tinette & Co.
Alex Carbonell’s Studio Fix salon is at 4/F, Greenbelt 5, Makati, tel. 5013062, 5013064, 0927-5767698; and 3/F, Greenbelt 3, Makati, tel. 7205962,
0916-3939641).