DYEING one’s hair has always been a staple of self-expression in the Philippines, as well as anywhere else in the world. Vibrant hues of pink and red are used so that people can feel confident about themselves, or to show off their artistic colors (literally.)

Hair artists like 27-year-old Rej, who specialize in bleach jobs, custom hair coloring, and hair painting, manage to take it up a notch. They turn hair into pure art, using different colors and shades to bring alive masterpieces with each strand. 

While in the past, dyeing one’s hair in the country may have been looked at as unprofessional or unkempt to look at, people of all ages have started to embrace the beauty of colored hair. More schools and offices are slowly becoming more accepting of it after being banned in the past.

But what is it about hair artists that makes them unique especially? For them, why is it more than just dying and more about making something to die for? This is what we wanted to find out when we talked to Rej about her creations, inspirations, and journey as a hair artist.

Getting to know Magpatinahair

When did your journey as a hair artist start? 

Professionally, in 2016. It was a side hustle at the time. Now, it’s been one year since I started doing it full-time. If you ask me when I started experimenting with hair color, it was in 2012, so I consider all the things that I learned since then part of my journey as a hair artist.

How did you start? What made you want to pursue it as a career?

I was just always driven to hair, but I had no idea it could be a career. I had all these inspirations growing up, and they all had cool hair. It was only a matter of time that I’ll do it by myself, but I could only do it when I graduated from Catholic high school. 

It was my father who gave me a bleach kit and pink and teal dye as my graduation gift, then it was my mom who helped me bleach my hair. They were supportive of me, even though they didn’t understand.

I went on doing other things in my life: school, side hustles, and passion projects. I knew I was an artist, I just didn’t know what kind. Through those times, what I never stopped doing was being expressive through my hair, whether it be through color or cut. My hair defined me and people knew me through that. 

One thing led to another; my friends would start to ask me to color theirs. Then, their friends of friends. It was all organic. I realized I had a solid clientele already and that this could be a career. Magpatina was already existing for 4 years when the pandemic happened. We were all confined in our homes and that’s when I learned how to contemplate and self-reflect. Hanap pa ako ng hanap ng field na gusto ko, eh nasa harap ko na pala all these time. 

Kung ano yung kinatamad kong magpinta sa canvas, sing-sipag ko magpalit ng buhok. Throughout the pandemic, naka-ilang hairstyle kami ng partner ko bilang kami ang magkasamang na-lockdown. Tapos nung in-imagine ko siya na gagawin ko for the rest of my life, hindi ako natakot, na-excite lang ako sa possibilities. Kaya tinuloy-tuloy ko na.

I think the lack of understanding in the beauty community, especially the hair industry in the Philippines, is what caused me to overlook its potential. There’s a stigma attached to local hair salons, until now. It’s undervalued and most are underpaid and under-trained. I rarely meet people who dream of becoming professional hair colorists. 

I dream of changing that. I always say:

There’s art in hair and the reality is, people will always get their hair done. It’s just a matter of what you want to achieve as a hairstylist.”

Where did the inspiration for Magpatina come from? 

Matagal ko nang ginagawa yung pagkukulay ng buhok, yung brand na Magpatina ginawa ko lang para makagawa ng IG. Straightforward lang naman siya. I only offer color. I was not trained in beauty school. 

All the things I learned were from trial and error. My color theory was from the course I took in college, a Fine Arts major in Painting. I was also working in film productions for a while, so all I knew in arts and prod were what I provided in Magpatina. I had to make my own rule book. 

Can you walk us through your creative process when coloring someone’s hair?

With personal projects, I like to take my time. I do collaborations, so I also factor in the energies and personalities of the artists I’m collaborating with, then I combine it with things I like. My approach here is not so different from other creative processes. I make a mood board or a sketch, send it for approval, make adjustments as I go along, etcetera.

With commissioned work, I mentally prepare myself the day before the session. I developed this habit of imagining doing the entire process. So during the session, I’m just focused on socializing. The hair coloring becomes more of a muscle memory.

What are the best and worst parts of your job?

The best part about my job is meeting and connecting with people from different industries. The worst part is when my mind still wants to work but the body has limits. Naks!

Rej’s client process

Where are you based? Do you also do home services?

I do both. 

There are times that I have to be extra considerate of my client’s situation, like they can’t leave their kids, or they have work to do at home. It’s also a unique experience for me because I get to travel to different cities, bringing the salon with me, haha! And most importantly, getting a glimpse of their lives. Although, I encourage them that they can bring their work to my studio too since it’s technically a co-working space. 

I’m based in Las Pinas City, and I share a studio space with my partner, who’s also an artist. He owns Project Teks. So we try our best to make the space look cozy enough to inspire us to create.

How do you talk to your clients about the design that they want?

It’s essential to ask as many questions relevant as possible before finalizing quotations and schedules, listening until they exhaust all the details in their head. It’s also good to know their personalities and what they do, so you know how much you can suggest. The color spectrum is wide, and there are a lot of designs to explore, so a good back-and-forth conversation is needed.

Is there anything your clients have to bring or prepare before their session?

Meron akong sinesend na pre-session reminders: notes lang the day before the session, like not shampooing the hair the night before, and refraining from using styling products before coming. 

What can you say to people who might be interested in your work or want to get their hair done by you?

If you want to also pursue hair, do it now. Starting with your hair is the best way to go in my opinion. If you wanna get your hair done by me, just send me a message whenever you’re ready.