Australian-Trained, Expat-Friendly Hairdresser near Zhongshan Station
We don’t know about you, but trips to the hairdresser can be a source of minor social anxiety for us. The idea of walking into a salon without being able to convey what you want, to someone who looks nervous and nonplussed about what to do with foreign hair can be pretty intimidating. We’ve had great experiences, terrible experiences, and everything in between. Luckily, we discovered Amber — an Australian-trained hairstylist with over ten years of experience — last year, and have visited her a couple of times (it would have been more, but she was back in Australia for a while) with great results.
When we first met Amber last year, she was based near Taipower Building. She has since moved to a salon called PARTOUT, which is only around a three-minute walk from Zhongshan Station. The salon is bright and modern, with comfy couches for anyone waiting for a friend. It’s also in a great area that’s saturated with great shopping, little cafes, and tons of delicious food, making it a perfect place to explore after your haircut.
Amber was just as cheerful and hospitable when we visited her this time around. After ushering us in and preparing us some tea while we chatted, we got down to business. It’s a huge relief to be able to discuss our hair in our native tongue, with someone who has extensive experience with foreign hair. We chatted about the styles we wanted, asking and accepting advice from her, and what our challenges were with maintaining those styles, especially in the heat and humidity of Taiwan. Amber was attentive and had good ideas about what would and wouldn’t work on our hair, and even gave us some great tips on personal issues we’ve had with our hair since moving here.
Men’s haircuts are $750 — which are pretty standard for salons in Taipei, though you can find cheaper and more expensive options too — and include a consultation, cut, shampoo, and style. We brought a picture of the cut we wanted but ended up going a little shorter at Amber’s suggestion (Taiwanese summer here we come). The cut looked and felt great, and we left feeling content.
In addition to a men’s haircut, we were in the market for blonde highlights and a trim. If you have blonde hair that needs regular maintenance, you’re sure to be familiar with the agony of finding a hairdresser in Asia that won’t wreck your hair. There are one or two that we trust in Taipei, but after following Amber on Instagram and seeing how great her blonde customers looked, we were really excited to give it a try.
After a short consultation about colour and style, Amber meticulously applied foils (the bleach she used contained Olaplex to protect the hair) and left them to sit under a machine for 15 minutes to speed up the dying process. Then, she shampooed the hair and applied a scalp treatment for a few minutes before moving onto toner and a final shampoo and condition. The final stage was a cut — big thank you to Amber for listening and not judging us when we begged her to trim only the tiniest amount possible — and style.
For this length of hair, the whole package costs upwards of $5200, with the price changing slightly depending on whether or not you’ve had highlights before and how thick your hair is. Since we had thin hair that had been dyed before, it was $5600. It’s not cheap, but it’s cheaper than the other times we’ve had it dyed (with a dye that’s suitable for blondes) in Taipei, and it included a bonus scalp treatment and after colour treatment (travel-size bottles of silver shampoo & conditioner) so we wouldn’t complain. From start to finish, the experience was great — not only was she lovely, but the colour was gorgeous, and we really felt like she listened to what we wanted.
For reference, here are some photos of the cuts we got the first time we met Amber:
We had a great experience with Amber and would recommend her to others looking for a cheerful, pleasant hairdresser who has tons of experience with foreign hair and speaks English. We’ve had both male and female cuts and a dye job, all of which were great and left us feeling totally satisfied.
Check out her full price list down below. For booking, contact her personally on Instagram or through any of the apps listed at the bottom of the page.
| Price list: Shampoo & Blow waves $400 Shampoo cut & Blow waves $800 Men’s Hair cut $750 Full head foils Balayage package (includes Cut&blow waves, toner, scalp protect cream and after colour treatments): Short $4000 UP Medium $4500 UP Long $5200 UP Roots Tint (includes scalp protect cream) $1500 Tint (includes scalp protect cream and after colour treatment): Men $1500 UP Short $2000 UP Medium $2300 UP Long $2600 UP Full head Bleach *per time (includes scalp protect cream): Short $800 Medium $1000 Long $1200 Treatment: Short $800 Medium $1000 Long $1200 3+1 Repair treatment: Short $1200 Medium $1500 Long $1800 Scalp massage $800 |
What’s the vibe?
Friendly, English-speaking hairdresser near Zhongshan Station.
Worth it?
Yes! Prices were reasonable, and we loved being able to express our needs and chat away in English. It was great fun and reminded us of being in a salon back home.
Would you go back?
We already have!
Last updated May 2020
| Amber Huang |
| LINE: ambermajor |
| Wechat: amberhuanggg |
| Email: jessica58617@icloud.com |
| Phone: 0939331282 |
| English Address: No. 8, Lane 25, Nanjing West Road, Datong District, Taipei City |
| Chinese Address: 台北市大同區南京西路25巷8之1號 |
