The Journal
Hair tips, salon stories and Wanaka life — straight from the team.
Heat tools are not the enemy, but using them carelessly is. Here is exactly how a stylist protects hair from heat damage every single day.
Frizz is not bad luck, it is a sign of what your hair needs. Here is how a salon stylist gets frizzy hair smooth and keeps it that way.
There is no single right answer to how often you should wash your hair, but there is a right answer for your hair. Here is how we work it out in the salon.
Most dry shampoos are talc and regret. These two aren't. A working Wanaka stylist on the only dry shampoos worth buying in NZ in 2026.
Redken's Volume Injection is one of the most-bought volume systems in pro salons. Here's when we reach for it instead of Sebastian Volupt or a Kérastase alternative.
Most volume shampoos either don't add volume or trash your hair trying. We tested Sebastian Volupt Max on fine-hair clients for 4 weeks. Here's the verdict.
Same range, almost the same name, very different jobs. Here's how we decide between Kérastase Bain Satin and Bain Satin Riche for clients in the salon.
We use it on every fresh balayage that walks out the door. Here's the honest, week-by-week look at what Kérastase Cicaflash Fondant does to bleached hair in our Wanaka salon.
Most blondes overuse purple shampoo. Here's the right rhythm and the products we trust on real clients.