The Five Best Blow Dry Bars and Salons in Auckland

Ladies, sometimes the quick-wash-and-throw-up-into-a-pony-tail look just won't do. Sometimes you need to give your hair a little TLC, just because; sometimes you just need your hair to have that extra bit of sparkle and swish - be it for a wedding, a birthday or the Music Awards.

For those kinds of situations we recommend you leave your hair in the hands of the superbly capable professionals listed below. Let them outwardly manifest the goddess we all know you already are.

1. Bettjemens

There are some things that Europeans just do better. Black coffee, pastries, moustaches, blow waves. Grant and Phif Bettjemen were bonafide blow wavers in Tuscany before setting up shop in Orekai, and their Italian styling technique will blow you over (please excuse the pun, but had to be done. Also please excuse the rhyming). The best part about Bettjemens is their permanent blow wave. It doesn’t leave your hair in a red carpet swoosh for eternity, but it does smooth strays and add a gloss that’ll hang around for a while. You can expect to pay between $67 and $94 for your wave, depending on the length and obedience of your hair, but the Italian inspired style is worth the premium price.

52 Coates Avenue, Orakei

2. Ryder

The most practical place for a blow wave is Ryder in Brito. They’re smack bang in the city centre, in close proximity to Auckland’s most popular event venues, and their blow waves are top notch. The salon design is a nice point of difference -  timber screens lining the walls to separate the styling stations from the washing basins, and adding a Japanese, very zen touch to the space. It’s an ideal spot in the middle of the busy city for a moment of luxury and serenity. They’ll blow wave you in 45, and for a reasonable price of $65. I ended up with a really soft, cascading kind of do, and left feeling a little bit Rapunzel.

56 Customs St East, Auckland CBD

3. Servilles

Servilles is like the Harry Potter of hairdressing. Everyone’s checked it out, everyone liked it, and everyone would 10/10 revisit. Oh and they’re a bit magic. They’re been around for 25 years and developed a cult following who rave about their consistently flawless cuts and colours. Their blow waves are rarely mentioned, but they are of the same high calibre as the rest of the hair services on offer.  Servilles Ponsonby looks and feels French. The people are friendly, the coffee is good and you’ll leave with a wave fit for a strut down the Ponsonby Road catwalk. Prepare to pay between $60 and $92 for your blow dry on its own. I recommend tying it in with a haircut, even if it’s just a trim, where you’ll pay just $95 for both the chop and the wave.

Various locations across Auckland

4. Stephen Marr

Stephen Marr had to make the list. I now understand why the salon is used by basically the entire fashion industry. Because on one very, very bad hair day (we are talking Donald-Trump-toupee-or-not-toupee bad) they made me human again with just 40 minutes and a hairdryer. They also fed me a much-needed long black, which tasted better than any salon coffee ever, thanks to the Coffee General Tearooms on the bottom floor of the Department Store. I’d recommend the Takapuna branch purely for that brew. $65 for short hair, $85 for long. If you’re after something a little more tricky than a blow dry, they’ll straighten or wave your locks for you too.

Level 2, The Department Store, 10 Northcroft Street, Takapuna

5. Dry & Tea

Slightly cheaper, slightly faster, and specialists in their craft are Dry & Tea. Their waves are between $45 and $55 depending on how much hair you’ve got. If you go in with your hair already washed and clean, you can grab a dry style for $30 and you’ll be out the door in just 15 minutes. The girls are all lovely, and they’re pretty handy at crafting ponytails, buns and braids if you’re after a basic up do. D&T’s main point of difference though, is the extensive tea collection from T2. And if you’re in need of something a little heavier then feel free to knock back a glass of bubbles while they blow your ‘fro.

City Works Depot, 90 Wellesley Street, Auckland CBD