Bulls & China is a boutique hair salon in the heart of Herne Bay, Auckland, founded around 2017 by Katherine Gray, a stylist with more than 30 years' experience in the hair and fashion industry. What began as her desire for a nurturing space for her craft has grown into a relaxed, inspirational salon where creative, eclectic detail shapes everything from the interiors to the way clients are looked after.
The team prides itself on listening. Clients regularly describe a professional, friendly crew who take the time to understand their concerns before getting started, and long-term regulars feature prominently among the reviews. Colour is a particular strength, with reviewers celebrating blended finishes like their ashy-toned colour and hair that still feels amazing after the appointment.
The salon works with luxury products including Caviar, Olaplex and Angel En Provence. Practical touches make visits easy: free client parking at the rear of the building via Curran Street, and three late nights a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Appointments can be made by phone, email or through the salon's online booking link.
Step into Bulls & China on Jervois Road and you are stepping into someone's vision made real. The boutique Herne Bay salon is the work of Katherine Gray, founder and director, who brought it to life around 2017 after more than 30 years in the hair and fashion industry. The salon is described as the culmination of her artistic determination — a nurturing space for her craft — and her creative, eclectic flair is woven into every single detail of the space. It is a small boutique operation rather than an anonymous one; the person who founded it remains central to what happens in the chair.
That personal, considered feel comes through in what clients write afterwards. One reviewer praises Katherine as talented not only in her vision for clients' style and needs, but in the beautiful, unique surroundings she has created for them to enjoy. Another names Bulls & China the best hair salon they have been to in Auckland, crediting a professional, friendly team who take the time to listen to your concerns and then deliver a great service.
The recurring theme in Bulls & China's testimonials is that the stylists genuinely listen. Elyse says Kath knows exactly what will suit you. Emily, a client of around 18 months, loves her hair every time she walks out. Adair, who has been visiting for over a year, could not be happier with the results. It is a simple formula — careful consultation, skilled hands, a relaxed setting — but the number of long-term regulars in the reviews says plenty about the consistency.
Colour work earns its own fan mail. Julie left completely satisfied with her ashy blended colour, adding that her hair felt amazing. Clients looking for blended, lived-in tones rather than a one-note colour job seem to find exactly that here.
The salon works with luxury product lines including Caviar, Olaplex and Angel En Provence, reflecting the same eye for quality that shapes the space itself. Whatever brings you in, the stated focus is a comfortable, unhurried experience from the moment you sit down.
Practical details make visits easy. The salon sits in the heart of Herne Bay with free client parking at the rear of the building, entered via Curran Street. There are three late nights each week — Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until 8pm — with Friday running 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm. The salon is closed Sundays and Mondays. Appointments can be made by phone on 09 376 8900, by emailing hair@bullsandchina.com, or through the online booking link on the salon's website.
Bulls & China describes itself as relaxed and inspirational, and it endeavours to attract and nurture like-minded, passionate and focussed stylists to cater for its ever-growing clientele. In other words, the culture you read about in the reviews is deliberate: a team chosen for shared standards, working in a space designed to put people at ease.
If you are after an Auckland salon where three decades of experience shape everything from the products on the shelf to the way your stylist listens, Bulls & China's blend of artistry and warmth — easy parking, generous late nights and glowing testimonials — is well worth a visit.