Commune is a hair salon on Westmoreland Street West in Grey Lynn, Auckland, built around a simple conviction: the labels that sort people — by gender, by status, by what is supposed to be beautiful — don't belong in a salon. Its stated vision is to strip back the labels that categorise and divide us and to value each individual for who they are, working together with every client to create a look that works not just for one day, but every day.
The clearest sign of that philosophy is the salon's genderless pricing system: no separate men's and women's lists, just services priced on the stylist or colourist's experience and skill set, the time involved and the products used. The published list is an online guide, and the team asks clients to expect transparency in consultation before any work begins.
The service menu runs from cut and finish, blow waves and fringe trims through demi, permanent and bleach colour, foils from partial to full head, freehand balayage painting, creative colour and colour correction, toners, smoothing treatments, extensions, prescribed treatments and tailor-made rituals, plus bridal styling and a set of express services. Commune opens late Tuesday to Thursday, offers free parking directly outside, and takes bookings online, by phone, by message — or simply by popping in. Payment is by card only, with no cash or Amex accepted.
Commune is a hair salon on Westmoreland Street West in Grey Lynn, Auckland, and it tells you what it stands for before you ever sit in a chair. Its stated vision is to strip back the labels that categorise and divide us — to value each individual for who they are. The team frames its work as a challenge to social constructs: of beauty ideals, of social status, of what is supposed to be masculine or feminine. Instead of imposing a house look on every head, the stylists work with each client to create a style that works for them — not just today, but everyday.
In a city with no shortage of salons, that is a distinct starting point, and it shapes the whole experience, from the price list to the consultation.
Commune's genderless pricing system is the philosophy made practical. There is no separate men's menu and women's menu. Instead, every service is priced on the experience and skill set of the stylist or colourist, the time the service takes, and the products used to create the look. Two people with the same hair booking the same appointment pay the same, whatever their gender.
The salon is careful to say its published list is an online guide, and it asks clients to expect transparency in consultation — the exact cost of a service is talked through before any work begins.
On the cutting and styling side, the menu covers cut and finish, blow waves, hair up and specialist styling, and bridal work planned through a complimentary consultation. Express services handle the in-between moments: hot tool styling, express hair up, dry cuts and fringe trims.
Colour is the expansive end of the menu. Demi and permanent colour and bleach cover the fundamentals, while foils are offered in partial, half, three-quarter and full-head applications, and multi services combine base colour with foils in a single session of work. For soft, blended lightening there is freehand painting with balayage clay lightener. The salon also takes on complex and specialist colours — creative colour, colour correction, freehand, balayage and ombré — which all begin with a complimentary consultation so client and colourist can plan properly. Toners and specialist toners refine the final result.
Beyond the colour bar, there are smoothing treatments tailored to hair type, extensions arranged at a complimentary consultation, prescribed treatments for specific hair needs, and tailor-made rituals for a longer, more indulgent moment in the chair.
If there is one thing to know before visiting, it is that Commune treats the consultation as part of the service, not an add-on. Expect transparency, the salon says. Whether you are after a routine trim, a big colour correction, bridal styling or extensions, the conversation comes first: what your hair can do, what the service involves, and what the result will ask of you at home. It is a low-pressure way in, especially for anyone nervous about a big change or who has felt unseen in more traditional salon settings.
Commune keeps generous hours: open from 10am to 8pm Tuesday through Thursday, 10am to 6pm on Friday, and 9am to 5pm on Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays. The late weekday evenings make after-work appointments realistic. Free parking directly outside removes the usual inner-city hunt for a space, and the salon sits in the heart of Grey Lynn. Payment is by card only — the salon doesn't accept cash or Amex.
Bookings can be made through the salon's online booking system, by leaving a message via the contact page, by phone, or simply by popping in. For colour in particular, an appointment is the reliable way to secure time with the stylist you want.
For anyone in central Auckland looking for a salon that prices fairly, thinks carefully about who it serves, and puts craft — from a sharp fringe trim to a full creative colour project — at the centre of the visit, Commune makes a strong case.