Bellissima Hair is a bright and welcoming boutique salon on Moray Place in central Dunedin, led by director and executive stylist Holly Pemberton. The team is known for expert work in BKT Nanoplasty straightening, grey hair transitioning, colour work and contemporary hair cutting — all delivered with a strong focus on sustainability and a genuine welcome for all hair types.
The salon's philosophy is an 'Experience Beyond the Mirror': clients leave not just with a new look, but with a sense of control and understanding of their own hair journey. Holly is known for listening carefully, planning around each person's lifestyle, goals and budget, and for signature precision cutting paired with timeless colour that holds its look anywhere from six weeks to three months. Reviews regularly mention the relaxed, plant-filled space, coffee on the house and appointments where time simply flies.
Sustainability runs through everything, from a partnership with Sustainable Salons — recycling hair, reusing foils and repurposing resources — to a product shelf of sustainable, ethical, vegan and cruelty-free brands including Davroe Haircare and BKT. Appointments run Tuesday to Friday, with selected late nights and Saturdays by request, and student deals are available.
On Moray Place in the heart of central Dunedin, Bellissima Hair has made its name as the city's most trusted boutique salon. It's a bright, welcoming space filled with plants, where you can unwind with a coffee on the house — or catch up on a little work — while the team crafts a look that's uniquely yours. At the helm is Holly Pemberton, director and executive stylist, who has built her career on creating an individual look for every client, making the most of each person's lifestyle and personality.
The salon's promise is what it calls an 'Experience Beyond the Mirror': you leave not only with great hair, but with a sense of control and understanding of your own hair journey. That starts with listening. Reviews describe consultations where Holly takes real time to hear concerns and dreams, and where no one is pushed onto someone else's schedule. 'No forced time-frames for re-books, every budget is considered and catered for,' one client wrote. 'If 11/10 was a rating, this is it.'
Bellissima is a full-service salon, but four crafts sit at its heart: BKT Nanoplasty, grey hair transitioning, colour work and hair cutting.
Nanoplasty is the salon's signature smoothing service, and it goes beyond straightening. The treatment keeps hair sleek for up to six months, while a formula rich in amino acids and collagen penetrates the hair at a cellular level, strengthening and healing it from within. One happy client reported being 'finally confident with my hair even after going for a swim' — high praise heading into a Dunedin summer.
Grey hair transitioning is another speciality. Rather than covering every silver strand, Holly offers low-maintenance, foil-free solutions that blend grey naturally. Clients describe walking in anxious about greying and leaving feeling 'comfortable, seen and heard' — and confident in themselves again.
Then there's the cutting and colour itself. Holly's signature is precision cutting paired with timeless colour techniques and red carpet-worthy finishing, shaped to hold its look from one appointment to the next — anywhere from six weeks to three months. She consistently up-skills and seeks out new products, and offers individual service from basin to blow wave. Her own rule of thumb, borrowed from her grandfather: no one ever regretted paying for quality.
Sustainability isn't a side note here — it shapes how the salon operates. Bellissima is a proud partner of Sustainable Salons, an initiative that recycles hair, reuses foils and repurposes resources while supporting local communities. Every snip and colour, as the team puts it, contributes to a greener future.
The same care shows on the product shelf. Bellissima works with selected brands for colour, care and styling — including Davroe Haircare and BKT — chosen because they are sustainable, ethical, vegan and cruelty-free.
Visitors consistently mention how enjoyable the time at Bellissima is. The salon is light and green with plants, there's a small area where you can work or simply relax, coffee is on the house, and one reviewer was even offered lunch at her appointment. Time, several clients note, simply flies.
Booking is by appointment, Tuesday to Friday, with selected late nights and Saturdays available by request — you can text 021 444 893 or book online. Student deals make regular visits more achievable, and the salon's blog, The Chair Chat, shares hair tips, colour correction know-how, grey transitioning advice and Nanoplasty makeovers for those who like to do their homework first.
Whether you're chasing a full transformation, a smooth frizz-free finish, a graceful transition to grey or simply a cut that still looks good months later, Bellissima welcomes all hair types — and promises you'll leave understanding your hair a little better than when you arrived.