Mai Salon is a private boutique hair studio in Fairy Springs, Rotorua, founded by internationally experienced hair and make up artist and creative director Donald Hollingsworth. With a career spanning nearly four decades across television studios, fashion editorials, luxury salons and high profile clientele in New Zealand and Australia, Donald brings a genuinely editorial eye to every appointment.
The studio was created as a calm, creative and welcoming alternative to the busy salon floor. Appointments are one-on-one by request, combining modern techniques with an editorial sensibility for shape, texture and individuality — hair that is modern, wearable and designed to enhance confidence, movement and personal expression.
Mai Salon specialises in bespoke hair colour (dimensional blondes, seamless highlights, rich and lived-in brunettes, colour refinement, tonal correction and modern glossing), precision cutting for women, men and children, and dedicated care for curly, wavy and textured hair. It is also known for luxury smoothing and straightening using imported Italian keratin systems and advanced Japanese straightening technology, always preceded by a personalised consultation.
Beyond the chair, the studio offers professional hair and make up artistry for weddings, events, editorial photography and television, along with intimate make up workshops run one-on-one or in small groups — a reflection of Donald's storytelling background in media and fashion.
Tucked into Fairy Springs in Rotorua, Mai Salon is not your everyday walk-in salon. It is a private boutique hair studio where every appointment is a one-on-one experience, built around the craft of Donald Hollingsworth — a hair and make up artist and creative director whose career spans nearly four decades across television, fashion, editorial work, luxury salons and high profile clientele in New Zealand and Australia.
The studio's own tagline — "where beauty, artistry and experience meet" — sets the tone. Inside, the space feels more like a creative studio than a busy salon floor: calm, welcoming and designed so each client has Donald's full attention, from consultation through to the finished style.
What sets Mai Salon apart is the depth of experience behind it. Donald's work has moved between television studios and fashion editorials — magazine covers, beauty campaigns, fashion shows and news-reader make up — alongside years in luxury salons. That editorial eye now informs everything at the Rotorua studio: an attention to shape, texture, movement and individuality that goes well beyond a standard cut-and-colour service.
The result is hair designed for real life — modern, wearable and polished, but grounded in the technical standards of session styling and luxury salon work.
Bespoke colour sits at the heart of the service list. Each colour is personalised to skin tone, lifestyle and individual style, using advanced techniques for softness, depth, shine and longevity. Think dimensional blondes, seamless highlights, rich and lived-in brunettes, colour refinement, tonal correction and modern glossing with a luminous finish.
Precision cutting is similarly tailored, designed around movement, face shape and personal style for women, men and children. Men's grooming at the studio ranges from classic barbering influences to modern editorial-inspired cuts, all delivered in the relaxed private-studio setting.
Texture is a genuine speciality. Curly, wavy and textured hair receives specialised cutting, styling and care informed by an understanding of curl pattern behaviour, hydration and shape. The studio also offers modern permanent wave services for soft texture, body and long-lasting movement, plus luxury smoothing and straightening built on imported Italian keratin systems and advanced Japanese straightening technology. Every smoothing or straightening service begins with a personalised consultation to choose the right approach for the hair's condition and integrity.
Mai Salon's editorial roots shine brightest in its occasion services. Professional hair artistry is available for weddings, events, editorial photography, television and special occasions — from polished bridal styling and contemporary up-styling to refined editorial finishes. Make up applications follow the same modern, individual approach, whether for a wedding, a beauty campaign, a fashion show or an on-camera appearance.
For those who want to learn, the studio also hosts intimate make up workshops, one-on-one or in small groups, focused on personalised techniques, product knowledge and building confidence in a relaxed, creative environment.
Enquiries, consultations and appointments are welcomed by request, and booking is straightforward through the salon's online booking system. Because the studio is private, appointments unfold at an unhurried pace, with the warm, welcoming approach regulars have come to know.
Whether you are after a signature blonde transformation, a precision cut for the whole family, help taming curls or frizz, bridal hair and make up, or simply a salon experience where you are genuinely listened to, Mai Salon offers something increasingly rare: a master craftsperson's full attention in a calm, creative Rotorua studio.