Studio Twelve18 Hair & Beauty sits on Eruera Street in the heart of Rotorua, a salon built around the belief in the transformative power of great hair. The team describes it as more than just a salon: a friendly, relaxing place where precision cuts, vibrant colour and restorative beauty treatments come together, and where every client leaves feeling rejuvenated and confident.
On the hair side, the menu covers precision haircuts tailored to your hair type, face shape and personal style; styling that ranges from polished everyday blowouts to elegant occasion updos; and colour work using high-quality Wella products, with techniques including highlights, lowlights, full colour and balayage. Salon manager Leroy has a particular love for blonde transformations, senior stylist Christy shines with cuts and styling, and part-time stylist Wendy keeps a loyal following with her cuts, colours and classic perms.
There is a full beauty offering too, anchored by luxurious Evolve Organic Beauty facials and massages and expanded by beautician Aaliyah's treatments: brow shaping and tinting, lash lifts and tints, manicures, pedicures, back and neck massages, full-body tanning and body waxing. Walk-ins are welcome, though booking ahead is wise, and the salon runs late on Thursdays until 7pm with shorter Saturday hours.
On Eruera Street, right in the centre of Rotorua, Studio Twelve18 Hair & Beauty has built its name on a simple belief: the transformative power of great hair. It is a salon that treats a haircut as a conversation and a colour appointment as a collaboration, backed by a team of stylists whose individual strengths cover just about everything you could want from a salon chair.
Founded with a passion for creativity and a commitment to exceptional customer service, Studio Twelve18 aims to be more than just a salon. The team's stated mission is to help clients express their individuality through personalised hair solutions — and to send everyone out the door feeling rejuvenated and confident. Clients seem to agree: as one review puts it, "The stylists at Studiotwelve18 are true artists! They listened to what I wanted, and the results were absolutely stunning. I left feeling rejuvenated and confident!"
A salon is only as good as its stylists, and Studio Twelve18 puts its team front and centre.
Leroy, the salon manager, is a senior stylist with five years of hairdressing experience and a particular passion for blonde transformations. He came to hairdressing from a background in hospitality and hospitality management, and it shows — his calm, professional energy and organisational knack shape the way the salon runs day to day.
Christy, another senior stylist with five years behind her, specialises in haircuts and styling but is capable across the whole craft. She is known as much for her chat as her skills — her chair is described as the perfect place to relax, laugh and leave feeling fabulous.
Wendy is the salon's veteran, perfecting her craft for most of her life. Cuts, colours and classic perms are her territory, delivered with the bubbly personality regulars adore. One thing to note: Wendy works part-time, from 9am to 1pm, Tuesday to Friday, so her chair books out quickly.
Rounding out the team is Aaliyah, the salon's beautician, whose calm, friendly presence puts even first-time visitors at ease.
The hair menu is built around clear pillars. First, haircuts and styling: precision cuts tailored to your hair type, face shape and personal style, plus styling for everything from ordinary weekdays to weddings, proms and big nights out — elegant updos, polished blowouts and everything in between.
Second, colour. The team works with high-quality Wella products and offers the full range of techniques: highlights, lowlights, full colour and balayage. Whether you want a subtle refresh or a bold change, the colourists work with your skin tone and personal style to land on the right shade, with a focus on keeping your hair healthy while they do it.
Third, the beauty room. Studio Twelve18 offers luxurious Evolve Organic Beauty services, from soothing facials that leave skin glowing to relaxing massages that melt tension away — a haven where, in the salon's words, stress fades away.
Beautician Aaliyah's treatment list makes the salon a genuine one-stop shop: brow shaping and tinting, lash lifts and tinting, manicures and pedicures, relaxing back and neck massages, full-body tanning and body waxing. You can walk in for a colour and walk out with freshly shaped brows — or book a purely pampering visit and leave the hairbrush at home.
Studio Twelve18 welcomes walk-ins — appointments are not always necessary — though booking is the safer bet, especially for Wendy's limited morning hours or a Saturday slot. You can book online through the salon's website or call 07 348 9030.
Hours run 9am to 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with a late night on Thursday until 7pm — handy for anyone working nine to five. Saturdays run 9am to 3pm, and the salon is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
If you are unsure what you want, start with a consultation. The team offers them specifically to talk through your hair and beauty needs and preferences before any scissors or colour bowls come out — part of the personalised approach the salon is known for.
Whether you are a Rotorua local due for a refresh or a visitor needing a style for an event, Studio Twelve18's blend of skilled colour work, precision cutting and organic beauty treatments makes this Eruera Street salon well worth a stop.