BlowUp Hairdressing is a Wella Red Salon on Boulcott Street in Wellington Central, offering professional hairdressing services with a distinctive pricing philosophy: the salon follows a Non-Gender Based Price Policy, charging by the length of a client's hair or the time spent in the salon rather than by gender. This approach has drawn media coverage, including a Stuff.co.nz article on the salon's pricing, a feature by Westpac RED on the salon's stance against the "pink tax," and a segment on The Project NZ about the salon's fight against gender-based pricing discrimination.
As a Wella Red Salon, BlowUp's team receives regular training and support and works together on colour services, with a hair treatment included in every colour service and WellaPlex available for additional care. The salon also stocks Wella's styling product range for retail, and runs a shampoo and conditioner refill dispensary, where clients can bring back old bottles (or any bottle) to refill by weight, reducing plastic waste and cost compared to buying bottled products.
Beyond the salon floor, BlowUp has built a creative side project recreating Wella advertisements from past decades and has provided hair for Capital Magazine cover shoots and editorial features. The salon also maintains a dedicated charity page and runs an employment page for stylists interested in joining the team.
On Boulcott Street in Wellington Central, BlowUp Hairdressing has built its reputation on more than just cuts and colour. As a Wella Red Salon, the business delivers professional hairdressing backed by ongoing Wella training, but what's drawn wider attention is its Non-Gender Based Price Policy — charging clients based on the length of their hair or the time spent in the salon, rather than on gender.
BlowUp describes this approach as "the most fair price policy in the industry," and it's a claim that's attracted real media coverage. Stuff.co.nz published an article specifically about the salon's pricing structure, Westpac's RED platform featured BlowUp in a piece about the industry-wide "pink tax" and why women often pay more for services than men, and The Project NZ included the salon in a segment about the fight against gender-based pricing discrimination. For a small, independent Wellington salon, that's a notable amount of recognition for taking a stand on how haircuts are priced.
Beyond the pricing model, BlowUp's core services cover haircuts and styling, hair colour, and hair treatments. Every colour service comes with a hair treatment included as standard, and clients wanting an extra boost of care can add WellaPlex to their service. The salon also sells Wella's styling product range at retail, so clients can maintain their colour and style at home between visits.
One detail that sets BlowUp apart from a typical salon is its shampoo and conditioner refill dispensary. Rather than buying a new plastic bottle every time, clients can bring back their old BlowUp bottles — or any bottle at all — to be refilled. Product is sold by weight, and the salon notes this works out cheaper than buying a full plastic bottle each time, while also cutting down on plastic waste. It's a small but practical example of the salon thinking beyond the chair.
BlowUp's team includes Cheyhane, the salon's Director, available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; Matthew, a freelance stylist working Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; Polly, a colour and styling specialist available Wednesdays through Saturdays; and Sarah, an Emerging Talent offering training cuts and colours at reduced rates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. SeaSea rounds out the team as the salon's greeter, welcoming clients at the door on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Beyond day-to-day hairdressing, BlowUp has developed a creative project recreating Wella advertisements from across the decades — from the late 1970s through to 1990s supermodel-inspired looks — combining hair, makeup, wardrobe and photography into styled shoots. The salon has also provided hair for multiple Capital Magazine features, including cover shoots and monthly editorial spreads, giving the team a chance to flex more editorial and creative styling skills alongside their regular client work.
BlowUp is open Tuesday to Friday and Saturday, with bookings available online or by phone, including an off-hours contact number for anyone who needs to reach the salon outside standard hours. Between its fair pricing model, Wella-backed colour expertise, and sustainability-minded refill service, BlowUp positions itself as a Wellington salon that thinks carefully about how it treats both its clients and the wider community.