Best of Sydney: the best hairdressers revealed
So who made the cut? These are Sydney’s best hairdressers, as voted by you.
Central Sydney
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- The best hairdressers in Sydney’s north
- The best hairdressers in Sydney’s south
- The best hairdressers in Sydney’s east
- The best hairdressers in Sydney’s west
We asked for your help to find Sydney’s best hairdressers and after counting your nominations and votes, the results are in.
It’s clear that for many of you, a visit to the salon is an important part of your self-care; you want to be listened to, pampered and leave feeling amazing and confident.
Many of you spoke of the special bond you share with your stylist; you trust them, confide in them and ultimately feel like part of the family.
Along with their skills and expertise, you raved about your favourite stylists’ bubbly personalities, the shared jokes, and the great chats.
So here they are – Sydney’s best hairdressers, as decided by you.
Equal 10. Charmagne Lorraine Hair & Natalie Jane Hair Artistry
Charmagne Lorraine Hair
4/176 Parraweena Rd, Miranda
Tucked away in a quiet suburban Miranda street, Charmagne Lorraine Hair has made a name for itself since opening last August.
With loads of natural light, the salon provides the perfect atmosphere for customers.
“Everyone that walks through the salon always says what a beautiful vibe and feeling they get when they walk through the door,” owner Charmagne said.
Charmagne said her favourite part of being a hairdresser was the relationships she has built with her clients.
“Everyone that comes in, all their different stories, all the things I hear – just that people can trust me,” she said.
Many Charmagne Lorraine clients said they leave the salon feeling confident and happy.
Kylie nominated Charmagne as the best hairdresser in Sydney and said she provided “invaluable advice and treatment”.
“Charmagne isn’t just a hairdresser, she’s an expert in what she does,” she said.
Natalie Jane Hair Artistry
Jamisontown
From glam makeovers to quick touch ups, Natalie Jane takes care of all things hair and makeup for Penrith locals.
Natalie opened her home salon in Jamisontown two years ago after seven years working in the industry, and offers both hair and makeup services.
“I like doing different things, I go and do courses all the time,” she said.
Natalie’s friendly nature, talent, creativity and dedication to learning has seen her named among Sydney’s best salons.
Samantha, one of the many people who nominated Natalie, highly recommended the western Sydney stylist.
“Natalie is such a kind beautiful soul and the gorgeous work she does amazes me every time,” she said.
Natalie said being named among the best salons in Sydney was an “amazing” feeling.
“When I found out the news I literally bawled my eyes out,” she said.
9. Shantel’s Hair Studio
Merrylands West
Personalised treatment and dedicated time for each client are the cornerstones of Shantel’s Hair Studio.
Shantel Gittany’s home salon ensures each customer can be focused on and pampered attentively.
Shantel, who has run her own salon for 11 years, has been in the hair industry for two decades and started her career at just 14.
“It was something I really wanted to do,” she said.
“And my mum used to go to a salon and they knew that’s what I wanted to do, so they offered me a Thursday night and Saturday job.”
That job eventually led Shantel down her path to become a hairdresser and she has never looked back.
“I still have a passion for it, it hasn’t dulled,” she said.
Her favourite parts of the job are working with her clients and the opportunity to be creative.
“My clients are like my family,” she said.
Shantel’s customers feel the same way, and many nominated her for her friendly nature as well as her personalised treatments and talent for colour.
Long time client Lauren said Shantel “hits the coloured nail on the head every single time” and was “an amazing and inspiring lady”.
8. Murlo
504 Bunnerong Rd, Matraville
Those looking for the ultimate afternoon in pampering should head straight to Murlo at Matraville.
Salon co-owner Lyndsey Murphy takes care of hair, nails are perfected by Laura and skin is looked after by Kayleigh for the grooming trifecta.
Offering professional yet down to earth service, Murlo has become a one-stop glamour shop since it opened a year ago.
“I think that’s what makes us stand out,” Lyndsey said.
A hairdresser for 14 years, Lyndsey decided to open her own salon after noticing a gap in the local market.
“I knew it (Matraville) was missing an all-round salon and the opportunity arose for a really good space, so I took it,” she said.
Lyndsey said the salon had received “great feedback” since it opened.
“It’s been absolutely amazing,” she said.
Murlo was nominated as the best hairdresser in Sydney for its exceptional service, going above and beyond and making clients feel “like a princess”.
Ciara was one of the many customers who nominated the salon for the top nod.
“Lyndsey is one of the most dedicated hairdressers I’ve met,” she said.
“A wicked sense of humour and the biggest heart.”
7. Preston Guild Hair
133 Enmore Rd, Enmore
Preston Guild Hair offers longer appointment times to ensure customers receive the attention and care they need and ensure they walk out looking amazing every time.
The salon opened in vibrant Enmore 2014 and owner John Hughes said staff always try to make their clients “feel special”.
A hairdresser for more than 20 years, John has seen many styles come and go - or come back again.
“There’s a real nod to the ‘90s again, lots of that almost raw looking hair,” he said.
John said being named among the best salons in Sydney was a “super proud” moment for himself and his team.
Anita nominated the salon for the top nod and described them as a “friendly, welcoming team of leading edge professionals”.
“They are always engaged with clients wants and personal style,” she said.
6. MissBrown Sydney
6 Regent St, Paddington
A boutique salon not far from the Paddington Reservoir Gardens, MissBrown has become a quiet sanctuary for its many clients.
Emily Brown opened the salon after a decade in the hair industry.
“It’s been great actually, it’s been a lot of hard work but it’s really paid off,” she said.
Emily said her favourite part about the job was “making people feel great about themselves”, a sentiment her clients agree with.
Sophia was one of the many MissBrown customers who nominated the salon as the best in Sydney.
“Not only does she do a great job, she also makes you feel part of the family,” she said.
Another customer, Louise, said MissBrown staff member Jade was “an amazing colourist”.
“Her judgment is intuitional and her technique is always on point,” she said.
Emily said it was “super exciting” to be named among the best salons in Sydney.
“Our location is quite private, we don’t have a shop front, so I think that is really quite a nice thing for clients,” she said.
5. Cranium Hair
Cnr Belgrave and Gilbert Sts, Manly
Reinvention and improvement are a constant focus for the tight-knit team at Cranium Hair.
The Manly-based salon has built up a loyal following in the more than 20 years it has been serving the community.
“Everything we create is always around putting the client experience first,” owner Kelly Kent said.
“I think what makes a good hairdresser is absolutely and 100 per cent listening to what the client wants.
“The technical training is incredibly important but it’s not one or the other in our salon, it’s both.”
Kelly credits her “amazing team” as the secret behind her salon’s consistent success.
“Nicki has been with me for 16 years, Mel has been with me for 12 years and all my other team members have been with me on and off for over 18 years,” she said.
Being environmentally conscious is also very important to the Cranium Hair team, who are proud members of the resource recovery program Sustainable Salons.
“97 per cent of our waste is recycled,” Kelly said.
“(Sustainable Salons) sell it off to a third party and then the money they make for that goes to OzHarvest.”
Sylvia, who has been a customer at Cranium Hair since it first opened, said “the salon is like my family”.
“Nicki is an excellent hairdresser. She always cuts and colour my hair perfectly,” she said.
4. Reni Hair Studio
49 McKeon St, Maroubra
Opening Reni Hair Studio more than five years ago was a dream come true for Renáta Dénes.
The Hungarian hairdresser had been fantasising about moving to Australia and opening her own salon by the beach since she was a teenager.
Renáta’s determination to give her clients the best experience continues to grow as she works seven days a week at the salon and constantly looks for new ways to improve.
“When I went back to Europe for my holidays last June, I did three days of training,” she said.
“Hair is my first love. I just love the people, I love when I can make them happy, that’s very important for me.”
Renáta’s care for her clients goes well beyond making sure their hair looks good - she often reaches out to connect with them outside of the salon.
“If they are not happy with their life, sometimes I will message them and ask them if they are okay or how their mum is doing,” she said.
Renáta’s friendly nature and creative talents are a big drawcard for her clients, many of whom travel long distances to secure an appointment with her.
Katalin, a client of three years, drives all the way from Goulburn to have her hair done by Renata.
“She is caring and asking, not just mechanically cutting hair,” she said.
3. Imperial Hair Studio
9a/37 Borec Rd, Penrith
Tenille Mellan’s reputation as a talented and caring hairdresser started long before she opened her own salon just over a year ago.
The Imperial Hair Studio owner decided to branch out on her own three years ago, starting with a mobile hairdressing service before settling into the Penrith salon.
“I’m actually gobsmacked about how far we’ve come as a business in the last 12 months,” Tenille said.
“It was always a dream of mine and the more I got into hairdressing and working with clients, the more I absolutely loved it.
“It all comes down to the clients, they have practically become my family.
“It’s just a passion of mine. I live and breathe it.”
Creativity with colour is a specialty at Imperial Hair, where many clients come in for vivid transformations such as mermaid and unicorn hair.
Tenille said making sure the style and colour matches the client’s preference was much more important to her than following hair trends.
“It’s getting to know the client’s uniqueness and helping them to step out of their comfort zone and express their personality through their hair,” she said.
Holly has been a client of Tenille’s for the past eight years and followed her to her new salon. “Not only is she incredibly talented, she actually cares about her clients and the health of their hair,” she said.
2. Jonny+June Hair
104 Glenmore Rd, Paddington
To call a visit to Jonny + June an indulgent experience would be an understatement.
The stylish Paddington salon offers clients the choice of organic tea served from a fine china tea cup, a flute of champagne or their signature after five cocktail to enjoy while they are being pampered.
Creative director Simon Bright said making sure that his clients never feel rushed or overcrowded was a must.
“It’s about the client’s experience so we make sure that they get given the right amount of time to get the results that they need from us, without making them feel like they are at a factory,” he said.
Simon has spent more than 25 years honing his skills as a globally-recognised hairdresser. After many years of working in London, he moved to Sydney in 2003 and worked for celebrity hair stylist Anthony Nader before opening his own salon three years ago.
He has worked with many high profile clients including Lara Worthington, Rose Byrne and Gwyneth Paltrow, and has featured on TV productions such as The Salon, MTV and Australia’s Next Top Model.
He has also used his expertise to create his own brand of vegan shampoos and conditioners, Jonny+June Originals.
“We wanted to show that you can actually have a beautiful salon product that is natural and vegan that actually works,” he said.
Simon’s ability to listen well and deliver honest feedback has been appreciated by many of his regular clients, including Patricia, who nominated him as the best in Sydney.
“He is just an amazing hairdresser, honest and very creative,” she said.
“I have 100 per cent trust in him.”
1. Steven Michael Hair
32 Harland Rd, Spring Farm
Relocating his salon to Sydney’s south – more than 60km from the CBD – has not slowed down the high demand for Steven Rasitti’s services.
The passionate hairdresser has made quite the impression on the Spring Farm community in the little time since his business opened in 2018 and he also has many loyal clients from his former Newtown salon who are willing to travel to see him.
Steven said the business’ rapid growth has been a career highlight.
“We went from me opening the salon by myself just over 18 months ago to now being booked out six weeks in advance with four staff,” he said.
While making sure their clients walk away with amazing hair is something that the team at Steven Michael Hair take very seriously, Steven said the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere at the salon was paramount to its success.
“We are a group of friends,” he said.
“We’ve followed each other to every salon that we’ve worked at for the last six or seven years so there is a close family vibe.”
Helping brides look and feel incredible on their wedding day is also a big passion for Steven that has taken him all over the country.
“We’ve been everywhere. I’ve done weddings all over Australia, I’ve done a Fiji wedding,” he said.
“We are a lucky to get a lot of shout outs on social media.”
Now Steven Michael Hair can add the best salon in Sydney to its list of achievements.
The salon was voted into the top spot by many loyal clients.
Jenny nominated them as the best in town said the salon was “professional but chilled, helpful but not bossy, friendly but not fake”.
“You get to have a coffee and a laugh,” she said.