Beached, bleached locks are a thing in Bondi. At every turn there’s a head of lusciously-hued, sun-kissed hair, which has given rise to its own colour: “Bondi blond”.
But for those non-beach dwellers (or brunettes) who want to get the look, you can fake that quintessential Bondi blond. You just need to know where to go.
Expressions of blond are vast and varied and there’s a lot of room for error. Fair-hair hues can range from ashy to amber, creamy to cool, bright to brassy. And going blond can be tricky, particularly for those with naturally darker strands. It involves time, patience, and of course, a seasoned colourist.
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SIGN UPThese are the salons – and their prized colourists – in Sydney that will leave you lighter, brighter and Bondi-fied.
Global educator, Wella creative artist, master colourist and Que Colour salon owner Monique McMahon has been dipping and dying the strands of Sydney’s style set for two decades and is one of the city’s best. Known for her flawless foil and balayage techniques, McMahon mixes like a ninja, paints like Picasso and highlights like a hero to give you your dream blond every time. Her motto for this year’s summer hair? “Movement like the waves, bright like the sun.” Sign. Us. Up.
178 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst
You don’t win this year’s AHFA Hairdresser of the Year for nothing, so consider Richi Grisillo’s new accolade confirmation of his prowess. No task (or colour) is too great for the co-director of Acadèmie Salon; he’s known for his precision and painstaking attention to detail. Down a laneway in Sydney’s inner west, Acadèmie Salon not only promises flawless blond dye jobs but stellar service, too.
110 Johnston Lane, Annandale
Makes sense to head straight to Bondi for that Bondi blond. Koda Cutters is the go-to salon for would-be blonds. Creative director and founder Diane Gorgievski has worked on some of Sydney’s most iconic blonds, including singer Delta Goodrem, co-founder of sports-luxe fashion label PE Nation Pip Edwards, and TV personality and model Jesinta Franklin. Be warned, there’s a waiting list to see her.
Shop 10 Level 1/180–186 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
Bixie knows blonds. The award-winning specialist hair colour salon was founded by acclaimed colourist Sheree Knobel, aka colourist to model Jen Hawkins, aka queen of the foil, balayage and zone-tone. One of Sydney’s most respected and in-demand colourists, Knobel put down her scissors at the age of 21 to focus exclusively on colour.
Shop 3, 296–300 Kingsway, Caringbah
While all salons in the Edwards And Co hair empire are great (there are nine Australia-wide), its Kippax Street location in Surry Hills arguably does the best colour; it has esteemed colourist and education director Michael Kelly at its helm. Nicknamed the “balayage guru”, people from all over Sydney (and beyond) come to him for his impeccable, lived-in brand of blond.
99–103 Kippax Street, Surry Hills
Headcase Hair opened in 1997 with a killer hair duo: John Pulitano on the tools and Vincent Noble on the foils. Today Noble is spearheading global colour education and providing designer colour to Sydney’s elite. And following a very snazzy reno earlier this year, this salon is the perfect place to – wine in hand – wait for your dream hair transformation to happen.
242 Oxford Street, Paddington
Mob Hair's Tarryn Cherniayeff has built a brand out of her famous blond brigade – she's known for being behind many of Bondi's best highlighted heads. From peroxide bobs to flaxen lobs, blond is her specialty, and given she’s in the heart of Bondi, that makes perfect sense.
281 Old South Head Road, Bondi Beach
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