Modern hair salon interior with black styling chairs, large mirrors, and potted plants near a white wall and metal garage door.

Where beauty, artistry and experience meet

A boutique salon and creative studio in Rotorua specialising in bespoke hair colour, precision cutting, make up and editorial styling

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Interior of a modern workspace with white walls, a desk with plants, a laptop, and a mirror, featuring decorative black tribal masks and potted plants on shelves and the floor.

Four decades of hair, beauty and storytelling

From television studios and fashion editorials to intimate one-on-one salon experiences in Rotorua, Mai Salon reflects Donald Hollingsworth’s lifelong dedication to image, creativity and personal connection

Our Services

A young woman with long, wavy, light brown hair, wearing a metallic-looking sweater and a silver chain necklace.

  • Tailored hair cutting designed around movement, face shape and personal style for women, men and children

  • Personalised hair colour created to complement skin tone, lifestyle and individual style. From dimensional blondes and seamless highlights to rich brunettes and colour refinement, each service is thoughtfully tailored using advanced colour techniques for softness, depth, shine and longevity. Designed to create modern, wearable colour with a luminous finish

  • Specialised haircutting, styling and care for curly, wavy and textured hair. With an understanding of shape, movement, hydration and curl pattern behaviour, each service is tailored to enhance natural texture while creating balance, softness and easy wearability. Designed to support healthy, beautifully shaped hair with an individual approach to every client.

  • Luxury smoothing and permanent straightening services designed to soften frizz, improve manageability and create sleek, polished hair with long lasting results. Mai Salon specialises in imported Italian keratin smoothing systems and advanced Japanese hair straightening technology, carefully tailored to the condition, texture and integrity of the hair. Each service begins with a personalised consultation to ensure the most suitable approach for every client description

  • Professional hair artistry for weddings, events, editorial photography, television and special occasions. With decades of experience across fashion, media and luxury beauty, each look is thoughtfully designed to complement the individual, the occasion and the overall visual aesthetic. From polished bridal styling to modern editorial finishes, services are tailored with a refined and experienced approach.

  • Professional make up applications for events, weddings, editorial and special occasions, designed with a modern, refined approach to beauty and individuality. Mai Salon also offers intimate contemporary make up workshops, tailored one-on-one or in small groups, focusing on personalised techniques, product knowledge and building confidence in a relaxed, creative environment.

About Mai Salon

Portrait of a middle-aged man with glasses and facial hair, resting his chin on his hand, against a plain background.

Mai Salon is a private boutique hair studio in Rotorua founded by internationally experienced hair and make up artist and creative director Donald Hollingsworth. With a career spanning nearly four decades across television, fashion, editorial, luxury salons and high profile clientele in New Zealand and Australia, the studio offers a refined and highly personalised approach to hair and beauty.

Designed as a calm, creative and welcoming space, Mai Salon specialises in bespoke hair colour, precision haircutting, curly and textured hair, smoothing and straightening services, editorial styling and make up artistry. Every appointment is tailored with care, experience and attention to detail — combining modern techniques with an editorial eye for shape, texture and individuality.

Editorial Gallery

Editorial hair and make up artistry by Mai Salon Rotorua featuring soft waves and modern beauty styling

Hair & Make up Artistry

Hair and Make up Artistry with an editorial eye for Beauty, Texture and Individuality

Custom blend highlights with gloss toner for dimensional blonde colour by Mai Salon Rotorua

Bespoke Colour

Tailored hair colour designed to enhance skin tone, texture and individuality-from dimensional blondes and lived in brunettes to refined tonal correction and modern glossing

Editorial hair styling and make up fashion inspired salon work by Donald Hollingsworth at Mai Salon

Mens Grooming & Precision Cutting

Refined men’s haircutting and grooming tailored to individual style, texture and lifestyle. From classic barbering influences to modern editorial-inspired cuts, each service is approached with attention to detail, balance and wearability. Mai Salon offers a relaxed private studio experience with a focus on precision, personalised service and contemporary grooming.

Curly textured blonde hair styling, permanent waves, hair styling and shaping by Mai Salon Rotorua

Specialized haircutting, styling and care for curly, wavy and textured hair, tailored to enhance natural movement, shape and definition. Mai Salon also offers modern permanent wave services designed to create soft texture, body and long-lasting movement with a contemporary approach to curl design. Each service is customised with an experienced understanding of texture, hydration and hair integrity to support healthy, beautifully shaped hair.

Curly & Texured hair

A woman with straight, shoulder-length brown hair sitting in a salon chair.

Smoothing & Straightening

Luxury smoothing and permanent straightening services designed to soften frizz, improve manageability and create sleek, polished hair with lasting results. Mai Salon specialises in imported Italian keratin smoothing systems and advanced Japanese straightening technology, carefully tailored to the condition, texture and integrity of the hair. Each service begins with a personalised consultation to ensure the most suitable approach for every client.

Close-up of a person's hair before a treatment, showing frizzy, curly, and unkempt hair with a mix of dark and light brown shades. The person is wearing a plastic cape typically used in salons.

Editorial Styling, Weddings & Hair up

Professional hair and make up artistry for weddings, editorial photography, television, special events and modern hair-up styling. With decades of experience across fashion, media and luxury beauty, each look is thoughtfully tailored to complement the individual, the occasion and the overall visual story. From polished bridal styling and contemporary up-styling to refined editorial finishes, services are delivered with a calm, experienced and highly personalised approach.

A woman with dark skin, wavy shoulder-length hair, and red lipstick posing in front of a blue patterned background.
Side profile of a woman with smooth black hair styled in elegant updo buns.
Senior woman with styled gray hair, wearing a green top and a decorative necklace, in an indoor setting.

Make up Applications

  • A woman with curly hair, wearing a green hat and a yellow satin jacket, looking over her shoulder inside a car at night.

    Editorial Make up

  • Woman with short hair wearing a patterned coat with illustrated faces, standing in front of a vintage car at night.

    Editorial Make up

  • Woman with short platinum blonde hair, wearing a black outfit with green leaf pattern, standing beside a vintage yellow car.

    Editorial Make up

  • A woman with styled brown hair, makeup, wearing a white top, a cross necklace, and earrings, smiling at the camera indoors.

    Wedding Make up

  • Close-up of a woman's face with makeup, dark wavy hair, and a neutral expression.

    Beauty Campaign

  • Woman with short blonde hair and makeup in an indoor setting.

    Fashion Show

  • A woman getting makeup applied to her face in a close-up portrait.

    Event Application

  • A woman with short blonde hair and glasses smiling, with green leafy plants and a wooden wall in the background.

    Penelope Hollingsworth

  • A woman with styled gray hair, wearing makeup and a black sleeveless top, sitting indoors near a window with wood-paneled walls and a scenic landscape view outside.

    Krissy Wedding Performance

  • News anchor woman sitting at a desk with TV screen background displaying a coastal landscape and the word 'ABC NEWS'

    News Reader application

  • Four women sitting close together, dressed in dark clothing, with varied hairstyles and hair colors, against a plain white background.

    Beauty Campaign