Luxe Hair, Matakana

A working life “making ladies feel beautiful” hasn’t lost its shine for the owner of Luxe Hair, a new salon in Matakana.

Linda Crosswell says hairdressing is constantly evolving and no two heads of hair are the same.

“There’s no time to get bored – there’s always something new to learn,” she says.

Linda went from school into a hairdressing apprenticeship at Rodney Wayne in Auckland and ran a successful salon in Epsom for five years, before relocating to Singapore with her husband Raymond and son Shaarn. Raymond was with the duty free chain DFS and responsible for the supply chains in Oceania, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

“We had two wonderful decades in Singapore, where I worked as a hairdresser for ladies in the expat community. In the end, we were travelling extensively and, alongside Covid and the impact on travel retail, it was time to come home permanently.”

The couple had already designed and built a home just south of Warkworth and while in Singapore, Shaarn was living there and attending university. Linda says that after so long away, she and Raymond spent their first few months back in NZ doing road trips and getting to know the place again.

“When the Matakana opportunity came up, we immediately took possession and engaged local suppliers and tradesmen who have delivered our upmarket design, which we feel compliments the area,” she says.

Luxe offers a full range of hairdressing services specialising in all types of hair care and colour work. The salon also has a strong eco-friendly philosophy with products that are sustainably produced and gentle on the planet and, most importantly, gentle on the hair and scalp.

Linda says she is looking forward to establishing a professional team at Luxe, which opens on August 3.