The Craft of Hair with Jazmyne van Gosliga

Hair has always been part of my life. My parents have owned Aboki Hairdressers in Nelson for the past 32 years. It’s one of the region’s largest salons, with a team of 19, and one of New Zealand’s longest-running salons, so I grew up completely immersed in the world of beauty and creativity. My nan is also still behind the chair after more than 60 years in the industry, so it’s safe to say it’s in my blood.

Ironically, because it was so familiar, I was convinced I wasn’t going to become a hairdresser. At 14, I moved to Sydney by myself to attend Brent Street, a specialist performing arts high school, where my focus was acting. After graduating, I returned to New Zealand and studied makeup, which introduced me to the world of TV and film hair and makeup. It was on one of those jobs that I met my now husband, Ryan, who was acting while I was working as his makeup artist.

After meeting, we went on to live in Sydney and Los Angeles before Auckland eventually called us back when Ryan landed a contract on Shortland Street. We’ve stayed here ever since.

When we bought our first home and started our family, I realised I wanted a career that was more sustainable than the hours I was working in TV and film. That’s when I opened Studio Gloss, my boutique one-on-one salon, which I’ve now had for five years.

Alongside running Studio Gloss, I’m also a content creator, actor, artist, and I co-host Glossy Podcast, a beauty podcast with NZME, alongside my best friend Hannah, who I met at makeup school.

Looking back, I don’t think I was ever meant to choose just one creative path. My ADHD diagnosis gave me permission to stop trying to fit into one career path and instead embrace the way I naturally work. I thrive when I’m able to move between different creative projects, and each part of my work inspires the next. Rather than feeling like I needed to fit into one box, I’ve embraced that this is simply how I’m wired, and that it’s okay for my career to reflect that.

Building a career with multiple creative outlets has also been a very intentional decision for our family. Ryan’s acting career can mean months away filming. Last year, for example, he was away for four months working in Australia and Wellington, so having that flexibility has been invaluable. It’s allowed us both to continue pursuing the careers we love while creating a life that works for our family.

I’ve always been really fluid with my hair, so I don’t think there’s been one defining haircut or colour. I’ve had everything from lived-in blonde to copper, pink, a bob, and plenty of spontaneous fringes along the way. I’m definitely a little impulsive when it comes to my hair, but my philosophy has always been, “It’ll always grow back.”

I think hair should be fun. It’s one of the easiest ways to express yourself, reinvent yourself, or simply make yourself feel amazing. That’s one of the reasons I love hairdressing so much. It’s never just about the hair. It’s about creating a space where people can slow down, have a chat, and leave feeling more confident than when they walked in. To me, it’s equal parts creativity, connection and therapy, and I think that’s pretty special.

Healthy hair isn’t about having perfect hair. It’s hair that’s strong, resilient and suits your lifestyle. Sometimes healthy hair is shiny and long, but sometimes it’s a shorter cut that’s thriving because you’ve stopped trying to push it beyond what it can handle.

As a hairdresser, I’d much rather help someone achieve healthy, beautiful hair than chase a trend that compromises its integrity. Healthy hair will always be in style.

The keyword here is ideal! Realistically, not every hair wash looks like this. Most of the time I’m squeezing it in before work or rushing around with two kids. But if you’ve got the time, this is the routine I recommend because it’s going to give you the best results.

I always shampoo twice. The first wash removes oil, product build-up and everything that’s collected on the scalp. The second is where your shampoo can actually do its job.

I really focus on massaging my scalp with my fingertips rather than scrubbing the hair itself. Then I gently squeeze the shampoo through the lengths as I rinse.

Conditioner only goes through my mid-lengths and ends, and I always leave it on for a couple of minutes while I finish the rest of my shower. I finish by gently squeezing out excess water with a microfibre towel rather than rubbing it dry.

It’s one of those little rituals that can turn washing your hair from a chore into a moment to slow down and reset.

Really important. Hannah and I actually dedicated Episode 11 of the Glossy Podcast, “What’s Your Flavour?” to fragrance because we found ourselves fascinated by just how powerful scent really is.

One of the biggest things we learnt is that scent is one of our strongest senses when it comes to memory and emotion. A fragrance can instantly transport you back to a person, a place or a moment in time, and I think that’s incredibly special.

Haircare is one of the few beauty products you continue to experience long after you’ve used it. Every time your hair moves throughout the day, you catch little moments of that fragrance again, so it’s something you carry with you.

For me, performance will always come first, but if a product works beautifully and has a fragrance that makes me feel calm, refreshed or simply happy, it completely elevates the ritual. I think the best products don’t just care for your hair, they create an experience, and scent plays such a huge role in that.

After having my own salon for five years, I still get surprised by how many people don’t shampoo twice. It’s one of those things that surprises almost every client when I explain why.

There’s actually a science behind it. The first shampoo is working to break down sebum, styling products, pollution and build-up sitting on the scalp. Once that’s rinsed away, the second shampoo can properly cleanse the scalp and allow the ingredients in your shampoo to do what they’re designed to do. That’s also why you’ll usually notice the second shampoo creates a much better lather.

After that, it’s all about technique. Make sure your hair is completely saturated before you shampoo, spend at least a minute massaging your scalp with your fingertips, and don’t rush your conditioner.

The other thing I always tell my clients is that more product doesn’t equal better results. Most people actually use too much shampoo and not enough time. Good technique will almost always give you better results than using more product.