FIRM FOUNDATIONS
Beneath every great look is the right undergarment that fits you like a glove.
Beneath every great look is the right undergarment that fits you like a glove.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS
Designs by Hotmilk.
Underwear shopping generally requires endless patience; hence many of us end up finding a formula that works well enough and sticking with it. What that doesn’t allow for, though, is the way our bodies and wardrobes change over time. The holy grail is a regularly updated core range of pieces that sculpt and smooth on all occasions, and above all make you feel fabulous.
BABY GOT BACK
The hardest working bras in my arsenal are those designed to accommodate fleshier areas (namely my back and underarms). I’m a long-time advocate of Bendon’s Flawless Form Contour bra; with its cross-over double-winged side straps it addresses the ‘problem’ areas. But now there’s a new player in town. Mount brand Hotmilk (known for its maternity underwear) has launched Evolve, a range designed to combat the niggly changes we encounter with age. The Effortless Sculpt T-shirt bra feels as though it fits your body, rather than expecting your body to fit into it. Wider side and smoothing back panels, underarm-shaping panels for squidgy bits – it does exactly what’s needed. The Refined Flexiwire Full Cup bra is pretty but practical – again, a wider side strap and clever engineering. All bras were tried and tested; Hotmilk comes out on top with the Effortless Sculpt-T shirt bra.
YOU BETTER SHAPE UP
Despite the latest fabrics and designs aiming to achieve a streamlined finish, shapewear can be restrictive and simply push your flesh into different areas until you resemble a sausage bursting from its skin. Try a full shaping slip, preferably seamless, with an inbuilt bra. A thicker fabric and higher elasticity can be a secret weapon against visible cellulite. Check out Nancy Ganz and Jockey.
STUCK ON YOU
In my opinion, every home should have an emergency roll of boob tape. For hauling things into place, creating cleavage, and securing nipple covers (another excellent tool, perfect for the perky), plunging necklines and backless numbers, this invisible adhesive tape is the gift that keeps on giving. It can also prove a secret weapon when it comes to securing stick-on bras, which can add volume and cleavage, but also weight, hence the need for additional assistance. Boob tape is the answer! What was once the equivalent of double-sided Sellotape is now available in silicone, different widths and multiple shades. Lingerie shops stock selected brands, while the Warehouse sells Booby Tape, which gets top reviews for being sweatproof.
BAND ON THE RUN
There’s an art to finding the ultimate strapless bra. Noting the trend towards bandeau styles, I tried a Skims version, which, if the price and marketing is anything to go by, should be the cream of the crop. Unfortunately, at one stage during testing, it rolled down to sit around my ribcage, rather than supporting the all-important breast area, so it won’t be my go-to. Instead, I suggest being fitted at a local lingerie shop. Sometimes, finding the right combination of comfort and support takes an expert eye.
TRF JACKET, $149
STYLE STATUS
Spring things to improve your mood.
NEW OLD FAVOURITES
Spring tends to herald a wardrobe refresh – out with the comforting and practical, in with the light and playful. That said, making space for the new is best achieved by adding pieces that work with your existing aesthetic, as opposed to trying to completely overhaul your image. Colour-wise, if you feel as though you can’t escape butter yellow, it’s because you can’t. One reason it’s still trending is because it works so well trans-seasonally with other shades in the post-winter wardrobe, such as chocolate brown, plum, burgundy and navy. Another spring must-have is capri pants. If that sends an ‘I’ve been here before’ shiver down your spine, calling them pedal pushers won’t help. Reimagining this perennial favourite for 2026 is the name of the game, and I highly recommend looking at this easy-to-wear style with fresh eyes.
CAPRI PANTS, $109
IN CONTRASTS
It’s time to shed the winter coat and graduate to a lighter jacket. One with military-esque details and a vintage feel will fit the bill as a statement piece, but word to the wise: although the Napoleon style is chic, try to avoid going full Sergeant Pepper. Contrast the structure of a garment like this with a drapey skirt or some on-trend balloon pants. Another look seen on and off the runway involves juxtaposing garments made from floaty fabrics with a heavier jacket, like a leather bomber or suede blazer. In terms of accessories, as a long-time enthusiast of large suede totes, I’m usually resigned to dealing with their limitations, such as the lack of practicality (dirt and rain being very real hazards), but this season, there are some infinitely more workable options out there. A lightweight nylon bag is a spring-to-summer essential that will take you from the supermarket to the beach.
HALSTON DRESS, $350 KNEUFERMANN.CO.NZ
INDULGE YOUR INNER DIVA
“Wear the outfit, add the sparkle, buy the boots” – so goes the mantra that’s part of what’s known as the ‘Dolly Parton philosophy’. The antithesis of a fashion icon but someone who stayed true to her own aesthetic, the late singer was someone who relished her own personal style. If standing out like a rhinestone cowboy doesn’t appeal to you, there are a plethora of more subtle options that are equally fabulous – although given sequins and heavy embellishments are dominating the spring/ summer looks, everyday shimmer may be hard to avoid. Another firm favourite for the warmer months is the lingerie look. It’s a trend that has gathered momentum; its popularity possibly rooted in the fact that it can be styled in so many ways. Readers who err on the side of conservative could slip a simple lacy camisole under a blazer, while those who want to maximise the effect could go full boudoir with sheer separates, a corset or a satin negligée-style dress.
ILSE DRESS, $450
NEW ROMANCE
Another trend that’s equally resistant to being parked is the bias-cut slip dress or skirt. Also crossing over into the lingerie genre, along with the beloved original ’90s look, there are fresher variations on the theme for spring. One update is the asymmetrical hemline, and the addition of lace in some way, around the waist, along the hem or cutting diagonally across. It might be the versatility that makes a bias-cut slip dress so beloved – worn with chunky boots or flats by day and heels by night, it’s a highly flexible look. For the feet, ballet flats are still a great go-to, some now with a lace-up feature. In my experience, it doesn’t take long for ribbons to unravel and gather unflatteringly around the ankles, but the ballerina vibe is forever beautiful, so if you can get them to stay up, this is a lovely spring look.
THE LONG GAME
Salon Grange’s Shelley Pullar has advice for keeping curls on course for three days straight.
Salon Grange’s Shelley Pullar has advice for keeping curls on course for three days straight.
PHOTOS DEBORAH DE GRAAF
There’s a particular kind of confidence that comes with a really good curls day. When the shape is right, the movement is effortless and every curl seems to know exactly where it belongs, everything else just falls into place. The trick is making that feeling last.
Achieving beautiful curls doesn’t necessarily mean washing your hair every day. With the right preparation and a little care between shampoos, curls can look fresh, defined and full of life for three days, or sometimes even longer. Let’s look at how.
Day one: Moisture, definition and hold. The foundation of good, long-lasting curls is moisture. Apply leave-in conditioner to soaking-wet hair, then follow with a curl cream or gel while the hair is still very wet. This encourages the curls to naturally come together, creating definition and helping to lock in moisture.
When it comes to curly hair, one product does not suit all. The individual thickness of your hair strands plays an important role in choosing the right formula for you.
If you have fine hair, your individual strands are thinner and can be easily weighed down, so lightweight products such as mousse or foam are often ideal.
Medium hair gives you more freedom, with combinations such as mousse and gel working well, depending on the level of definition and hold you’re after. For thick or coarse hair, richer conditioning and stronger hold are often beneficial. Just remember that too much product can create build-up and leave your hair feeling heavy.
Once your products are applied, use a curl brush, beginning from underneath the hair and working upwards towards the roots. I also use mini clips around the crown and hairline to create height and prevent curls from drying flat against the scalp.
Now, leave them alone. Allow your hair to air dry completely, or use a diffuser on a low heat and low speed.
Once completely dry, gently scrunch your curls with clean, dry hands to soften any crunchiness. The finished result should be soft and touchable, but with enough hold to carry you through the days ahead.
The secret happens while you sleep. If there’s one step I wouldn’t skip, it’s protecting your curls overnight. Using a silk or satin scrunchie, gather your hair into a very loose ponytail high on top of your head. Keep it loose, as the aim is to preserve your curl pattern, not create a new one with a hair tie.
For even less friction, sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase, or in a silk or satin bonnet. They’re the simplest ways to help minimise frizz and preserve definition.
Days two and three: Refresh, don’t restart. The days between washes should be about refreshing, not starting again. Lightly mist your hair with water from a spray bottle. I like to add a small amount of Clever Curl Leave-In Curl Cream and shake it well before using it as a refresher. You’re looking to lightly hydrate and re-energise your curls, rather than saturate them.
Gently scrunch the hair upwards with your hands and, if needed, add a few mini clips around the crown for extra lift. Leave your curls to dry naturally while you get ready for the day. If any curls that lose their shape, wrap them around your finger and allow them to dry.
The secret to lasting curls is preparation, hydration and knowing when to leave them alone. Give yours the right foundation on wash day, protect them overnight, and refresh rather than rewash, and you’ll enjoy beautifully defined hair for longer.
Clever Curl has a gorgeous giveaway for the first 24 UNO readers who book a curl cut at Salon G. You’ll receive their new Long Hold Curl Gel, designed to provide longer-lasting hold without stickiness, plus Curl Oil for shine and definition, all valued at $90.
LESS IS MORE
Leanne Cashmore of Cashmore Clinic on the art of looking refreshed and never ‘done’.
Leanne Cashmore of Cashmore Clinic on the art of looking refreshed and never ‘done’
PHOTO SALINA GALVAN
There’s a common misconception about lip filler that I’d love to put to rest. It’s that when you do it, everyone will know.
One of the questions I hear most often is, “Will I look done?” I always say, “Not if we’re doing it well.”
For me, lip enhancement has never been about creating a dramatically different mouth. I look at what’s already there and ask how we can restore softness and definition in a way that feels completely at home on your face.
As we age, we naturally lose volume in the lips and definition around the border. Fine lines can become more noticeable, too, and the overall effect can make the lower face look a little more tired or harsh than it once did. A small, considered amount of hyaluronic acid filler can help replenish some of what’s been lost, subtly refreshing the area without changing the fundamental shape.
Hyaluronic acid is a substance naturally found in the body that plays an important role in hydration and volume. When used thoughtfully, it can enhance, rather than transform.
That’s where I think the conversation around lip filler needs to change. We’re quite comfortable talking about Botox, teeth whitening, laser treatments and skincare as part of a broader approach to looking after ourselves. Lip filler can be the same. Rather than becoming the first thing people see, it’s a small aesthetic treatment that supports your overall appearance.
The technique matters enormously, and so does restraint. My approach is always to use the minimum amount needed to achieve the desired result, taking into account your natural anatomy and proportions, and what you want to achieve. The goal is never to make everyone look the same.
It’s also important to remember that lip filler is a medical treatment. Choosing an experienced, appropriately qualified injector who understands facial anatomy is essential.
At the end of the day, the best result is one that looks like you, just a little fresher.
FINDING YOUR FEET
Fontein Coaching’s Cass Fontein offers tools to support you to stay grounded, manage overwhelm and focus on what’s within your control.
Fontein Coaching’s Cass Fontein offers tools to support you to stay grounded, manage overwhelm and focus on what’s within your control. PHOTO CASEY VAN LIEFDE
You know those days when your brain has 47 tabs open? You’re replying to an email while thinking about the conversation you need to have later. Your phone pings. You remember something you forgot yesterday. Someone’s waiting for an answer. You’re worrying about something that’s happening next week. Suddenly, even the smallest decision feels much harder than it should.
Welcome to overwhelm.
Spring has a way of bringing energy back into our lives. The days get longer, our calendars fill up, projects gain momentum and before we know it, life feels very full again.
When that happens, our instinct is often to try to get everything under control. The problem is that a lot of what occupies our minds was never within our control in the first place.
We worry about what someone thinks of us, replay conversations that are already over, and take on responsibility for other people’s emotions. We spend energy solving problems that haven’t actually happened yet. Meanwhile, the things we can influence get lost amongst the noise.
When everything starts feeling like too much, I like to bring it back to one question: what’s actually within my control right now? Sometimes, the answer is surprisingly small.
I can put my phone down, send the email I’ve been avoiding, or say no. I can ask for help, or I can simply decide that a problem doesn’t need to be solved today. These things won’t magically remove everything happening around us, but they remind us that we still have agency.
It’s a picture I come back to again and again, with clients and in my own life. There are two circles. Inside the first is everything you can control, like your actions, your boundaries, where you place your attention, how you speak to yourself and what you choose to do next. Outside sits everything else, like other people’s opinions and reactions, the past, unexpected changes and the outcomes we wish we could guarantee.
When overwhelm creeps in, notice which circle is getting most of your energy, then come back to the present. Feel your feet on the floor. Take a slow breath. Notice what you can see and hear. Give your mind something that’s happening now to think about, rather than another scenario that may or may not happen later. Then choose one thing.
Being grounded doesn’t mean becoming someone who’s permanently calm or unaffected by life. We’re human. We get stressed. We overthink. We have days when everything feels like a lot. Being grounded is knowing how to find your way back when it does – back to what you can influence.
The next time your brain has 47 tabs open, you don’t need to close them all. Just find the one that’s actually yours, and start there. FONTEINCOACHING.CO.NZ
RACE TO THE TOP
How a Mount Maunganui coach built an unlikely speed-climbing programme that’s producing world champions.
How a Mount Maunganui coach built an unlikely speed-climbing programme that’s producing world champions.
WORDS JO-MARIE BAKER / PHOTOS KATIE COX + JAN VIRT
At 12 years old, Mila Piatek could barely reach the starting hold. The former gymnast stretched as high as she could, her fingertips straining for the grip that marked the beginning of the Olympic speed climbing route. She was so small it took more than a month just to master the first move. There were no shortcuts. She climbed, she fell, and she climbed again.
Three years later, teenage Mila raced 15m up a wall in 7.77 seconds to stand on top of the podium at the World Climbing Youth Championship in Italy, becoming an Under-17 world champion and Oceania record holder.
Her journey to become the world’s best is remarkable in its own right, but perhaps the more extraordinary story is how Mount Maunganui has built the speed- climbing programme that made it possible.
Rob Moore saw potential in Mila long before any medals arrived. The vastly experienced coach looks for athletes with either strength or elasticity (what he calls “power and pop”) that can translate into explosive speed on the wall.
“One of the things that was really obvious about Mila right from the start is she had an incredible amount of pop. She bounces between the holds like Tigger.”
Rob’s competitive streak runs deep. He has competed internationally in speed skating, climbing and mountain biking, and his fascination with chasing records can be traced all the way back to his childhood.
“Every Christmas holiday, the first thing Dad and I would do was find the biggest hill nearby and find out what the record was to get to the top. Then we’d spend our entire holiday training to break that record.”
The instinct to find a benchmark, then figure out how to beat it would eventually underpin an audacious experiment here in the Bay. Could New Zealand produce speed climbers capable of taking on the world?
Rob’s ambitions stretched well beyond winning at home.
“You can achieve success within the New Zealand climbing community, and some people think it’s okay to stop there, but to me, that was never enough. Why don’t we strive further and try to be the best in the world?”
Rob opened Mount Maunganui’s Rocktopia climbing gym in 1999 and has coached the New Zealand climbing team since 2001. His focus on the competitive side of the sport sharpened after he began coaching a tenacious Sarah Tetzlaff towards the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. But there was one glaring problem – New Zealand didn’t have the right facilities. Training for the speed discipline meant travelling as far as New Caledonia.
Rob decided to fix that. Through the Bay of Plenty Sport Climbing Association (BOPSCA), funding and local support were secured, and in 2019, New Zealand’s only Olympic-sized speed wall opened at Blake Park – an exact replica of the standardised route used in competitions around the world.
In 2022, Rob launched a dedicated, high performance speed-climbing programme from scratch and made a controversial call: athletes who joined would have to specialise exclusively in speed, giving up the traditional Boulder and Lead disciplines.
Six signed up. Among them was Tauranga teenager Julian David, who would later go on to win a Youth World Championship and compete alongside Sarah at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“This shouldn’t have worked at all, when you look at it from the outside,” says Julian. “Not knowing how it was going to go was crazy, to be honest, but Rob’s drive, determination and passion for climbing is incredible.”
Julian’s journey began as a student at Tauranga Intermediate School. He loved climbing trees, and when he inevitably fell out of one, a teacher offered some practical advice: “We’ve got a climbing wall in the gym. Go climb that instead.”
He did. Aged 12 and with no formal training, Julian entered the AIMS Games and came third. The result caught Rob’s eye.
Once he joined the speed programme, Julian’s rise was rapid. He secured New Zealand’s first Youth World Championship title in 2023 and the Paris Olympics suddenly became a realistic goal for the French-born athlete. A year later, aged 19, he finished eighth in Paris with a personal best of 5.20 seconds.
“I was like everyone’s younger brother in the Olympic village. I love sport, so walking past world champions and people I watched on TV growing up was just surreal.”
Coming home proved harder. After years of setting personal bests almost every time he competed, Julian spent much of 2025 struggling to improve and grappling with the post-Olympic blues. He worked closely with High Performance Sport New Zealand and psychologists to strengthen his mental game and return to form.
At this level, progress is measured in tiny increments. “0.1 of a second for me now would be a huge personal best,” says Julian. “That would mean making finals consistently and being up there with the best in the world.”
Getting his mindset right is just as important as the physical preparation. “The margin of error when you’re racing up a 15m wall in five seconds becomes smaller and smaller the faster you go. Not making mistakes is super crucial, but really easy to do. Mindset is a huge part of it.”
For Julian, that means using familiar rituals, routines, music and visualisation techniques to shut down any nerves and let instinct take over.
“The ideal mental state is when you don’t remember what happens or what’s going on. It’s too fast to comprehend anyway. It should just happen. But getting into that state is what’s difficult.”
In July, after more than 12 months fighting his way back to form, Julian finally broke the five-second barrier, clocking 4.99 seconds at a World Cup event in Chamonix, France – achieving his biggest goal for 2026.
Days later, he was in Arco, Italy, watching his 15 year-old teammate, Mila, race for the same world title he’d won three years earlier. The parallels were uncanny. Neither had been expected to win; both found themselves up against world-record holders whose mistakes in the final knockout rounds unexpectedly opened the door.
“It was déjà vu,” says Julian. “I had never understood what it was like for my coach until that moment, and I’ve never been that amped to watch anyone climb in my life as I was to watch her.”
Mila’s campaign in Arco almost unravelled before it began. She slipped during her first of just two qualifying runs, leaving one final chance to make the knockout rounds.
“I was a little bit shook,” she recalls, “but Rob came behind the wall and told me to reset. He reminded me, ‘You’re at Worlds. This is your opportunity to let it happen and show what you’re capable of.’”
Rob took the pressure off, reminding Mila it was only her second international competition and helping to put the mistake behind her. After a couple of practice starts on the warm-up wall, she was calm and ready to go again.
Mila safely qualified for finals and, from there, simply kept advancing. Each knockout race ended the same way: she hit the stop pad and looked for one thing – the green timer signalling she was through. In the quarterfinals she clocked 7.70 seconds – a personal best and new Oceania record.
“I was bawling my eyes out between every single run just from joy,” she says. “I’ve never cried out of happiness before. I was just over the moon.”
The celebrations with her coach, family and teammates that followed her gold medal victory were overwhelmingly emotional. The young girl who had once spent six weeks trying to master the first move was now a world champion.
“I credit so much of my win to Rob,” she says. “If he wasn’t there, I don’t actually think it could have happened. Rob was incredible.”
Back home in Mount Maunganui, life has quickly returned to normal. Teachers have been lining up to see the gold medal, while her friends welcomed her home with a surprise party. She’s back at her part-time job at Rocktopia and has settled into her usual training regime.
Fortunately, training with Rob is never monotonous.
“Rob has so much energy and passion for the sport that it rubs off on you. He has a way of bringing the best vibes to every training session.”
Mila has already set her sight on new goals. Next year, she becomes eligible for the Open World Cup circuit, before the Oceania qualifying event for the LA Olympics takes place at Blake Park on October 23 and 24, 2027.
Only one women’s Olympic spot is available, setting up a tantalising contest between Mila and Paris Olympian Sarah Tetzlaff – her long-time mentor, role model and one of her earliest speed climbing coaches. Rob believes that rivalry could lift the entire programme.
“If they can both embrace it and both be pushing each other, then it’s only going to be good for our sport. We should be able to get everybody to lift together.”
Whatever happens, the groundwork for a successful future has already been laid. Rob acknowledges today’s youngsters are progressing faster because they’re benefitting from everything he has learned while coaching his original six athletes.
Now aged 21, Julian’s happy the next generation has experienced speed climbers to look up to and train alongside.
“But it goes both ways. I love training with those kids.
They’re so psyched on speed climbing and bring the vibes. They help me as much as I help them.”
Come October 2027, the Bay of Plenty will have the chance to watch them all chase their Olympic dreams on home soil.
FEET FIRST
A podiatrist in Tauranga is challenging the conventional approach to foot problems, using hands-on therapy to address the underlying causes. Shaun McCann’s pioneering technique is helping patients get back on their feet, and back to the things they love.
A podiatrist in Tauranga is challenging the conventional approach to foot problems, using hands-on therapy to address the underlying causes. Shaun McCann’s pioneering technique is helping patients get back on their feet, and back to the things they love.
WORDS KARL PUSCHMANN
PHOTOS KATIE COX
Podiatrist Shaun McCann had grown as frustrated as his patients. Every week, a patient would hobble into the clinic carrying a bag full of prescription orthotics that simply hadn’t worked. Along with their orthotics, they carried the desperate hope that he held the answer their previous specialists had missed.
The problem was, he didn’t.
“I started to get frustrated with the limitations of the treatment and methods that I’d been taught,” he says. “I thought there had to be another way of treating the foot and leg, without having to put someone in an orthotic or referring them to surgery.”
He couldn’t ignore the pattern, or the feeling that there had to be another solution, so he began looking beyond podiatry, talking to friends and colleagues in related fields, including physiotherapy and chiropractic. Conversations with his best friend, a physio, saw Shaun questioned on why podiatry sometimes relied on external devices or surgery, instead of working to strengthen and condition the body itself.
“This led me to foot mobilisation therapy,” he says, describing the hands-on technique he now practices that addresses misalignments in the foot, followed by strength and conditioning exercises designed to reinforce these changes.
Shaun holds a BHSc (Podiatry) and says that although orthotics have a role, they’re an aid, not the long-term solution. He’s also quick to point out that his approach isn’t the answer for everyone.
“Orthotics will work for a percentage of people, but not everyone,” he says. “It’s the same with my treatment. It doesn’t fix everyone – it provides another option.”
Foot mobilisation therapy uses manual techniques similar to those used by chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists to treat conditions including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathies, hammer toes, bunions, osteoarthritis and ankle sprains. Strength and conditioning exercises are then prescribed for clients to continue at home.
“This addresses the underlying weaknesses and misalignments, so ultimately the patient can walk better barefoot again, rather than relying on external devices like orthotics,” says Shaun.
Treatment can also include other techniques, like category-four musculoskeletal laser, dry needling and strapping. Shaun says the approach is tailored to the individual, with diagnostic information such as X-rays or ultrasounds helping to establish a short-, mid- and long-term treatment plan.
A key part of Shaun’s approach is giving clients measurable evidence of change. X-rays can be taken before and after treatment, allowing changes in the foot to be assessed objectively, as opposed to relying solely on how their foot feels.
“I can physically see the evidence of why they feel better,” he says. It also helps him work towards a bigger goal: making clients less dependent on treatment.
“I’m trying to get someone from A to B, and then get them self-sufficient,” he explains.
Shaun spent five years working in Australia, including several years in a clinic dedicated to foot mobilisation. Working directly with patients allowed him to develop not only his understanding of the technique, but also the confidence and practical experience needed to manage the realities of treatment.
With a baby on the way, Shaun and his wife decided it was time to come home. They chose Tauranga, where his wife is from, and decided to see whether his new approach could take root here.
On returning, he saw an opportunity. He was the first to pioneer foot mobilisation therapy as a specialty in New Zealand, and today he says only two places in the country specialise in the practice. Over the past nine years, he’s opened two clinics in Auckland and Corrective Foot Solutions here in Tauranga, where he practices. Treatment is ACC funded, and private health insurance may also cover it where podiatry is included in the policy.
For people dealing with foot problems, particularly bunions, Shaun says early action makes the biggest difference. Exercise and appropriate footwear can help, but hereditary factors and the way a person stands and walks can also contribute.
“The sooner someone can get on to treating something like a bunion, the better,” he says. “The longer you leave it, the harder it gets.”
Ultimately, the goal is not simply to make feet feel better. It’s to help people return to the things they enjoy, whether that means exercise, socialising, shopping, Pilates or yoga.
“After treatment, people feel stronger on their feet and more stable and mobile,” he says. “And they always mention that they can wear their favourite shoes!”
STYLE STATUS
Nicky Adams helps you find what works for your look and lifestyle.
Find what works for your look and lifestyle.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS
CUVÉE ROSE COAT, $728, UNREALFUR.COM.AU
MOOD OF THE MOMENT
Plaid just keeps coming from every direction, and there’s a reason for this: its versatility is as fabulous as its timelessness. From outerwear to statement dresses, often crafted from fabric in a heavier weave, it’s a look that leans into the practical as much as the visually pleasing.
Styling has taken a maximalist slant; head-to-toe is the go – an approach New Zealand designers are excelling at. Given our mild winter climate, Bay dwellers have the advantage of being able to dip our toes into cold-weather looks without having to completely ‘winterise’ our wardrobes, and for this, layering is key. Mid-weight pieces topped with a statement coat enables the outerwear to be the entire look. Go for faux fur and shearling or ethically sourced feather, and add new depth to the most basic of outfits.
HEREAFTER DRESS, $440, TWENTYSEVENNAMES.CO.NZ
WELCOME WINTER TO YOUR WARDROBE
Colour features strongly this season, and a great way to banish the gloom is by zhushing up your neutrals with splashes of it. Although florals will always say “spring”, some designers haven’t been able to wait and have turned blooms transeasonal by showing them paired with heavy boots and a coat.
The quarter zip knit is another favourite look, and one that works just as well for men as women; thanks to its minimalist appeal, it’s a top-tier staple.
INTENT JACKET, $470, MOOCHI.CO.NZ
Sweaters take the average turtleneck up a notch, with this season championing ultra-cosy funnel-necks. In fact, the high-collar aesthetic is a huge breakout trend right now, as are balloon pants. Billowy with a tapered hem, for many fashion fans, these pants sartorially divisive, but like it or lump it, they’ve quickly become the silhouette of the season.
TRENDING NOW
Most-wanted this winter.
BEC AND BRIDGE CASSIS DRAPE MAXI DRESS, $469, SUPERETTE.CO.NZ
RECALIBRATE YOUR LOOK EASY ELEVATION Although transeasonal pieces are imperative wardrobe fillers, find me someone who doesn’t love a winter coat or jacket. At this time of year, in some form or other, leather (or faux) can’t be beaten.
Versatility is a star quality that can just as easily read retro or polished and can’t be beaten for longevity. A beautiful long-line piece of tailoring will never date, and if you’re looking for an on-trend jacket, a funnel-neck or bomber should be your pick.
None of this season’s trends feel too set in stone, but a ’20s-style dropped or elongated waist is a highlight, and generally a flattering one. Sheer lace and corsets are as dramatic as they are current, with a gothic vibe simmering away in the background.
ACLER AVISION MAXI DRESS, $809, BELLOVIDA.NZ
EASY ELEVATION
Overall, this winter’s trends couldn’t get more low maintenance, with designers encouraging fashion lovers to selectively add a few main players, then consider ways to creatively rethink what we already own.
For 2026, pay attention to your knitwear and knee-highs. The former has been elevated via woollen dresses, skirts with matching cardigans, and wrap tops and matching pants, all considered high-fashion pieces.
A trend has also emerged in the form of pre-layered knits. Last year, we saw sweaters and coats with scarf details; this year, it’s knits over knits. If that’s not your thing, look to the trending play on texture – silk or satin paired with merino or cashmere shows an appreciation of quality as well as classic style.
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
The seeds of world record-holder Sam Ruthe’s success may have exploded into full bloom recently, but they were sown nearly eight decades ago. Jamie Troughton retraces the remarkable story of a family of runners, which could be culminating in the current generation.
The seeds of world record-holder Sam Ruthe’s success may have exploded into full bloom recently, but they were sown nearly eight decades ago. Jamie Troughton retraces the remarkable story of a family of runners, which could be culminating in the current generation.
WORDS + PHOTOS JAMIE TROUGHTON + SUPPLIED MAKE-UP DESIRÉE OSTERMAN
If you learn nothing else about Sam Ruthe, just know he’s the type of 17-year-old boy who treasures time with his grandparents.
His ‘Poppa’ and ‘Nan’ are Trevor and Rosemary Wright, who moved to Tauranga 44 years ago. They left behind a life in England, as well as extraordinary athletic careers in their own right.
Sam often pops in during study breaks to see his grandparents at their house in Tauranga’s Avenues, or on his way home from Tauranga Boys’ College, where – almost incongruously – he’s a Year 12 student.
These days, into their late 70s, Trevor and Rosemary are still active. And recently, on a warm autumn day for the umpteenth time in their lives, they were perched on a park bench at Welcome Bay’s Waipuna Park watching cross country. On show was Sam’s younger sister Daisy, and she was putting on an absolute clinic. Not only did she demolish her age group to win the Western Bay under-16 girls title but she cleared home ahead of the entire field of boys, who started at the same time.
“I get more nervous watching the kids and grandkids run than when I used to run myself,” says Trevor. “When I was running, it was down to me and I knew what I was doing, but you can’t control how the kids run their race and you don’t want them to be disappointed.”
Disappointment, however, seems a rare commodity in this family these days. In 1971, Trevor set the world record for the fastest debut marathon, and collected podium medals at the European championships, the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon. His best marathon time would have been enough to finish in the top 40 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the former electrician relished the chance to move to New Zealand in 1982, with Rosemary, four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Jess. Now, the girls have five kids of their own and the Wrights are frequently on the sidelines, offering gentle encouragement but a distinct absence of advice. Their once-powerful flame of ambition, which carried them both to achieve worldwide athletic feats, is now just a gentle warm joy for the next generation.
“They really don't talk about their running that much,” says Sam. “Nan's theory is that you don't really need to do too much to be good at running, and she views it as a simple thing you can get good at by doing quality over quantity. She tells me stories about how she used to hide around the corner and eat chocolate while others trained. It might not be a great tip, but it definitely makes running a lot more casual, having that perspective.”
It turns out that Rosemary grew up in Whakatāne – where she spent the first 14 years of her life – next door to the grandmother of one of Sam’s good mates and training partners, Ronin Dickens. That piece of trivia has absolutely no bearing on anything, other than to provide a comforting reminder that, in this country, we live in merely a large village.
Sam’s village is tight and trustworthy and nourishing; his family is his foundation. He may or may not become the greatest runner New Zealand has ever produced, but he will always know where his feet stand, and who has put him on his journey.
“That’s the really cool thing about having a family full of runners – everyone’s been there and done that, and things like records don’t interest them as much,” says Sam. “They understand everything that’s going on, they don’t see you as ‘a runner’, and it helps build your own identity within your family.”
Fifty-six years later, Rosemary can still hear the pulsing roar of 5000 Edinburgh throats, opening as one. Meadowbank Stadium, newly opened for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, shook on its foundations as the women’s 800m field leaned into the final curve.
Time has blurred out most other details for the long time Tauranga teacher, clad that day in the white and St Andrews blue of her adopted Scotland. Intriguingly, she was also something of a prodigy. Then Rosemary Stirling and still just 22, she was at her second Commonwealth Games after a promising debut in Jamaica four years earlier, where she’d picked up a pair of fourths in the 400m and 800m.
Just eight years after moving back to the UK with her British-born parents, and having overcome injury in the lead-up, she was still only rated an outside chance in the 800m on the final day of the Games.
“I remember [England's] Sheila Carey falling over on the first lap and thinking, ‘That’s good’ because she was the favourite to win,” the now 78-year-old recalls of that 1970 final. “And I can just remember crowds. There were huge crowds shouting and bawling and just screaming. It definitely lifted me.”
After two compelling laps, it all came down to the final few desperate strides, when the Kiwi-born Scot lunged at the line to beat England’s Pat Lowe and Australia's Cheryl Peasley. It was the closest finish of the Games, and Scotland’s first-ever female track gold medal at Commonwealth level. It’s given Rosemary an enduring legacy in Scotland. She made the Olympic final in Munich two years later, and her 800m national record stood in Scotland until 2002. She was invited back to help open the 1986 Games and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2014.
These days, Rosemary downplays her own athletic feats to the point of irrelevance. “It’s only running,” she says. Though dismissive, there’s a glimmer of steel in her tone, well known to the thousands of Tauranga Girls’ College students she’s taught over the years. And there’s also a deeper philosophy embedded in that short truth, one that has become something of a family mantra.
It’s only running. You can see that, later that same autumn day, when Sam starts rekindling his deep, abiding love affair with the sport. On Tauranga Domain’s busy synthetic track, he’s taking the first, slightly tentative steps from a fast walk to a light jog, six weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his fibula during a casual game of backyard football. At 17, it was his first major injury, which has since ruled him out of emulating his grandmother’s Commonwealth Games heroics – this year, at least.
Around him, his village takes note and quietly celebrates. Coach Craig Kirkwood sends his burgeoning training squad on their way, pacing out meticulous laps, alongside Tauranga Boys’ College’s gun running posse, coached by Sam’s uncle, Gareth Hyett. All of them have had front-row seats in the past two years, as a young man in their midst – their buddy, protégé, training mate and schoolmate – burst onto the world stage in the most extraordinary manner.
Sam’s most recent piece of history came at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University in late January. The mile race featured three Olympians, a world champion, a junior world champion, a US champion and a two-time US college champion – and yet, striding past Belgian Olympian Pieter Sisk in the final 200m, came a 16-year-old from Tauranga, jaw clenched in the final straight, clocking a scarcely believable 3:48.88.
Trevor and Rosemary Wright – aka Poppa and Nan – with Sam and Daisy.
Since New Zealand’s John Walker first broke the three minute 50 second barrier in 1975, only 63 men worldwide have managed it. None were under the age of 18.
As well as breaking the under-18 world mile record – and this is one for the stats lovers – it was also the fastest mile run during the month of January. Ever. But the greatest race of Sam Ruthe’s career – so far – was a curious moment for the Tauranga schoolboy.
“I didn’t really get any sense of satisfaction. Once I finished that race, I thought, ‘I definitely have more to give’. I was just off the plane and know I can definitely go a lot faster than that. At the time, I also didn't really realise how perfect the race went, how even the splits were, the atmosphere at the track and all the factors that played into it.
“But running’s a sport where you’re never satisfied and I don’t even really have goals, so it wasn’t as if it was even a goal for me to run the New Zealand record or the under-18 world record. I guess I was happy about it, but I wasn't satisfied.”
After all, it’s only running. That Boston race was bittersweet for the other Kiwi in the field, who just happens to be another Tauranga prodigy, until recently also coached by Craig, two-time Olympian Sam Tanner. Of course, the 25-year-old has known for a while that his young training partner is something a little bit special. They notably shared the New Zealand 1500m title last year in an enthralling dead heat, and Tanner paced Ruthe on the way to his historic sub-four-minute mile as a 15-year-old weeks later. Things were actually shaping up perfectly for Tanner in Boston, until disaster struck 400m in, with his young training partner tucked in behind.
“I told Sammy before the race, ‘Just turn your brain off and follow me, bro – you’ll be sweet’, and he turned his brain off and followed me. We got in a perfect position, and then the dude who chopped between us clipped my Achilles and I had to pull out. Sam ended up behind him, but then he just went around because that guy was falling off, and then he just followed Peter Sisk, which was perfect.”
Injured, Tanner watched the rest of the race unfold from the sideline, with mixed emotions. “It's not very often that you get a perfect set-up like that for a 3:48 mile. I’ve been waiting five years and I thought it was my chance; often the races that I’ve been part of have had a 3:45 pace or a 3:46 pace and I’m not quite there. You end up blowing up and run 3:50, or 3:49, like I’ve done a couple of times.”
Tanner’s also wise enough to know that a great running career is a thing to build brick by brick, and he piles credits onto Craig for his craftsmanship in that realm.
“Kirky’s just so good at seeing where an athlete’s at, making the best decision and trying to guide them, rather than just thrashing them. He lets the talent speak for itself and just cultivates that. And for Sammy, it just means that a little bit of work goes a really, really long way.
“Sammy and I just got lucky; we can both punish ourselves and enjoy the punishment for the sake of success. And when you've got parents who are good at goal-setting and you look up to them in that sense, it becomes a perfect storm.”
For his sake, young Sam has been exposed to the likes of Tanner, triathlete Hayden Wilde and top Tauranga runner Julian Oakley from the time he started running seriously at 14.
“It's pretty incredible when you can see someone in the training group and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s the level I need to get to, to make this my career’,” says Sam. “It’s a cool feeling when you’re running with Tanner. Heading off with Ben on the US tour in January, on which Sam broke numerous records. Sam signed with Nike in March 2025. It’s not like, ‘I’m training with an Olympian’ – it’s the feeling of knowing exactly where you need to be to make it. The coolest thing was seeing how close I could get to him, every time I’d run with him, and that brought me to the level I am today.”
Sam has always been polite, quiet, even shy, says Sam’s father, Ben Ruthe. He has a good yarn about his young son at daycare, when a clown came in to make blow-up balloons. Swords, crowns and sausage dogs were being requested and handed out to the other kids, while Sam sat there quietly, as his parents had instructed.
“It wasn’t until right at the end that he went up and asked for a sword, and the clown had run out of balloons,” recalls Ben, clearly still a little mortified. “I thought it might’ve been quite crippling – we'd taught him to be quiet and patient and polite and never demand or ask things, and he’d missed out. I think we spent the next 10 years trying to encourage him to vocalise what he needed!”
From left: Jess, Daisy, Sam and Ben.
These days, Ben has his own semi-permanent air of bemusement about him. He knows a fair bit about running himself, having won the Auckland Marathon in 2008 and New Zealand titles in the 1500m and 5000m.
Sam’s mum Jess, meanwhile, won the Auckland Marathon in 2009 and New Zealand titles in the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and the 10,000m (twice). Still, they’re amazed by what Sam has achieved so quickly – it’s been far more life-changing for them than their eldest child. While the sub-four-minute mile was staggering, Ben had an inkling things were about to go up a level late last year.
“There were signs in training in November that Sam was in really good shape,” he says. “He was training with Tanner, who couldn’t have been a better training partner, and all of a sudden, instead of a kid trying to keep up with an Olympian, it was, ‘Sam’s starting to hold on here’, and, ‘Sam’s taking his fair share of reps’.”
Sam’s memory is even clearer. He can pinpoint one typical early-Saturday session along Ōtūmoetai’s Beach Road in particular, when he realised he could genuinely foot it with international-class seniors.
“Tanner always makes us share the reps, and when Craig sets us a pace, sometimes I might push it a little bit faster than that, just to test things a bit. I remember one session when everyone else was dropping off and I was thinking, ‘How hard is Tanner puffing right now?’ and I got the feeling that I was nearing his level because he took over and dropped the pace down again. Little moments like that are really cool to look back on.”
Ben points out that Sam’s recent injury has also had the unintended benefit of encouraging him to ask for help, but it also heaps more pressure on the parents of an athlete, when everyday decisions start carrying increasingly larger ramifications.
“We had a debate about suggesting he didn’t go out and play barefoot soccer with his mates. We weighed it up and decided, ‘Nah, we want him to enjoy the best of Kiwi youth’ – and that’s the day he picked up a fibula stress fracture!
“But if I went back in time, I’d still let him go out and play football, because you learn so much from something like this. His mindset now is around strength and conditioning, stretching, core work, cross training. He was a good runner, but now he’s got a much broader view of all of the ingredients he needs.”
Because of that inbuilt, humble mindset, Ben also has no fear that Sam’s international success will cause him to get cocky.
“We really haven't wrapped him up in cotton wool,” says Ben. “We’ve constantly put him in situations where he could test himself, and that comes with risk. He genuinely just enjoys the process and has never wanted fame. He just wants to work hard and work towards results, and any sort of fame is not a motivator for him.”
ART OF RETREAT
Along with the cold, winter can bring loneliness, low motivation and social withdrawal. Cass Hogan of Fontein Coaching offers advice on how to support yourself through it.
Along with the cold, winter can bring loneliness, low motivation and social withdrawal. Cass Hogan of Fontein Coaching offers advice on how to support yourself through it.
PHOTO CASEY VAN LIEFDE
There’s a particular feeling that settles in around now. The mornings are darker, the harbour is grey, the calendar is suddenly less crowded, and something in us pulls inward. We sleep a little later. We say no to things we'd usually say yes to. The text we meant to send sits idle for three days.
If that’s where you find yourself this winter, I want to start by saying it’s not a failure. The natural world slows down in winter for a reason, and we’re part of the natural world. The pull toward quiet is real, and it can be a beautiful thing if we move with it intentionally, rather than letting it carry us somewhere we didn't choose to go.
In my coaching practice, I see this distinction every winter. There’s intentional retreat, which might mean slower mornings, deeper conversations and early nights. Then there’s unintentional withdrawal, like motivation that disappears, relief sought through cancelled plans, a slow drift away from the people and practices that keep us well. The first restores us; the second costs us. The tricky part is that they can look identical from the outside, and even from the inside for a while.
The question I find most useful during the cooler months is a gentle one: Am I choosing this or am I hiding in it? If the honest answer is the latter, you don’t need a five-step plan or a burst of new-year energy, you need anchors that look like small, consistent points of contact that keep you from drifting.
Here are three I come back to again and again with my clients.
Light, every day. Even 10 minutes of natural light in the morning can help your sleep, your mood and your sense of being awake to your own life. Coffee on the deck counts. A walk to the letterbox counts.
One real conversation a week. Not a “We should catch up” text – an actual coffee, an actual phone call, an actual “How are you, really?”. Connection isn’t a luxury we earn when we feel better; it’s often what helps us feel better.
One small thing that's just yours. A book, a class, a Sunday ritual, a project underway. Winter has a way of shrinking our worlds down to work and obligation. A small claim on your own joy is an act of self-respect. Winter will do what winter does. The grey will come and go, but you get to decide whether this is a season you move through asleep, or one you move through with your eyes open, with purpose.
That’s the difference, and it’s a difference worth choosing.
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT
Registered nurse and director of Cashmore Clinic, Leanne Cashmore, says taking a seasonal approach to caring for your skin can make a significant difference to how it looks and feels year-round.
Registered nurse and director of Cashmore Clinic, Leanne Cashmore, says taking a seasonal approach to caring for your skin can make a significant difference to how it looks and feels year-round.
PHOTO SALINA GALVAN
If you ask me, winter presents the perfect opportunity to reset and repair your skin. Whereas summer is often focused on protection and maintenance, this time of year is all about nourishment, restoration and correction.
During the cooler months, humidity reduces, and cold air outside combined with indoor heating can leave skin feeling tight, dehydrated, flaky and more sensitive than usual. Many people notice increased redness, irritation or dullness, because the skin barrier – the outer layer responsible for retaining moisture and protecting against environmental stress – has become compromised.
In the skin industry, winter is widely considered to be ‘treatment season’. Reduced sun exposure and heat mean you’re able to recover more comfortably and effectively from advanced treatments, plus many professional treatments increase sun sensitivity, making winter the safest time to achieve optimal results.
Resurfacing treatments are one of the most popular winter options. They work by exfoliating the skin, encouraging cell turnover, and targeting concerns such as pigmentation, congestion, uneven texture, acne and fine lines. Having such treatments in winter reduces the risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation.
For safety and best results, laser treatments targeting pigmentation, redness, acne scarring, rejuvenation and overall skin correction are also best performed when sun exposure is lower. Laser technology works by creating controlled stimulation within the skin to encourage collagen production and improve imperfections.
The less-sweaty season is an effective time for microneedling too. By creating tiny micro-injuries within the skin, it stimulates collagen and elastin production to improve scarring, texture, enlarged pores and signs of ageing.
You have much to gain from even just a quick reassessment of your skincare routine. Avoid over-exfoliating and, ideally, use active ingredients under the supervision or guidance of a professional. For home care, look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin and essential fatty acids that will boost hydration and support a stronger, healthier skin barrier. And remember, SPF is still non-negotiable. UV exposure remains one of the leading causes of premature ageing and pigmentation, whatever the weather.
A thoughtful reset can create long- term improvements that are difficult to achieve during sunnier seasons. Rather than viewing winter as a challenging time for your skin, I say see it as an opportunity. CASHMORECLINIC.CO.NZ
Results achieved from Ultra Veloce. One treatment only in conjunction with medical-grade skincare.
A WEEK IN MY CHAIR
Shelley Pullar of Salon G reveals this season’s top hair trends, as well as the challenges her clients are up against this winter.
Shelley Pullar of Salon G reveals this season’s top hair trends, as well as the challenges her clients are up against this winter.
PHOTOS KATIE COX + SUPPLIED
Shelley Pullar.
Winter always brings about a change, not just in the weather, but in how people want to feel. Lately, I’ve noticed a real move toward looks that feel intentional yet effortless.
Short hair is having a moment. I’ve had a run of pixie cuts that are soft, textured and full of personality. Think longer layers, feathered edges and movement that doesn’t feel too “done”. It’s a natural fit for winter, when collars come up and scarves go on. These cuts hold their shape but still feel touchable, which is key.
For those keeping their length, I’ve seen a change in styling. Clients with classic straight bobs are asking for a subtle directional flick – something that gives the hair a bit of attitude without committing to a full restyle. It’s the kind of look that works just as well the next day. It’s a little looser and a little more lived-in.
Colour-wise, warmer tones are leading the way. Rich coppers, ambers and deep cherry shades have been especially popular – bold colours that aren’t too overpowering. At the same time, blondes are leaning softer. The focus is on blended, “lived-in” colour, like buttercream, beige and soft gold tones that melt seamlessly from root to end. Nothing harsh or stripy, just beautifully diffused colour that grows out gracefully.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job, though, has been working with first-time curly clients. Many arrive a little hesitant, often after past experiences that didn’t go well. Curl trauma is real, and it usually comes down to misunderstanding how curls behave, especially with shrinkage.
For me, these appointments are about building trust. I take the time to really listen and understand their hair history, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what they’ve disliked most. From there, it becomes a collaborative process. Nothing is rushed, and nothing happens without them feeling comfortable.
Education plays a huge part. I talk them through each step as we go, including how much moisture the hair needs, how to encourage a more even curl pattern, and the difference between air drying and diffusing. The goal is for them to leave not just with great hair, but with the confidence to recreate it at home.
When your hair feels right, everything else falls into place. SALONGRANGE.COM
MIND OVER MATTER
One Mount Maunganui clinic is bringing cutting-edge mental healthcare closer to home, with a groundbreaking treatment offering new hope for depression.
One Mount Maunganui clinic is bringing cutting-edge mental healthcare closer to home, with a groundbreaking treatment offering new hope for depression.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS
PHOTOS DEBORAH DE GRAAF
There are few who would argue with the saying “your health is your wealth”, but when UNO sits down to talk to psychiatrist Dr Darren Malone and his wife, psychiatric nurse Kate Malone, of Equilibrium Assessment and Treatment Clinic, Darren zeroes in on this even further, pointing out that in reality, “the cornerstone of your health is your mental health”.
With the World Health Organisation confirming in 2017 that depression had become the leading cause of ill health and disability (statistics showing an 18 percent increase between 2005 and 2015), it’s probably fair to say that it’s an illness that resonates with most of us. To call it ‘common’ feels reductive, because depression is so hugely impactful both to those suffering and to close whānau and friends. When you consider that up to 7 to 10 percent of adults experience depression annually, its prevalence begins to hit home.
Medication and cognitive behavioural therapy are often the first port of call; however, 30 percent of people with depression are treatment resistant. These people include those who have not achieved an adequate response to medical treatment and those who are unable to tolerate medication side effects.
Worldwide research efforts have focused on everyone in this group. One specific treatment option has gained huge ground globally: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. TMS has been internationally approved and FDA-cleared since 2008, and is approximately twice as effective Dr Darren Malone and Kate Malone. as antidepressant medication.
The outpatient procedure is already widely supported in the US, the UK and Australia, where it’s used as a proven plan for treating resistant depression. In Australia, TMS costs are covered by Medicare.
Darren and Kate have practiced in the public and private systems in New Zealand and the UK for more than three decades. Latterly, Darren was clinical director of Mental Health Services for Lakes DHB, before moving to Mount Maunganui and setting up Equilibrium. The clinic is light and bright, and the atmosphere is relaxed. Darren and Kate are warm and welcoming; it’s hard not to feel at ease.
They focus specifically on working within the field of depression and treatment via TMS, which works using magnetic pulses. They’re passionate about and heavily invested in providing a pathway for patients for whom medication simply doesn’t work, or for those who want to explore a treatment hitherto largely unavailable in New Zealand. The fact we have access to this private facility and level of expertise locally – and without heinous waiting lists – is remarkable.
The route to a treatment plan involving TMS is as stringent as you’d expect. Kate says most patients will be referred to Equilibrium by their GP or psychologist, who will likely have extensive notes to share. The next step will then be a comprehensive assessment with Darren. As he says, “the most important thing about TMS is that you have to confirm that the patient has depression. Then it’s about working together to try to help… We don’t want to give people medication or TMS if it’s not going to be the solution.”
Crucially, Darren continues, “you want the patient to engage in a treatment that will help them get better. You’ve got to understand their preferences and goals. If you can establish the way they want to work, you’re going to get the best outcomes, so you’ve got to adapt.”
The patient groups that really benefit are not only people with treatment-resistant depression, but also those who can’t tolerate medication, pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, and older people who are already on multiple medications. If it’s conclusive that TMS could indeed be positive, a treatment plan is put in place.
Having read about the benefits of TMS, I’m curious as to what the process actually involves. Darren explains, “People will tell us when they’re depressed that their brain doesn’t work properly. It’s been discovered that the primary depression area in your brain is your left side dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which has been shown to be under-functioning in people with depression. We’re able to stimulate this area with the magnetic coil, and the pulse passes through your skull and into the cortex. It’s a kind of non-invasive brain stimulation.”
And the feeling while you’re having the treatment? As the practitioner who gives the treatment, Kate immediately reassures, “It's a very safe, well-tolerated treatment, with minimal or mild side effects, such as mild fatigue and mild scalp discomfort. The delivery of rapid, brief magnetic pulses through the skull into the brain results in a tapping sensation on the skull.”
Although I realise there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan, I’m interested in how many sessions are required and how often. Typically, Darren says, “the original TMS protocols consisted of a 20 to 30-minute treatment, once a day, five times a week, for four to six weeks.”
That said, both Darren and Kate are hugely excited by global progress, particularly in the US, where extensive use and research shows that accelerated TMS protocols can be even more effective. What this means is that “we’re able to offer a full course of TMS over two weeks, which is far more feasible for people to fit into their lives”.
Clinical response to TMS is monitored regularly. Ultimately, the joy of the process for Darren and Kate is being able to offer a potential solution to a problem patients may have battled for years.
“Often the people we see will tell us that they’ve tried medication and cognitive behavioural therapy, as well as diet and exercise,” says Darren. “These people are invested in their mental health and have done really well, but over time, those things have become less effective in treating their depression. They get to the stage where they can become quite desperate because they’ve tried everything. We feel quite hopeful with TMS that it’s something people can try. TMS is tolerable, proven and highly effective.”
BORN INTO LEGAL LIMBO
New Zealand’s surrogacy laws belong to another era. Decades on from being written, the families caught up in them are paying an enormous price.
New Zealand’s surrogacy laws belong to another era. Decades on from being written, the families caught up in them are paying an enormous price. WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT
Imagine spending years trying to have a child, enduring miscarriages and failed fertility treatments. Maybe biology just isn't on your side and you spend forever searching for someone to carry your baby to full term. When you finally find a surrogate willing to do so, everyone in the room knows exactly who the parents are. Except the law.
Under New Zealand’s current framework, the intended parents – as in the people who created that embryo, who have longed for that child and will take them home and raise them – are legal strangers to their own baby at birth. The surrogate and her partner are the legal parents, and until a lengthy, costly adoption process plays out over months or years, that’s how it stays.
This is the reality for thousands of New Zealanders who build their families through surrogacy, but according to the experts working alongside them, it doesn't have to be this way.
“Nobody gets to surrogacy easily,” says Stewart Dalley, a family lawyer who has spent years working on such cases. He was part of the first same-sex de facto couple in New Zealand to jointly adopt their children.
“For a gay couple, you don’t really have any other option than surrogacy because ordinary adoptions are rare as hen’s teeth. But for a heterosexual couple, you’ve probably gone through multiple years of infertility, unexplained infertility, multiple miscarriages, all of those things, which place a massive emotional drain on you. When you get to the point where surrogacy is your only option, then begins the long, bureaucratic road to becoming the parents.”
Under New Zealand law, the woman who gives birth to a child is automatically recognised as its legal mother, regardless of whether she has any genetic connection to that child. Her partner, whether male or female, is recognised as the other legal parent. Legally, the people who may have created the embryo and will raise it from birth don’t have any such status.
“What the law treats mum and dad as is sperm donor and egg donor,” explains Stewart. “Nobody intended this to be the situation. I think it was just short-sighted. The law hasn't kept pace with technology and reality.”
The practical consequence is that intended parents must go through a formal adoption process to be legally recognised as the parents of their own child. It’s a process that Caren August, a counsellor at Fertility Associates, says typically runs for around two and-a-half years from first appointment to completed adoption. But the absurdities don’t stop there.
Christchurch influencer Rebecca Keil became a surrogate in 2019 for Wellington couple Tess Dunford and Dan Stemp after seeing Tess’s plea for a surrogate on Instagram. Tess had suffered a postpartum haemorrhage during the birth of their first child that required an emergency hysterectomy. Although it was devastating, her ovaries were intact, meaning IVF and surrogacy were possible. For Rebecca, the decision to help was straightforward, however, the legal reality that followed was anything but.
“We don’t have surrogacy laws,” she says. “We have ancient adoption laws, which make the process a whole lot harder.”
Because Rebecca was married, her husband Jared was automatically presumed to be the baby’s legal father, despite having no biological connection whatsoever to the child. His name, and his ethnicity, went on the birth certificate.
“He’s a whole-ass fruit salad,” jokes Rebecca. “On this child’s birth certificate, it says his father is Māori and Samoan, and he’s a Pākehā child. It’s so crazy and misogynistic.”
Caren recognises the reaction immediately. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the partner of a surrogate say, ‘But why? I’m not contributing eggs, I’m not contributing sperm, I’m certainly not carrying the pregnancy.’”
Beyond the bureaucratic frustration is genuine fear. Until the legal process is complete, the surrogate and her partner are the child’s legal parents. The intended parents are not. For everyone involved, that ambiguity can be a source of dread.
“The worry of the surrogate is that the intended parents are going to ditch her and she’s going to be stuck with this baby,” says Stewart. “The worry of the intended parents is, what if the surrogate decides to keep the baby?”
Caren sees this play out throughout her counselling sessions. “Even when you know each other really well and have a deep sense of trust, there can still be that thought that comes up occasionally. What if they change their mind? What if I do something that upsets them and they decide to keep the baby?”
She describes it as “a common undercurrent alongside times of excitement and hope”.
Legally, that fear isn’t entirely unfounded. “Surrogacy is not legally enforceable in New Zealand,” explains Caren. “The surrogate or the intending parents could withdraw from it, even once there's a pregnancy.”
Rebecca says the fear never took hold for her personally, because she trusted Tess and Dan completely, and felt no grief at handing their son Ziggy over, but she understands why others might feel differently. “If I was in a scenario where it had maybe gone south, and I knew there were no legalities and nothing to protect me, that definitely would have felt a bit different.”
What she does remember vividly is the chaos of the immediate aftermath. Ziggy was born on a Sunday in the early hours of the morning. Rebecca, who had complications during the birth, found herself sending emails from her hospital bed at 5am to relinquish legal rights.
“Because it was a Sunday, there were issues around getting things sorted,” she says. “There was a point where they weren’t going to let Tess and Dan leave the hospital with the baby, and that came down to the timing of it. If it had been midweek, it probably would have been way easier.”
When the adoption order is finally granted, which is often months later, in a courtroom, Stewart says it’s often profoundly emotional. “I’ve seen judges crying happy tears. It’s a lovely ceremony, but the parents are crying not only because it’s a lovely moment. It’s also, ‘Thank God it’s finally over’. There’s the exhaustion of the whole process, the cost, the emotional drain. That order being granted at the end is just the final, final step.”
For Rebecca, the court appearance came around six months after Ziggy’s birth. “It was just a wildly insane scenario,” she says. “I give birth to someone’s biological child and they have to adopt it off me.”
New Zealand’s surrogacy laws have been overdue for reform for decades. A Member’s Bill incorporating Law Commission recommendations is now sitting before Parliament awaiting its second and third reading, but progress has been glacial.
“It’s Parliament time, basically,” says Stewart, who was one of the expert legal advisors to the review. “Whether it’s going to happen in this term, or roll over into a new political cycle, I honestly don’t know.”
It was former MP Tāmati Coffey, himself a father through surrogacy, who came closest to making it happen. He drafted the original Member’s Bill alongside Louisa Wall and gathered cross-party support, but it stalled on timetabling and, he believes, the cost of implementation. He left Parliament before seeing it over the line.
“I’m sad that we’re still kicking the can down the road. It shouldn’t have taken this long,” he says.
He also points to a glaring inequity where every professional in the process gets paid, except the surrogate.
“As it stands, women who do this need to do it for the love in their heart. But every other professional is clipping the ticket, and clipping big.”
Rebecca echoes this. Surrogates cannot be paid beyond tightly prescribed medical expenses, and costs like physiotherapy and dietary changes aren’t covered.
“Things like your diet changes, your body changes and legally they’re not allowed to reimburse you for any of it.”
It’s a barrier, she says, that deepens New Zealand’s already scarce surrogate pool.
“The law shouldn’t discriminate against children and impose hurdles and barriers because of the accident of their birth,” says Stewart. “Why push people through a court process just to be recognised as the parents of the child? It seems absurd.”
Tāmati wants the issue on party manifestos before the next election. His vision for what better looks like is simple.
“When you’ve got willing parties, the law just needs to fall into line.”
For Rebecca, her mission is to keep talking.
“I would never talk about surrogacy without telling one more person why it’s so messed up,” she says.
For the people who arrive at surrogacy after years of loss and heartbreak, she says it must be the worst of the worst. “And then you've got this. Just another thing.”
HEALTH WITH HEART
Where weight loss and appearance medicine are concerned, you want your goals to be deeply considered. This time, at these clinics, it’s personal.
Where weight loss and appearance medicine are concerned, you want your goals to be deeply considered. This time, at these clinics, it’s personal.
PHOTOS DEBORAH DE GRAAF
Brenda Newman (left) and Julia Perry
Towards the end of UNO’s interview with Brenda Newman and Julia Perry, who run the Weight Loss Clinic at Fifth Ave Family Practice, I ask Brenda if there’s anything she says to her clients that really resonates. “I tell them, ‘It’s not your fault – it’s not a lack of willpower.’” Does this strike a chord, I wonder? “It’s a very emotive topic,” she replies.
Weight – and losing it – is a topic very much in the public eye. Excitement around drugs such as Wegovy/ Mounjaro (the GLP-1 drugs available in New Zealand) creeps into conversations, and for those with health-impacting weight issues, their use is being heralded as a game-changer. The great thing is that although the GLP-1s are an option offered at this private clinic, it’s far from the only solution. Expertise and wrap-around support is an important component of the service.
The Weight Loss Clinic was established last year because of the impact obesity has on health. Brenda and Julia are both nurse practitioners with a background in the management of long-term conditions, SCOPE (Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education) certified by the World Obesity Federation, unflappable, non-judgemental and reassuring. Their service is built on the understanding that a desire to lose weight should be addressed without shame or stigma.
There are a multitude of factors at play when it comes to weight gain or obesity, whether genetic or circumstantial. Having expert guidance and support on what may be a lifelong journey is invaluable.
Brenda’s quick to point out that weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have exploded in popularity because they’re a hot topic in the media, but there are criteria and costs attached. There are also several other medications available; some act as appetite suppressants, others are targeted towards reducing cravings.
“A lot of people walk in with preconceived ideas, and that’s when we say, ‘Okay, that’s cool, let’s talk about all the medications that are out there, but let’s also talk about lifestyle.’ There are so many ways to assist,” says Brenda.
“We want to be able to talk about all the options – bariatric surgery, exercise, meal supplements, healthy eating,” adds Julia. “It’s important to be well informed.”
People can self-refer to the clinic whether patients of the practice or not. A thorough questionnaire followed by an appointment then helps to establish an action plan.
What’s essential to recognise, says Julia, is that “obesity is a long-term, complex, chronic condition that’s relapsing”. Ultimately, this sits at the very core of the clinic’s value: because the battle’s not won when the weight is lost, establishing a lifelong shift in mindset is critical. The ability Brenda and Julie have to provide ongoing support as they watch their clients recover their health, improve their self-image and gain confidence is exactly why this clinic was set up.
Dr Sam Mahesh (left) and Dr Kiran Singh.
Contributing to Fifth Ave Family Practice’s holistic approach to health and wellbeing is its Cosmetic Medicine Clinic, run by Dr Kiran Singh and Dr Sam Mahesh. Kiran established the clinic (which he runs alongside his GP work) eight years ago, and Sam joined him last year. Both are heavily invested in the ethical practice around appearance medicine, and we discuss how standards have become less stringent as aesthetic treatments have become more mainstream.
As Kiran points out, “You can potentially be in the hands of someone who has trained through a YouTube video and set up a clinic. Our core business is in medicine. We’re grounded in safe practice and good clinical judgement, as well as cosmetic outcomes.”
Treatments such as Botox are ever more easily accessible, but it’s still important that the practitioner you choose is highly skilled. Says Sam, “Because the substances worked with have become so normalised, people have forgotten how powerful they are.”
As well as their medical qualifications, Kiran holds a Diploma in Cosmetic Medicine from NZSCM, completed, as Kiran puts it “for service excellence, really, and ensuring you’re the best in what you do”. Sam is currently working towards the same diploma.
Sam’s mantra is “enhance, don’t alter”. Kiran asserts that for the very best results, restraint is key. “It’s our job not just to provide the treatment, but to ask, ‘Is this required and reasonable?’.”
Both Kiran and Sam love the symbiotic relationship between the science of medicine and the art of aesthetics. Says Sam, “When you look at the way mental wellbeing can be tied in with physical appearance, it explains why helping improve people’s confidence is a real privilege.” FIFTHAVENUE.CO.NZ
KEEP AN EYE ON IT
Hindsight may be 20/20, but you’d be better off having an accurate picture of your eye health sooner rather than later. Optometrist Mariam Baissy from Bay Eye Care explains why silent eye diseases often go unnoticed.
Hindsight may be 20/20, but you’d be better off having an accurate picture of your eye health sooner rather than later. Optometrist Mariam Baissy from Bay Eye Care explains why silent eye diseases often go unnoticed.
PHOTO SALINA GALVAN
As we age and our eyes change, serious conditions can develop long before we notice anything’s wrong. Helpfully, optometrist Mariam Baissy of Bay Eye Care is here to explain why some eye diseases can go unnoticed and how early detection and preventative measures can protect your vision.
UNO: Mariam, why do eye conditions such as these often go unnoticed until it’s too late? Mariam: Many eye conditions develop gradually and often without obvious symptoms. For example, glaucoma slowly damages the optic nerve, and macular degeneration affects central vision subtly at first. Because early changes are painless and vision loss can be gradual, people may not notice anything until the condition is advanced. If you have a family history, your risk is higher, making regular eye checks especially important, as they can detect these conditions early before noticeable vision loss occurs.
What exactly is glaucoma? Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, usually due to increased pressure inside the eye. It’s called the ‘silent thief of sight’ because it often develops slowly with no early symptoms. Peripheral vision is affected first, so many people don’t realise they have glaucoma until significant vision loss has occurred.
How does ageing increase our risk of conditions like this? As we age, the tissues and structures of the eye naturally change, which can increase susceptibility to disease. For glaucoma, the drainage system of the eye may become less efficient, raising eye pressure. In macular degeneration, cumulative damage to the light-sensitive cells in the macula – responsible for sharp, fine-detail vision – affects central vision. Genetics and lifestyle factors such as smoking and high blood pressure also contribute, but ageing remains a major driver.
What are the early warning signs of macular degeneration? Macular degeneration primarily affects central vision, so early signs can include blurry or distorted sight, difficulty reading or straight lines appearing wavy. Glaucoma can advance silently, whereas macular changes, especially central distortion, may stand out more to the person experiencing them.
How much do lifestyle choices really influence the risk of eye disease? Lifestyle habits do matter for eye health. Diets rich in leafy greens, colourful vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids support retinal health. Smoking is a major modifiable risk factor for macular degeneration, and high blood pressure and obesity also increase risk. Even though genetics and age still play a major role, protecting eyes from UV light, staying active, and managing overall health can help slow vision- threatening changes.
What can be done for someone who’s diagnosed with glaucoma or macular degeneration? Early diagnosis is key. Glaucoma can be managed with prescription eye drops, laser treatment or surgery to reduce eye pressure and protect vision. For macular degeneration, lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements and in some cases injections or laser therapy can slow progression. For those with a strong family history, genetic testing, such as that offered at Bay Eye Care, can help assess risk and guide monitoring. Although these conditions can’t always be fully reversed, treatment can preserve remaining vision and maintain quality of life.
TRUE TO YOU
Early detection of bowel cancer is a passion project for Dr Clive Price.
Early detection of bowel cancer is a passion project for Dr Clive Price.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS | PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN
Whereas even mentioning bodily functions would have made my grandparents blush, today’s society is far more open and at ease with discussing matters of a personal nature. Which is why, along with general chatter about coffee prices or office politics, talk of the vagaries of bowel movements wouldn’t be unheard of among many friend groups. Rather than just casual chit-chat, these conversations are usually rooted in cause; we are undoubtedly far more aware of our personal well-being (find me someone who hasn’t upped their protein intake), and way more proactive when it comes to safeguarding our health (collagen smoothie anyone?). Despite all these attempts at better diet, fitness and education, the thought of cancer still lurks in the back of many minds.
When Dr Clive Price, a GP at the Pāpāmoa Tara Road Medical Centre, relocated from the UK to New Zealand, he was surprised to find that the age to qualify for the New Zealand government early detection programme is significantly higher here than both the UK and Australia, despite him being under 40, and self-testing annually with a FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test), along with his dermatologist wife. The lack of privately purchased tests available shocked him.
“I’ve been a doctor for 12 years, a GP for the last eight years. Part of my training was in a hospice, and one of the things I noticed was the number of young people coming in with cancer. In a six-month placement, we had five or six under 40s come in for the last days of their life, and about three of those were bowel cancer.”
“It led me to think we’re doing things the wrong way round; we’re spending billions on treating things too late. That got my interest in proactive healthcare and screening.”
With the New Zealand public system favouring the 58-74 age bracket, Clive believes, “There’s a huge proportion of the population who could do with being screened, but it’s not available. Most medical guidelines recommend screening from the age of 45 or younger, if you’ve got risk factors”. With the screening age set at 58 in New Zealand, that’s 13 years where earlier detection could potentially make a meaningful difference.”
Seeing a huge gap in the market, Clive felt he needed to introduce this test privately in New Zealand. His research showed there are bowel cancer tests available here in pharmacies (FOB tests), but they use unreliable, outdated technology.
“They work by detecting microscopic bits of hemoglobin in poo, but they cannot distinguish between human hemoglobin and animal, so basically anyone who eats meat tests positive - a huge number of false positives, so they are really inaccurate.”
Conversely, a FIT does distinguish between animal and human hemoglobin. It’s designed to look for tiny traces of blood in your faeces that are too small to see with the naked eye, and which could be a sign of cancer. Made for ease of use, according to Clive; “They also use a much better analysing method, so rather than doing three separate samples, you need only one little poke (in the faeces). It can also distinguish where the blood is coming from, so the number of false positives is much less, and the sensitivity is much better. The studies I’ve looked at suggest that FIT testing, depending on the threshold, picks up to about 90 percent of tumours.”
In a health system that is not currently geared -or resourced - for the concerns of under 50s, GPs will struggle to offer testing to ‘the low risk but not no risk’. The population that would find the FIT test particularly helpful includes two groups: symptomatic patients,
whom a GP would be keen to rule out from bowel cancer, and asymptomatic individuals, whom a GP might want to screen proactively. While candidates would need to be over 18, growing evidence suggests that many people over the age of 45 would benefit from bowel cancer screening. In those with risk factors, or in certain ethnic groups such as Māori, emerging data indicates screening may need to begin earlier, potentially from around 35.
The decision to create the company TrueScreen was one that Clive and his business partner Richard Porter, both took extremely seriously. Richard was attracted to the venture for not only its core value, but also the “fundamental ease and accessibility” it offers to consumers.
As a doctor, Clive reiterates, “I’m duty bound ethically, morally and professionally to make sure this is an evidence-based test - it’s safe and the gold standard.”
Working in partnership with New Zealand’s biggest laboratory (which also runs the government screening) means absolute reliability, accuracy and professionalism. As for the process, it couldn’t be simpler. Once the test has been ordered, it’s sent to the customer, who will then take their own sample. A return mailer is provided and keeps it safe, before being returned to the lab within a 14-day window. The results are confidentially accessed by Clive, who reviews them and then contacts the person being screened.
Clear evidence shows that bowel cancer is “the fastest growing cancer for under 50’s - it’s disproportionately shooting up”. However, Clive points out, “if bowel cancer is detected early, it is highly treatable and often curable.”
The idea of getting on board with a privately funded, annual screening programme is not one that will be unfamiliar to Kiwis; Mole Map, for example, is rolled out on this premise. And when it comes to something that could be life or death, wiggling a stick in a poo sample, in the comfort of your own home, feels like an incredibly low-level commitment. I, for one, will be signing up.
Truescreen FIT Tests are now available via the website.
BALANCED BEAUTY
Target what matters and skip what doesn’t. Leanne Cashmore from Cashmore Clinic shows us what to do and where to do it, using subtle, considered treatments for a fresher look.
Target what matters and skip what doesn’t. Leanne Cashmore from Cashmore Clinic shows us what to do and where to do it, using subtle, considered treatments for a fresher look.
PHOTO SALINA GALVAN
When it comes to ageing well, the most effective results come from targeting specific concerns rather than overhauling your entire face. Different areas age in different ways. Repetitive movement creates lines, volume loss causes hollowing, muscles pull downward, and skin quality declines.
A tailored plan focuses on what truly needs attention: softening expression lines, restoring structure where support has diminished, relaxing tension in the lower face, and improving overall texture and firmness. The goal isn’t to look different, but to look less tired, less tense, and more refreshed.
Here are the treatments that target all those areas of concern.
JAW / JAW CLENCHING
Concern: Teeth grinding, tension headaches and bulky jaw muscles. Treatment: Masseter Botox to relax overactive muscles, which reduces discomfort and can slim the lower face over time.
JOWLS
Concern: Sagging or heaviness along the lower face.
Treatment: Strategic dermal filler placement to support and lift. A fullface assessment is essential, as this often requires balancing with Botox.
FOREHEAD
Concern: Horizontal lines, creasing and heaviness.
Treatment: Anti-wrinkle injections (Botox) to soften dynamic lines and prevent deeper creases. Strategic placement can also create a subtle brow lift.
FROWN LINES (GLABELLAR LINES)
Concern: “11” lines between the brows, resulting in a tired or angry appearance.
Treatment: Anti-wrinkle injections (Botox) to relax strong frown muscles, softening the expression while maintaining natural movement and preventing static lines.
CROW’S FEET
Concern: Fine lines around the eyes when smiling.
Treatment: Anti-wrinkle injections (Botox) to smooth dynamic lines, brightening the eye area and improving make-up application.
EYE HOLLOWS (TEAR TROUGHS) Concern: Hollowing, shadowing and a tired appearance.
Treatment: Dermal fillers to restore lost volume and brighten the under-eye area. This requires advanced anatomical knowledge and careful assessment.
NECK
Concern: Neck bands, laxity, and fine lines.
Treatment: Neck Botox (Nefertiti-style lift) to relax downward-pulling muscles, or injectable skin boosters to improve texture. Often combined with collagen-stimulating treatments.
OVERALL SKIN TEXTURE
Concern: Dullness, enlarged pores and uneven texture.
Treatment: Skin needling (microneedling) or radiofrequency needling to stimulate collagen. Medical-grade skincare and injectable skin boosters (such as Profhilo or Sunekos) are also highly effective for hydration and refinement.
POOLSIDE PERFECTION
Salon G’s Shelley Pullar shares her top tips to revive sun-soaked hair, keeping it glossy and effortlessly stylish well into autumn.
Salon G’s Shelley Pullar shares her top tips to revive sun-soaked hair, keeping it glossy and effortlessly stylish well into autumn.
PHOTOS DEBORAH DE GRAAF
If you live in the Bay of Plenty, you already know the sun doesn’t pack up at the end of February. We keep swimming and pretending autumn isn’t creeping in. But while the long afternoons and poolside catch-ups feel great, your hair is probably telling a different story.
After months of UV, saltwater and chlorine, most people head into autumn with colour that looks a little tired and ends that feel a little crispier than they’d like to admit. This is the perfect moment to reset your routine so your hair survives the next round of outdoor fun, and looks better than it did in January.
First, let’s talk colour care. If your hair has been living its best sun-drenched life, the fastest way to bring it back is to switch to a sulphate-free, colour-safe shampoo and conditioner. These formulas keep your colour from fading and help your hair hold onto moisture, something it’s usually desperate for at this time of year.
A new standout in this category is Wella’s Ultimate Colour line. It’s vegan, sulphate-free and has a built-in metal purifier. (Yes, metals in your tap water can actually distort your colour, especially blondes and redheads.) There’s also a leave-in mask with UV protection and a spray-in hair shine that will make your colours more luminous.
If your hair has also been battling frizz, dryness or general moodiness, add a lightweight oil serum into the mix. Wella’s Ultimate Smooth Miracle Oil is a great option. It absorbs in about 30 seconds, keeps hair smooth for up to three days, and works as both a heat and UV protector. It’s the kind of product you throw in your bag and end up using for everything.
And because a seasonal reset should feel a little bit luxe, Salon G is running a limited giveaway. The first 20 readers who purchase any two products from the Ultimate Colour range, or book a colour service, will receive a complimentary Ultimate Smooth Miracle Oil, worth $88. Consider it your reward for giving your hair the attention it deserves.
Autumn may be arriving, but the outdoor lifestyle isn’t going anywhere. With a refreshed routine, neither is your shine.
DRY SPELL
Bay Eye Care’s Alex Petty on why dry eye is becoming the new norm and how to combat it.
Bay Eye Care’s Alex Petty on why dry eye is becoming the new norm and how to combat it.
PHOTO KATIE COX
If your eyes feel gritty, irritated or tired by the middle of the afternoon, you’re not alone. One of the most common issues we see in clinic nowadays is dry eye disease, which affects everyone from all walks of life and all ages. What was once a problem of the older population has got a new group of co-conspirators in recent times: our screens, our indoor environments, and, for many women, a change in life chapters.
However, most people don’t know that dry eyes aren’t as simple as not producing enough tears. And, surprisingly, for around 80 percent of people who have this problem, the cause has nothing to do with watery tears. At the edge of your eyelid there is a series of little glands called meibomian glands that secrete healthy oil, similar in consistency and appearance to olive oil, to prevent the tears from evaporating away too quickly.
But modern lifestyles are working against them. When we’re looking at screens, our normal blink rate can drop to as little as one tenth. That means less natural pressure on the glands, poorer oil flow and more rapid tear evaporation. It’s the perfect recipe for stinging, redness, blurry vision and that persistent “sand in the eye” sensation. Hormonal shifts, certain medications, air-conditioning, make-up use and even conditions like rosacea can all further inflame or block these glands.
Left unmanaged, the condition can progress. Using only lubricating drops often provides short-term relief but doesn’t address the root cause. In the last few years, with the help of advanced imaging, we’re seeing more patients whose glands have become permanently atrophied simply from years of untreated dysfunction.
That’s why early care matters. In our clinic, treatment often focuses on restoring natural gland function. In 2017, we pioneered the use of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) for dry eye, a therapy which helps calm inflammation and abnormal blood vessels around the lids. More recently, we are the first Tauranga clinic to offer Lipiflow; a gentle thermal in-clinic procedure, that melts and clears thickened oils to 'reset' the glands. The best chance of long-term improvement for many people is to combine the two. Alongside this, recommendations include environmental tactics, targeted eye drops, lid hygiene and omega-3 supplements.
If you’re noticing dryness, irritation or fluctuating vision, a comprehensive assessment can identify the exact cause, and prevent years of discomfort.
Dry eye might be common, but living with it shouldn’t be.
CUTTING EDGE
For 30 years, ADO Hair salon in Tauranga has put the luxe into locks.
For 30 years, ADO Hair Salon in Tauranga has put the luxe into locks.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS | PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN
Everything about Jason and Penny Davies screams creative. The husband-and-wife team and owners of ADO Hair Salon are lively, animated and above all incredibly knowledgeable about the industry. This year they celebrate 30 years together as both salon owners and in marriage, with 2026 looking to be a year filled with new projects and professional goals.
Achieving this kind of longevity as business owners is no mean feat, yet both Penny and Jason fizz with excitement about the journey so far and the road ahead.
They met, Jason tells me, in 1993. By 1996 they were married and had purchased the business from Jason’s previous boss, when they rebranded to ADO.
Even as young professionals they thrived on the energy of Tauranga. “We’ve always loved Tauranga as a base,” says Penny. Adds Jason, “At the time, our main supplier was L’Oreal Professional and so they were able to offer a lot of opportunities - that connection in Paris was really important. Having the infusion of international trends coming through was vital to our business growth.”
By the early 2000s, L’Oreal Professional strengthened the relationship further by recognising the talent of the team, selecting Jason to go to Paris, which was, he says, “a very humbling experience, but one which really opened our eyes up to the possibilities.”
This dynamic was stepped up further when Jason was chosen as an educator (a position he retained for 11 years), meaning he has been instrumental in bringing innovative styles, techniques and technology from the heart of the industry in Europe back to New Zealand.
Despite both being ridiculously creative, Penny and Jason together drill into the different business aspects of the salon. They then come together, constantly inspiring each other with their love of the craft. They are generous with their talents, sharing them with the community. If you’ve ever been to a local event with mind-blowing hair or props, from dance shows to Tarnished Frocks and Divas, you can be sure this couple is behind the scenes.
But the ability to harness the crazy and streamline their trade has been a big part of their 30 years in the industry. As Jason explains, “There’s a symbiotic nature to it, with the artistry supporting the business, but the business simultaneously supporting the creativity.”
With hair one of the most trend-led aspects of an individual’s experience, it’s exciting to know that the salon is not just following but leading with flair. Along with the consumer accessible styles, Jason says, “we can also turn our hand to the zanier looks.”
Penny and Jason have always prided themselves on their fusion of different methodologies; they bring in the cleaner cuts of Vidal Sassoon, but equally will work to the softer textured styles championed by Toni & Guy. This flexibility is something they acknowledge has served them well.
When I ask what they feel their greatest achievement has been over the years, they are in accord. “Penny and I both feel it’s the way we’ve created a salon with a distinctive vision and a leading-edge team that’s endured within the industry. We’ve cultivated a longstanding clientele that’s supported us, and we’ve done it together.”
As for the ‘where to next’, the excitement is palpable. Penny is the first to let the cat out of the bag. “We’re planning a boutique training programme, where we train up new skilled stylists, taking in ten, keeping a couple and the rest will go to other salons”.
With Jason’s background in education and Penny’s passion to nurture talent, this feels like the perfect next chapter. ADO.NZ