Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's flowing locks have graced magazine covers around the world. Photo / Babiche Martens
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's flowing locks have graced magazine covers around the world. Photo / Babiche Martens
The Prime Minister’s hair stylist is set to shine on the telly as part of the line-up for the new TVNZ OnDemand show, Glow Up NZ.
Tane Tomoana is joining host Megan Papas on the seven-week series aiming to launch beauty-industry careers.
He is behind Jacinda Ardern's look that hasgraced international magazine covers.
Spy can also reveal that makeup artist Gee Pikinga is joining the show as a mentor. Tomoana tells Spy he loved seeing how beauty treatment can improve wellbeing.
"It is what we do in the beauty industry day after day, client after client and it is what we love most about our industry and what we value - the human connection, holding space for others, care, kindness, love."
Tomoana is a creative lead at well-heeled salon's Dry & Tea New Zealand and Australia. After his apprenticeship in Napier, he moved to Auckland and while living with songstress Hollie Smith for a few months he styled her for shoots and events, which led him on to music videos and so cementing his place in the industry.
He says cutting Ardern's locks is a wonderful privilege and the pair have been friends for a few years.
"It comes with a little pressure, being the most viewed hairstyle in the country right now and at times, the world.
"We have done some really cool stuff together over the past year, Vogue, Time, National Geographic, all professional experiences I am sincerely grateful for.
"I actually styled her for the Time magazine cover in our green room on set while filming the show."
Glow Up NZ mentors and host from left Gee Pikinga, Megan Papas and Tane Tomoana
Glow Up is based on the UK show of the same name and promises eye-popping avant guard makeup from nine makeup artists used to doing most of their creations from home.
Pikinga, who worked on the TVNZ 2 series of Project Runway is the NZ makeup director for Maybelline NY.
He entered the industry long before Instagram and YouTube makeup tutorials.
"Working in the industry is so different from what social media would have you believe," he tells Spy. "The beauty community of social media create jaw-dropping works of art that can take hours upon hours, which is simply not the reality of working in the real world.
"What I do love about social networking is that every person now has an equal advantage to tap into an audience while showcasing their talents from the comfort of their own home and to create at their own pace."
