About Damien

Damien Rayner is widely recognised as one of Australia’s leading hair colourists. Working in the elite salons of Sydney, London, and New York, Damien has enjoyed an illustrious client list over his 27-year career.

Beauty Editors flock to Damien’s chair to experience the latest in colour techniques and he is the go-to expert for comment. His colour work and advice has featured in Harper’s Bazaar Australia, Vogue Australia, Sunday Life Magazine, American Instyle, Body and Soul, and Australian Style.

Not only is Damien trusted by clients for his talent and skills as a colourist, he is a highly regarded trainer in the Australian hair and beauty industry. Known for his mastery of Balayage and Natural Pre-Pubescent colouring techniques, Damien is educating the next generation of hair stylists with skills more akin to art than science.

Balayage and sun-kissed ‘bronde’, the latest look making waves in Hollywood, is Damien’s specialty. It’s a look that is hand painted and crafted to flatter the face of the individual. But this is just one of the many looks Damien uses to create results his clients adore.

Starting his career in the early 90s, Damien was mentored by the late Sharon Maher of Synergy Hair and moved through Helmet, Gibara, Muse Hairdressing, Valonz and Dario Cotroneo. Seeking international experience, Damien travelled to London in 1998, studying and working at Vidal Sassoon Academy before moving to New York in 2002 to work at Bumble and Bumble and Cutler Salon. Returning to Australia, Rayner focused on editorial work through Sydney’s Valonz Haircutters, extending his talents under the guidance of Renya Xydis. He then headed up his own Colour Department at Dario Cotroneo, before dedicating time to his own clients with a chair at Kimmy Ralph’s Hair Boutique in Darlinghurst, where he now colours full-time.

“I like a space to be as if your clients have come to see a friend to catch up, yet always maintaining the utmost standards,” says Rayner.