The Lower Hutt beauty business with a world-class approach
What started with a passion for cosmetic tattooing has grown into one of Lower Hutt’s most specialised beauty businesses, and Feather Touch is proving you don’t need to be in a major metropolitan city to access specialist expertise and world-class training.
Founded by award-winning artists Cherie and Hayden, Feather Touch has built its reputation around one key philosophy: natural results, backed by serious expertise.
That expertise has taken the pair around the world, with training in Australia, the UK, New York and Madrid, and their commitment to ongoing education has become a cornerstone of the business.
“For us, education is really important. The industry is constantly changing, so we’re always looking at what’s new, what’s better and how we can continue to give our clients the best possible results,” says Cherie.
Today, Feather Touch offers far more than cosmetic tattooing. Its specialist services include brows, eyeliner and lip tattooing, laser tattoo removal, IPL, skin treatments, lash and brow services, and scalp micropigmentation (SMP) - a highly specialised treatment that creates the appearance of natural hair follicles for people experiencing hair loss.
The business also has an important paramedical arm, working with clients requiring scar work and treatments following breast cancer and breast augmentation.
It’s this combination of beauty, specialist and paramedical services that has helped Feather Touch develop a strong reputation and a growing client base beyond the Hutt Valley.
“We’ve created a place where people can come for a whole range of things, but the common thread is that they’re getting specialist knowledge and really personalised care,” says Hayden.
Hayden’s own journey into the industry is unconventional. After 17 years as a chef and six years as a stay-at-home dad, he joined Feather Touch after seeing a need for high-quality laser tattoo removal for clients who had experienced poor cosmetic tattooing.
That experience ultimately led him into SMP, where he recognised another gap in the market.
“We could see SMP was going to become much bigger in New Zealand, so we wanted to get ahead of it and make sure we were offering it to a really high standard,” he says.
The results speak for themselves. Feather Touch now attracts clients from throughout New Zealand, with word-of-mouth, social media and its award-winning reputation bringing people to its Lower Hutt studio.
The business recently moved into a larger, more central premises, creating room for its growing team of six and expanding range of services..
Looking ahead, Feather Touch hopes to continue growing its reach, with the possibility of one day expanding its presence beyond the Hutt Valley and bringing its specialist services to more clients around New Zealand.
“We’re incredibly proud to be based in Lower Hutt,” says Cherie. “We’ve built something really special here, and we want to keep growing while never losing the quality and personal connection that got us here in the first place.”
LOCATION: 8 Anglionby Street, Melling. Lower Hutt
SOCIALS: @feathertouch_bycherie