Hooray for Hollywood
We caught up with hair stylist to the stars Andrew Fitzsimons to find out about his haircare range and bag some tips
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From humble roots in Ireland to Hollywood's top hair stylist, Andrew Fitzsimons' career has spanned more than two decades. Taking him from Dublin to Paris, New York to LA, his passion for the fashion and beauty industry has fuelled his drive all the way to the top of his field where he's regarded as one of the finest and most respected hair stylists. He now counts A-listers Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid, Madonna, Megan Fox and Mariah Carey among his regular clientele.
CWM beauty editor Kelly Andrews met up with Andrew for a hair styling masterclass when he came to London to showcase his eponymous haircare collection. So, read on to find out more about the inspiration behind these innovative and universal products, and be inspired by the tips and tricks of Hollywood's finest!
The Andrew Fitzsimons brand boasts an assortment of products for all hair types with price points reflecting luxury but at the same time are affordable. "I'm lucky enough to have had a career that's spanned more than two decades, from doing my mum's hair in Dublin to doing the hair of the most photographed women in the world," Andrew says. "So, to bring all of that together into a brand has always been a dream of mine. And to be given the space and an opportunity to do it to a level I'm proud of is incredible. To see my brand being embraced and understood was the most important thing to me." Andrew Fitzsimon's range has been available in the UK for two years, in Boots and online. There's something for everyone with the Virgin Repair, Prism Shine, Fantasy Curls, Amethyst Blonde, and Body Volume collections. Keen not to leave anyone out of his initial offering, the Andrew Fitzsimons brand hit the shelves with an impressive range of 26 products.
"The styling products are the ones I use the most, so they really had to work!" Andrew shares. "I wanted to transform the old concepts of hair products that we all know and love and update them." For example, Après Sex is a texturising spray that’s also moisturising. Historically, the hair types that would benefit from this type of spray the most (namely thin, fine or curly hair) would usually be a no go, but this layering, moisturising formula loves all hair types. “I always looked to use a texture spray in photo shoots with clients, but I’d notice in real life, if they were doing something personal, they’d hate the feel it left them with, so I’d stay away from it. That’s why I quite selfishly
made Après Sex… for myself!”
Likewise, Andrew is a huge fan of volume, and loves a big blow dry. “But all we had was crunchy mousse,” he continues. “So, I wanted to create an invisible scaffolding for the hair and added caffeine to our volume line. These are products that are as universal as I can possibly make each of them. Basically, there’s something there for everybody and I look forward to moving forward and sharing more.”
Don't miss Andrew's masterclass tips for creating a look with Hollywood wow-factor on your wedding day...
PONYTAIL PASSION "There's a couple of hairstyles I love and that are hot right now, a ponytail being one of them," Andrew shares. "Ponytails back in the day were such a casual look, but to me the higher up the ponytail the more glamorous, and I think the more shine the more red carpet it looks. I like to start everything with my AF1 10-in-1 conditioner: it's detangling, it's shine, it's heat protection. Then, I generally coat everything with my shine spray – it just gives that instant wow. Shine is the thing the eye recognises the most as being healthy. So, having the Prism Shine collection with hyaluronic acid will give you that instant glass shine that makes any style look more elevated."
MAKING WAVES "I love a glamorous wave," Andrew tells us. "Working in the salon I always hate it when people with short hair feel like they can't switch up their hair, like it's not as versatile. But I love creating looks with volume, so I use Body Volume Blowdry Hold Hair Spray when the hair is wet. It wakes the hair up from the root, then you get to style a creative look that won't fall as it has that scaffolding. Then again, finishing with Après Sex texture spay that's very buildable for extra body with instant weightless volume."
AURASCENT All of Andrew's styling aerosols contain a beautiful scent. Once you spray though, and it dissipates over time, that's when something really special happens! The innovative Aurascent technology then oxidises and creates a fragrance that lasts for weeks and weeks.
BONDING TECHNOLOGY One of the biggest innovations in hair in the past 10 years is the bonding technology the Andrew Fitzsimons range contains. Use here takes this technology away from being an elite product that's expensive just as a treatment. Andrew says, "I add it to every single one of my products, so you don't even have to think about it. As you're styling your hair, you're restructuring and strengthening it."
Find out more at www.andrewfitzsimons.com
