We meet celebrity hairstylist Aidan Darcy at the launch of Eyra …
Eyra is the brainchild of respected hairstylist Aidan Darcy, who has long been a name to know; he has worked his magic on the hair of everyone from Nicole Kidman to Saoirse Ronan and Demi Moore, as well as catwalks, shoots, campaigns (including Simone Rocha x H&M) and red carpets worldwide. He’s in demand: bridal bookings, for example, are fully booked until 2027. One of our beauty panellists once told me that Darcy “paints my hair like it’s art”, which is a hell of a recommendation.
There’s so much new haircare around at the moment, it can be hard to cut through. So what’s Eyra’s USP? At the launch, held in the light Wholehearted studios in Rathmines in Dublin, Darcy tells us that his starting point was hair density, rather than type (straight, curly, coily). There are three lines, designed for fine, medium and thick hair. Currently, there’s a shampoo and conditioner for each, and Darcy plans to add masks and more to the line-up.
I like this down-to-earth, sensible approach. The packaging feels a bit like old Nars, and is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. And the products smell really good – your hair will smell of rosemary and jasmine for days. The formulas, made in Italy, avoid harsh ingredients and are pH-balanced, with botanical extracts, plant proteins and oils.
Personally, I don’t entirely buy into the idea of hairwashing as a “ritual” or “wellness system”, although many brands now exhort us to think this way. Whatever happened to just washing and going? I’m not sure we all have the time or inclination to think happy thoughts while half-asleep and chucking on some shampoo. I have one (great) conditioner on my shelf that announces “I am happy and I radiate a natural glow”, which I find a bit irritating first thing in the morning. Maybe I’m just grumpy, or maybe I just want clean hair without being told to “cheer up, love”.
I digress. Eyra sits in a premium category, price-wise – €38 for 300ml puts it alongside Aveda, Kevin Murphy, Color Wow, Olaplex and Ouai. On first trial, my hair feels really clean but hydrated too. At the event, I had a great blowdry with Pierce (@piercestyles), who’s usually based at Moyo on Camden Street – seek him out.
While looking into shampoo, I’ve just been distracted by the fact that Ouai do a “Fur Bebe” Pet Shampoo for €34, “infused with notes of Italian lemon …”. Good shampoo is certainly key for a healthy scalp and thus glossier hair – but this does feel like a step too far.
Many designer hair brands don’t live up to their pricetag. So, we’re happy to support one that’s founded by an Irish expert who really knows hair. @eyrahair
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