1 THE PHARMACY HAIR LINE New Zealand line Monday Haircare has just arrived in Ireland – handily you can find it at your local pharmacy. There are four types of shampoo and conditioner – Volume, Gentle, Moisture and Smooth – to suit your hair type.
WHAT WE LOVE The chunky square bottles are not just pretty in pink – the brand say they are this shape in order to be packed more tightly for distribution, as well as being made with recyclable plastic (both bottles and pumps), and with no glued-on labels. And at €8.50 for 350ml, the bottles are accessible and long-lasting. The pumps make these good-looking bottles great for the shower, so I’m going to refill them once they’re empty.
NEED TO KNOW The brand are working on their own refill pouches, as well as travel sizes, so watch this space. At pharmacies nationwide.

2 THE GADGET  If you’re considering converting to Dyson hair tools, from the Supersonic drier (€399.99) to the Corrale straightener/wave-creator (€449.99), the smart gift edition in dark inky blue and copper might sway you.
WHAT WE LOVE If you already have one, consider the Supersonic Flyaway Attachment (€35), which uses Dyson’s unique Coanda technology to smooth down little sticky-up and frizzy bits for an extra-sleek finish without extra heat.
NEED TO KNOW My advice is don’t buy a Dyson from a bored teenager on a pop-up stand – instead head to Dyson ambassador Dylan Bradshaw, where you’ll get an in-salon tutorial. Bradshaw and his team can show you how to get the very best out of your expensive new tool, from perfecting relaxed beachy waves with the Corrale to adding volume with the drier. And while the salon is super-swanky, the team are really friendly and approachable. You will leave feeling better about your hair – and that’s not always the case, even in a top salon. Even better, treat yourself to a blowdry while you’re there; they’re using Oway haircare, which makes your hair feel a million dollars.
Dylan Bradshaw, 56 South William Street, Dublin 2; www.dyson.ie

3 THE SALON VISIT
The Brown Thomas Beauty Lounge is a handy spot in the centre of town, where you can buy skincare, have your nails done and get an Aveda blowdry (from €30, or package of six from €120). And now, in fact, there’s more than blowdries on offer – pre-lockdown, this spot offered styling only, but now you can have a full range of hair services, including cut (from €79) and colour.
WHAT WE LOVE The Aveda range is now fully vegan: try the Botanical Repair line (silicone-free, from €31), or the original great-smelling Shampure.
NEED TO KNOW Book in for a treatment (from €12), such as the Scalp Detox, which includes a diagnosis of your scalp health using a microscopic camera – it’s strangely fascinating. Beauty Lounge, Clarendon Street, Dublin 2; www.brownthomas.ie 

4 THE LUXURY LINE
Augustinus Bader skincare is much sought-after, and for good reason – if you’ve tried The Rich Cream, you’ll know how good it helps your skin to look. The brand has been mighty quick to roll out further products to complement this original bestseller, and now they’re extending to your hair, too, with a full range of five formulas, including a leave-in hair treatment and a hair oil. Augustinus Bader The Hair has seen some excellent clinical trial results, with The Hair Oil (€42), for example, seeing a reduction of 80 per cent in post-straightener damage – sign us up! Since we no longer pay for hair colour, we’re treating our hair (and scalp) to this instead.
WHAT WE LOVE The winning combination of scientific research, and natural active ingredients from bamboo to watercress extracts plus vitamin B5: hair feels nourished and stronger.
NEED TO KNOW If we were picking just one item, it would be the copper-coloured dropper bottle, The Scalp Treatment, which gets to the root of any hair issues (and is leave-in, so isn’t being washed down the plughole). Shampoo and conditioner are €45 each.www.augustinusbader.com

5 THE HAIR OIL
The lovely Well at Cliff line, big on natural ingredients such as peat, has added a new Hair Oil to its line-up. It smells naturally beautiful – that’s the peppermint and geranium – and is made with natural oils such as apricot kernel, sweet almond and even broccoli – and is an appealingly simple way to hydrate your hair (use on dry hair as a finishing touch). Try it in the divine Hot Towel Hair and Scalp Ritual (€75) at The Well in the Garden at The Cliff at Lyons: a voucher for this would make a great gift. www.cliffhome.ie

6 PURPLE REIGN? Most of us know about Olaplex now – the much-copied hair bond-strengthener for dyed hair that took the hair world by storm since launching back in 2014. But do you know about their latest idea, a purple shampoo? It’s actually called No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo, and it’s certainly a canny move from them: those of us who have quit the endless hamsterwheel of colouring our hair (and there were many during lockdown) might have concluded they didn’t need Olaplex any more – until this came along. We know Olaplex works, so the idea of one to brighten and strengthen grey/white hair is most welcome.
WHAT WE LOVE Using a hair mask regularly will help to keep your grey hair moisturised (try Aveeno’s moisturising Oat Milk Blend, designed for damaged hair, for an inexpensive regular moisture treat). But if you need more, you will enjoy the way your hair feels when you use this toning shampoo: it does seem to reduce warmer tones if, like me, you’re still growing them out, as well as giving a bit of much-needed brightness back.
NEED TO KNOW It’s not a cheap purple shampoo, though, at €27.50, and it is VERY purple – I was scared for my bathroom tiles at first (but it’s fine).
At salons nationwide; and via www.thebeautykit.com