From serums and sprays to the tools required for the biggest, bounciest at-home blowdries, the IMAGE staffers share their haircare heroes.
Megan Burns, Editor, IMAGE Interiors; Managing Editor, IMAGE Magazine
I have a Dyson hairdryer that’s a few years old now, and I still love it. My hair definitely dries much smoother than with a normal hairdryer, and the magnetic attachments are so easy to take on and off that I actually use them, not something I can say was ever the case for any other hairdryer I’ve owned. One of my favourite things about it though has to be how light it is. My hair is quite long and thick, so drying it can take a while, and with every other hairdryer I’ve had I would have to keep switching arms to stop them aching from the weight of it – not so with the Dyson.
In terms of styling, I am hooked on &honey Deep Moist Hair Oil 3.0 since my sister brought me a bottle back from Japan. It makes my hair so much smoother and softer, without weighing it down. Just a little smoothed through damp hair is all you need.
Meghan Killalea, Marketing Account Executive
In the last few years I’ve had a fairly varied array of hairstyles – from a full fringe and bob (Edna Mode from The Incredibles much?) to long and layered with swooping bangs. This has meant that I have had to become very familiar with the hair tools and products I knew would style my hair but not do any damage.
Starting off strong, as someone who has blonde highlights and very hard water, the Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo has been a game changer. My hairdresser gave me the top tip of applying it from root to ends once a week and leaving it on as a mask in order to help with the hard water build up and my blonde has never been brighter!
For the days where all I need to do is dry my hair, I love my LanaiBlow Hair Dryer. It dries my hair faster than any other hair dryer I’ve tried and never leaves my hair feeling frizzy. However, my absolute holy grail tool has got to be my Dyson AirWrap. Now about seven years old, and still going strong, I use it every single day and nothing swoops my bangs quite like it. My hair is pin straight and doesn’t hold a curl even when I use the hottest of curlers, but even when the bouncy curls inevitably fall out by the end of the day I’m still left with the classic blow dry flip when I use my Dyson.
Holly O’Neill, Editor, IMAGE.ie; Beauty Editor, IMAGE Magazine
If healthier hair is on your 2026 goals list, the K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask is the breakthrough hair godsend that – bear with me here – reconnects the interchains and intrachains that make up the structure of the hair, repairing your hair’s structural integrity on a molecular level. In short, it repairs your hair in just four minutes and the worse the damage to your hair, the better the results. It’s a timesaver too as you replace your conditioner with it; massage it into your hands until it gets a thicker, Sudocreamy texture and leave it in on freshly washed, damp hair – it dries with no residue, leaves hair instantly softer and shinier, and heals hair from the inside out. Once you see the effects kick in and your hair sprouting at speed, you’ll become addicted.
Sarah Gill, Deputy Editor, IMAGE.ie
I’m on something of a hair health journey in 2026, and so far, the best, most please-don’t-hate-me hack I can provide is simply: cut five inches off your length. The fried and frayed ends hit the floor and I swished out of salon a whole new person. The ugly truth is that once you free yourself from taily split ends, your hair looks thicker and healthier almost instantly.
In terms of a haircare routine, I use the JVN Complete Pre-Wash Scalp Oil and work it into my scalp with one of those silicone scalp massagers. The oil’s got rosemary extract, so it soothes the scalp and encourages hair growth. I also spritz some Color Wow Dream Filter into the lengths of my hair to help eliminate any brassiness and keep it looking silky.
After I wash my hair I’ll usually run some argan oil through the ends, but I was immediately influenced by Holly’s K18 mask recommendation, so I’ll be swapping that in here. Once my hair’s dry, I love the Kevin Murphy Shimmer.Me Blonde spray, it’s a repairing shine treatment that makes your hair look brighter and again, counteracts any brassiness.
When it comes to styling, I recently got some layers added and face frames shortened up in the hopes of achieving a degree of Rachel Green poofy perfection that just doesn’t come for free. I use the large round brush from The Belle Brush, and am toying with the idea of investing in the Shark Glam Hot Tool Air Styling + Drying System. Their Shark Glossi Hot Brush + Air Glosser is a more affordable alternative, so perhaps a better jumping off point!
Dominique McMullan, Editorial Director
After I had my second child, I really struggled with hair loss, around the hairline especially. Then I started using Champo Pitta Growth Serum and everything changed. Within three months my hair was thick and strong. I am four years postpartum now but still use Champo products after every shower. I still use the Growth Serum intermittently (one bottle lasts forever), but my after shower go-to is now the Leave In Perfecting Cream Cream. It smooths, strengthens and adds shine and volume in one step, while protecting hair from heat and keeping it healthy and glossy.
Jemma Martin, Senior Account Executive
I love all the OUAI products, they’re a bit more expensive but well worth it, the leave in conditioner and detox shampoo are fabulous. The leave-in conditioner is a game changer for blondes after washing your hair because it makes it so easy to brush after. You can actually get a minis version on ASOS to try them out, but its sold out at the minute.
Dearbhla Lovett, IMAGE First Activations Freelancer
As a fake blonde, I find my hair needs as much TLC as she can get to prevent breakage and dehydrated ends. My hair would be on the frizzy side, so anything frizz-preventing goes straight in my basket.
I love my Dyson for creating a big bouncy blowdry, but the secret is all in the products you use alongside this. I absolutely adore The Smooth Company Detangling Spray — don’t be fooled by the name, not only is this a detangling spray, it’s also a heat protectant and conditioning spray. Bonus points for smelling divine.
I will also use a few sprays of Sea+Solu Moisture Booster before I blowdry my hair, as the blonde leaves my ends so dry. If you haven’t already, investing in a really great hairbrush should be on your 2026 list. I love The Belle Brushes, or this brush I got from Vibe Hair Salon in Cavan is incredible on the hair and leaves your locks smooth and soft without damaging.
Shayna (Sappington) Healy, Branded Content Editor and Wedding Editor
Since moving to an area with hard water, it’s been wreaking havoc on my hair. I’ve found the L’Oreal Professionnel Vitamino Color Spectrum Serum an absolute lifesaver! Straight out of the shower, I do a quick towel dry of my hair and apply a few drops to the lower half of my hair, especially the ends, and brush it through before blow-drying – the heat activates the serum and it works like magic to tame my unruly frizz and flyaways. I will forever use my trusty LanaiBLO hair dryer; it’s amazing.
Then finally, I run the Kérastase Elixir hair oil through my dry locks for a glossy finish and natural shine. These three products are my holy trinity of haircare!
Emily O’Neill, Branded Content Account Manager
I know I probably sound like a broken record when I talk about my favourite haircare products but SEA + SOLU have taken over my routine in the past year. As someone with frizzy, dry ends the Moisture Melt Mask is my saviour! It adds an instant boost of hydration to my hair and the condition has drastically improved over the last few months.
Our resident beauty guru, Holly, introduced me to the Sisley Curl Care Cream last summer and I hate to admit but it lives up to its high price tag. It is a gorgeous lightweight curl cream that doesn’t weigh your hair down. The price does bring a tear to my eye but it is totally worth it! A more affordable alternative that I love just as much is the Umberto Giannini Banana Coconut Air-Dry Curl Cream. I have used this one for the past few years and I always repurchase it.
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