For his first product range, Irish-born hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons [1] — whose main clients include Kylie Jenner and all three Kardashian sisters — has returned home. "I work in LA now, and I could have created a something there, but it was important for me to come home and launch something in the UK and Ireland." And to do that, he paired up with Primark [2], who helped him develop a comprehensive collection that's made up of treatment products, wet-and-dry stylers, scrunchies, and tools.
"I've travelled everywhere, to every climate, been around every hair type, and done every type of job. So for me — as a person who is in the beauty industry and loves the beauty industry and is totally obsessed with products — it was really incredible to use everything that I've learned over the years to create this collection," Fitzsimons said at the launch event held at the Mandrake Hotel in London.
I always wanted to create a very inclusive range that anybody could use and everyone could afford.
"As someone who grew up in Ireland and was quite poor and who went to Penneys to buy everything, Primark [3] felt like the perfect home for where I wanted my products to live because I knew that they were able create quality products at a price that everybody could afford," he added. "It was never in my mind to create a very exclusive, very expensive range of products that only a certain amount of people could buy — that was never something I wanted to do. I always wanted to create a very inclusive range that anybody could use and everyone could afford."
Image Source: Primark [4]
And the products are crazy affordable. Fitzsimons's favourite product in the range, the Luxe Hair Oil, costs just £3.50. The shampoos and conditioners cost £4 a bottle, the dry shampoo £2.50, while the forthcoming blow dryer — which will launch along with several other electrical tools the first week of April — is the most expensive in the range at £14.50.
The entire line is packaged in various shades of Fitzsimons's favourite colour: pink. "My work is done primarily in the glam room, so I wanted the products to match the colours of the makeup you find in there — the lipsticks, the blush palettes, the contours." As for how they smell, all of the products feature the same subtle fruity-floral scent that smells both a bit peachy and a bit like jasmine flowers — or "like rich people," Fitzsimons laughed. "That's what I told the team when they asked me what I wanted the products to smell like."
At the end of his presentation, someone asked Fitzsimons if he was worried people would prematurely judge the quality of the products based on the low, low price tags. "I hope that if someone knows my work, that will speak for itself and will show that I don't do anything that's not high quality," he explained. Plus, if you need any convincing, he's been secretly using the products on his clients for months. "I've been testing the formulas on all of my clients for over a year," he added. "And it actually took longer to create the line because I kept sending formulas back until they were perfect." So while yes, the hairspray may cost just £2.50, but if it's good enough for beauty moguls like the Kardashian-Jenner clan and for models like Adriana Lima and Karlie Kloss, then I'm confident there's absolutely nothing to worry about, hun.
Keep reading to learn about all of the products in the Andrew Fitzsimons Haircare range at Primark [5].
Andrew Fitzsimons Glam Styling Spray
The Andrew Fitzsimons Glam Styling Spray (£2.50) is both a volumizer and a heat protectant. "Not only does this help hairstyles last longer, but it also protects the hair from the heat up to 220 degrees, which is important for me because I'm doing my clients' hair every single day, and if the quality of their hair diminishes, that doesn't look good for me — I need their quality to be maintained," said Fitzsimons. "That's why this product was really important for me to create because I need people to understand the importance of taking care of their hair from shampoo, conditioner, weekly treatments, all the way down to their styling products. I want people to not have to compromise the health of hair to style their hair."
Andrew Fitzsimons Bounce Strong Hold Hairspray
When it came to the Andrew Fitzsimons Bounce Strong Hold Hairspray [6] (£2.50), the most important thing for Fitzsimons was for the formula to be light and flexible. "I need to be able to brush through the hair after using it," he said.
Andrew Fitzsimons Fresh Dry Shampoo
Fitzsimons wanted anyone to be able to use the Andrew Fitzsimons Fresh Dry Shampoo [7] (£2.50), regardless of hair colour or texture. "It is completely invisible, so it can be used on dry hair." Another key element was how it made the hair feel. "I don't like when you spray your hair with dry shampoo and afterwards it doesn't feel like clean hair, it feels powdery. In this formula, we added coconut oil, so that your hair still feels clean; it's actually more like a mix between a dry shampoo and a dry conditioner."
Andrew Fitzsimons Texture Instant Volume Spray
"This product has the hold level somewhere between a hairspray and a dry shampoo," he said of the Andrew Fitzsimons Texture Instant Volume Spray (£2.50). "I don't like a really aggressive texture sprays because if you have finer hair, it just turns into a nest immediately. That's why I made sure all of my products are layer-able so that if you have fine hair, you just need a little bit, but you can add more the more hair you have."
"I like to use this in the roots of the hair first, because it gives a bit of lift to the roots just from the spray, without even styling it," he added.
Andrew Fitzsimons Luxe Hair Oil
"I love oils and serums, so the Andrew Fitzsimons Luxe Hair Oil [8] (£3.50) was my one of favourite products to create," said Fitzsimons. "It took the longest and was the very last formula I made, only because I really wanted to get it right and to feel as luxurious as the most expensive serum on the market, which I think we achieved." You can run it through damp hair, prestyling, to both hydrate and reduce frizz; and once dry, you can run it through the ends or face-framing layers to add shine, or, you can use lots of it to create a wet-looking style, which Fitzsimons does quite a bit on the Kardashian women.
Andrew Fitzsimons Shine Smoothing Shampoo
"The foundation of any hairstyle is the shampoo and conditioner you use," Fitzsimons said of why he included haircare products in the range, like the Andrew Fitzsimons Shine Smoothing Shampoo [9] (£4).
Andrew Fitzsimons Shine Smoothing Conditioner
The Andrew Fitzsimons Shine Smoothing Conditioner (£4), as well as the conditioner and the mask in the Shine range, all contain argan oil, one of Fitzsimons's favourite ingredients.
Andrew Fitzsimons Shine Hair Mask
Andrew Fitzsimons Shine Hair Mask (£3.50)
Andrew Fitzsimons Volume Thickening Shampoo
"Volume, and issues with flat, limp hair, is the biggest issue I hear when talking to women in Europe," said Fitzsimons of why he included the Andrew Fitzsimons Volume Thickening Shampoo [10] (£4) and Conditioner.
Andrew Fitzsimons Volume Thickening Conditioner
Andrew Fitzsimons Volume Thickening Conditioner [11] (£4)
Andrew Fitzsimons Repair Replenishing Shampoo
The Andrew Fitzsimons Repair Replenishing Shampoo [12] (£4), as well as the Repair Conditioner and Mask, all contain manuka oil, an ingredient Fitzsimons has been making DIY [13] hair masks with for years.
Andrew Fitzsimons Repair Replenishing Conditioner
Andrew Fitzsimons Repair Replenishing Conditioner [14] (£4)
Andrew Fitzsimons Repair Hair Mask
Andrew Fitzsimons Repair Hair Mask [15] (£3.50)
Andrew Fitzsimons Paddle Brush
Andrew Fitzsimons Paddle Brush [16] (£3.50)
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Round Brush
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Round Brush [17] (£3)
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Large Silk Bobbles
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Large Silk Bobbles [18] (£2.50)
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Small Silk Bobbles
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Small Silk Bobbles [19] (£2)
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink No Mark Hair Clips
"I'm so happy we have these in the line and that people know what they are!" said Fitzsimons, of the AF No Mark Hair Clips [20] (£2). "At first I was worried people would wear them out in public; they're just to keep your style maintained while you're doing your makeup."
Andrew Fitzsimons Hair Claws
Andrew Fitzsimons Hair Claws [21] (£2)
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Logo Eyemask
Andrew Fitzsimons Pink Logo Eyemask [22] (£4)
Andrew Fitzsimons Make Up Bag
Text you want to hyperlink [23] (£4)