If You Invest In One Hair Product, Make It This, Says LA’s Top Stylist

Andrew Fitzsimons is hairstylist to LA's elite. From Kourtney Kardashian and Megan Fox to Bella Hadid and Lori Harvey, pretty much all celebrities on the West Coast flock to him before a big event like the VMAs or a glossy magazine photoshoot.

A quick scroll through Andrew's Instagram proves he's a dab hand at all of the coolest hair trends, like wet look waves, the blunt cut bob and the snatched bun. So in demand, it makes sense that he would turn his hand to at-home haircare.

Enter: Andrew Fitzsimons Hair aka AF.

New to Boots, AF boasts an impressive 26 products, including your basics like shampoo and conditioner for a range of different hair types and textures, as well as quenching treatments and easy styling products. A personal favourite of mine is the Prism Shine Glossy Conditioner with Coconut Oil, £9, which makes dry hair gleam, and the DISCREET AF Dry Shampoo Spray for All Hair Types, £9, which smells incredible and rivals expensive versions, like the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, £20. There's good news if you're setting yourself a beauty budget right now, too, as nothing exceeds the £13 mark.

So you've got all of the products, but it pays to get your technique right. Ahead, Andrew shares the tips he swears by for giving celebrities their best and most healthy hair every time they're in his salon chair.

Post-wash, Andrew prefers to use one hair product in particular. Forget oils and serums — it's all about investing in a multipurpose leave-in conditioner. "Using a leave-in conditioner is a bit like taking your vitamins," says Andrew. "After you've washed and shampooed your hair, towel dry it gently and spray it in." Similar to Olaplex products, the Repair Leave-in Conditioner for Damaged Hair, £11, has bonding technology. "It's packed with proteins and restructures the hair from the inside out, but it also has all of the benefits you'd want from a styling product: heat protection, shine, UV protection, anti-frizz and a softness for any hairstyle you decide to create. It's for all hair types, too." Simply spritz through towel-dried hair and use a wide-tooth comb to rake the product through from root to tip before air-drying or blow-drying.

"There's one thing I always say to my clients: hair is really fragile, especially when it's wet," explains Andrew. "I always see people go to town with their towel after getting out of the shower and being aggressive when drying their hair. I also spot people combing and brushing the hair so harshly. Hair is very susceptible to damage. If you want shiny, healthy, beautiful hair, be gentle."

If your bathroom towels are quite rough, squeeze excess moisture out of your hair using an old cotton T-Shirt instead, or use an Aquis Hair Turban, £30.

You might be washing your hair all wrong, according to Andrew, who always advocates for two shampoos. "Double cleanse your hair every single time," says Andrew. Why? "You might notice that when you give your hair its first wash, it doesn't lather up as much," says Andrew. "That's because the first shampoo dislodges oils, hair product buildup and loose skin. The second cleanse removes it all."

Of course, double cleansing depends on the condition of your hair. If it's very dry, two shampoos might not be a great idea. Likewise if you're keen on protecting fresh hair colour. But if your hair gets greasy easily and you use lots of products, double cleansing could be the answer to shiny, bouncy lengths.

Creating an air-dried style that doesn't frizz up as soon as you step outside is all to do with the products you use, says Andrew, who recommends the MODEL Volume Boosting Wave Spray, £11. "I was inspired by the women in New York on the subway, who would have their heels in their backpack and do their makeup on the train with wet hair. They were so efficient and looked great. This spray is a hairstylist in a bottle, and no matter your hair type, it will give you a certain amount of hold, eliminate frizz and give you the best version of whatever your hair texture, wave or curl pattern is."

Andrew reveals he has created so many styles using this product without any heat styling at all. "After I've sprayed this onto the hair and let it dry naturally, I then use the APRES SEXE Texture Spray for Hair, £9, which gives hair the perfect, tousled, sexy, frizz free version of your hair." Andrew recommends the "press and hold" technique for enhancing your hair's natural texture. Figure out your parting when the hair is wet. Then, using your hands, essentially scrunch your hair into shape while it dries.

You can also enlist a diffuser if you want to enhance your natural waves and curls, too. "Slow, medium heat always is your best bet," says Andrew. "The longer you spend on it and the longer it dries, the more buoyancy you'll have and the more volume you'll be able to get into your wave or curl pattern."

Contrary to popular belief, the wet look hair trend doesn't involve hair gel. "Zero gel and zero mousse," says Andrew. "In most instances, the hair is never actually wet because hair dries very quickly and can revert back to whatever your natural hair texture is." If you want to create a wet look wave, start on dry hair. "I tong the hair the way I want it first and then on each wave or lock of hair, I'll use a high shine serum, then a shine spray on top." Try layering the Nourishing Anti Frizz Serum, £13, and the Prism Shine Hair Spray Smoothing Mist, £11. "Together, these products lend a really intense shine that isn't oily or rock hard."

If you want to get rid of your dead ends entirely, take Andrew's LA-inspired hair trends to your stylist.

"We're going really blunt with length," says Andrew, "and I've seen a lot of just-under-the-ear bobs, which I really like. "People used to say that shorter styles were not versatile, but a super structural cut like this is trending now we're willing to take more risks and change things up. In LA, I've spotted people with very short jaw-length bobs, who will wear it slicked back one day, tucked behind their ears another day, with a little bend in the hair or a wet look to the side."

Introducing the voluminous pixie. "We're bringing back the short, Linda Evangelista-esque crop," says Andrew. "It's not quite a pixie cut because it has a lot more volume, but I've seen a lot of people returning back to this shorter style." Take inspo from Kristen Stewart and Jessie Buckley, or this cut by @jeothestylist on Instagram.

Think a wavy bob with a long curtain fringe. "This has been an aesthetic in LA for a while," says Andrew, "and it has a real West Coast ease to it." It's a nod to the '70s, adds Andrew. "It's not going anywhere because there's such a '70s vibe happening now. Styles like this look chic and they're about framing the face, which I really like."

Okay, this is not necessarily a haircut, but it's a great style to try if you want to hide damaged hair. "The snatched bun is a great one. Not only does it get your hair off the back of your neck in the summer, but you can use such a variety of products," says Andrew. "If someone has overly-processed or bleached hair, using a conditioning treatment instead of a gel can improve the quality of your hair, while helping to achieve that beautiful style." Simply comb or brush your hair into the style and finish with a shine spray. "You're basically doing something good for your hair while looking cool," says Andrew.