Hair icons: Timeless tresses through the decades
When it comes to beauty icons, haircare often tells its own story. The products we reach for again and again become part of our personal rituals — shaping styles, memories, and even decades. From the calming scent of Aveda’s Shampure to the sleek innovation of Color Wow’s Dreamcoat, some formulas simply earn their place on the bathroom shelf forever.
Aveda Shampure – 1979
Few products can claim a legacy quite like Aveda’s Shampure. Launched in 1979, it remains a gentle daily ritual, instantly recognisable for its soothing aroma of 25 pure flower and plant essences. It’s more than just a shampoo and conditioner — it’s self-care bottled. Shampure’s clean, calming blend still resonates with those who value holistic beauty that nurtures both hair and mind. (€29 each, available via avedastore.ie and selected salons)
Bumble and bumble Surf Spray – 2001
In the early 2000s, Bumble and bumble changed hair styling forever with Surf Spray. Before texturising sprays became mainstream, this was the bottle that made ‘beach hair’ a global obsession. Infused with sea salt and seaweed, it gave effortless movement and matte texture long before anyone said ‘undone’. Two decades later, it’s still the go-to for tousled waves that whisper summer — even in the middle of an Irish winter. (€18)
Kevin.Murphy Hydrate-Me.Wash and Rinse – 2014
When Australian stylist Kevin Murphy launched his Hydrate-Me.Wash and Rinse, it quickly became a cult classic for parched, sun-exposed hair. The duo, rich in kakadu plum and shea butter, delivers hydration that lasts without heaviness. Nearly a decade on, it’s still a salon favourite — glossy, weightless, and vitamin-packed. As Kevin himself says: “Skincare for your hair” — a philosophy that has aged beautifully. (€29 each, at kevinmurphystore.ie and stockists)
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PHD) Dry Shampoo – 2015
A modern essential for anyone who lives life on the go, Living Proof’s PHD Dry Shampoo is more than a stopgap between washes. Its patented healthy hair molecule actually cleans hair — absorbing oil, sweat, and odour — without leaving residue. It’s the rare dry shampoo that feels like a fresh blow-dry, not a compromise. Proof, quite literally, that smart science can be timeless. (€32, available at Zolobeauty.com)
Color Wow Dreamcoat – 2017
Fast-forward to 2017, and frizz control got its revolution. Color Wow Dreamcoat Supernatural Spray introduced a new kind of humidity protection: a heat-activated polymer shield that makes hair sleek, smooth, and glassy for days.
Loved by stylists and celebrities alike (yes, this is the product behind those ‘mirror shine’ blow-dries), it remains the industry standard for humidity-proof styling. (€30, at colorwowhair.ie and select salons)
The icons continue
Whether it’s the nostalgia of early-2000s Surf Spray or the innovation of Dreamcoat, these products prove one thing — true icons never fade. They evolve, inspire, and remind us that great hair is never just about the moment. It’s about the legacy left behind in every bottle.