EVERY now and then, you need to have an affair on your hairdresser. It's nothing too serious, but they've been taking you for granted lately. You don't feel so special with them anymore. Sometimes it feels like the buzz is missing from your relationship. It's not them, it's you. So a brief liaison is planned with a new, enthusiastic stylist. Your hairdresser doesn't need to know and no one will get hurt. Doesn't everyone do it?

This is the philosophy of hairdressing life that cult New York hairdressers Bumble and Bumble are all too aware of, and now they have arrived in Peter Mark salons throughout the country, stylists should beware. Because Bumble and Bumble say once you starting coming to them, you'll never want to have another hairdressing affair again. This trendy, independent company was set up 30 years ago and soon became a cult brand. For good reason, too.

"For us, hairdressing is all about the individual, " says Bumble and Bumble creative director Howard McLaren. "So yeah, we go with the fashion of the time, but it's all about talking to the person, finding out their hair habits and taking in their look. What looks good in a picture might not look good on the person, so we take the style and individualise it. A great haircut on the right person is our goal every time."

The nice thing about Bumble and Bumble is they teach you how to look after your hair. Is it prone to greasiness? Then stop scrubbing your scalp as you wash it and, instead, rub gently with your fingertips. Keep flattening your head with de-frizz serum to get rid of kinks? The best method is to lift your hair and run the product through with your fingers.

OK, you're never going to get that justwalked-out-of-the-salon look at home, but isn't it heartening to feel you can make a difference?

E "When people go to a beauty counter, they get tips and they get the right products for their skin type, " said McLaren. "But there's often a reluctance to do the same for your hair, which doesn't make sense. It needs just as much attention."

This is where we get to the fun part:

Bumble and Bumble hair products. There are a lot of them, but interestingly the company hasn't released any new ones in the last couple of years. They say there are too many products already and they keep it to what people really need. Nice.

Along with a good range of shampoos and conditioners that range in price from Euro18 to Euro24 (the seaweed ones for normal hair are divine), Bumble and Bumble also have a unique range of styling products. Take their Tonic Lotion (Euro18). This is a spray made up of herbs and vitamins that you spray on before combing out wet hair. It feeds your scalp, detangles hair and, most importantly, acts as a base for styling products. This is the equivalent of putting on moisturiser before false tan. And believe it or not, it's amazing.

Bumble and Bumble also do a great range of shine products. My favourite is their shine spray (Euro39.50). This is like a hairspray that gives instant shine to your hair, but without that oily feeling that so often accompanies these kind of products.

Bumble and Bumble say you should play around with their products, use them on their own or mix and match together for different looks. And now that they're here in Ireland, looking after your hair has never been more exciting.