There are certain experiences that, by some way of nature, leave your hair looking like itself but better than normal: sea salt, for instance. And roller coasters, sometimes. Add to that list David Mallett's products. When Emily Weiss walked into the office fresh from a visit with the Paris-based hairstylist, bearing shampoos, masks, conditioners, etc., ITG editors Jen and Claire both stood up from their chairs and flirted with the idea of a product review (seeing the sleek black-and-ecru packaging, you'll understand). Two days, three showers, and a natural bike ride blowout over the Williamsburg Bridge later, we have two very concise POVs.
Jen Steele, Senior Editor: I need extra love in the hydration realm of haircare. I know this, but I rarely address it. At the moment, I have no problem achieving surfy texture or undone waves because my hair is super dry and hay-like. And honestly, I'm into it—I'm not ashamed of the mess. I could go on and tell you that I'm not even interested in brushing it every day. In that vein, skepticism is a real emotion I experience when shampoos and conditioners promise to yield polished and soft hair, as most hydrating formulas tend to weigh what I've got going on. In my experience, you can't have both smooth and textured hair. But with the Shampoo No. 1 L'Hydratation, you're closer to that dream. After washing and conditioning, skipping any and all styling products, and letting my hair dry on a bike ride to work, I still had the texture I know as my own, but I actually wanted to touch it. Also a nice additional treat: it was much, much shinier. I'm keeping the products and trusting David.
Claire Knebl, Managing Editor: Sometimes my hair looks really flat and lame—sort of limp with an almost-there wave—but also potentially just frizzy, especially when the weather creeps above 85 degrees or when I spend more than 25 minutes on the subway in the summer. To survive the rough circumstances and environments that living in NYC with my sort of limp, sometimes-lame hair presents, I usually have to use an annoyingly complicated recipe of products to air-dry and make it look like I didn't try that hard. So when David Mallett's line coaxed me into going all in on one brand with minimal design and (more importantly) clean-smelling but un-scented formulas, I was relieved. The products encourage a less-stocked shower, which is a good thing. Also good: the outcome. The Shampoo No. 2 Le Volume and Mask No. 1 L'Hydratation together gave me plenty of body that lasted most of the day, especially after after I closed up shop with a spritz of the Spray No. 2 Le Volume. That's it—three steps to getting everything roughed-up while still looking approachable and soft. Twelve hours later at my desk, as I write this, my hair still looks fluffy-wavy in a good, if not great, way.
Photographed by the authors.
Backtrack a bit and remember when Emily went to visit David Mallett's salon in Paris.
