Tags: Braids, David Mallett, David Mallett Salon, Hair Resolutions, How To, Jessica Hausman, Paris, Plaits, The Formula Blog Videos, Up-do, Upgrade your braid

The salon is homogeneous and eclectic — it’s a universe in here, a total package. We are up to nine years of business now and started off with just two of us and now there’s a team of twenty with a bunch of exciting things in the works.

I am extremely excited about our new massage room that is opening up in a few weeks. It’s been six months in the making and it’s going to be an exceptional service. We are not a beauty salon — we are just hair, although we do nails too, which is something I fought a lot for in the beginning. The broad, unifying factor that brings our clients in is an interest in fashion. I had a lot of clients who, for a very long time, would tell me: “David, when I’m having my color done I would really like to have my hands and feet done.” So we tried it and it’s been very successful.

We had a good month in February and March with Haute couture, and Prêt-à-Porter was also really fun. We had a nice story come out for the salon with Karl Lagerfeld as well. All of those elements — fashion, events, actresses… those are the sorts of things I like to amalgamate into the shop, so we are not a simple hair salon.

Our new products are something I am extremely proud of, as well as the great response we have gotten somewhat quickly from people that I consider the right people — which is a horribly snobby thing to say — but from people in the beauty industry who are very aware of how far you can go with products. I am in my thirty-second year of hair dressing and I have consistently heard my clients come in with the same dilemma, ‘My hair is really dry; I do a lot of blow-drying or coloring, I go to the beach, I’m on a boat — and every time I heavily moisturize my hair, it becomes flat, dull, doesn’t shine and is heavy. So what’s the answer? I need something to hydrate my hair, give it a shine but not something that will weigh it down.’ It was a real challenge for us to get something highly efficient that was easy to use and worked immediately that you can travel with.

The whole idea was to make an amazing product with the universe around it – the quality, the packaging, the smells or lack of smells. Aside for the serum, all the products are scent-free. They are all color-free as well so that people with allergies or sensitive skin can use them without a problem. We made them as simple and pure and clean and effective as possible. The design is meant to mirror and echo the feeling you have when you are in my salon.”

Photos by: Aimee Blaut

Tags: Australia, David Mallett, David Mallett Salon, Hair Dresser, Hair Stylist, Paris, Salon

Favorite Brands: Clarins, Armani, Embryolisse, Avene, Bioderma, Shu Uemura, MAC

“ I got into being a fashion & culture writer in an unusual way. I had to take time off of school for back surgery and was terrified to waste a year of my life in recovery. It just so happened that at this time the parents of my friend were launching the fashion magazine DIVA. They asked if I wanted to be an assistant and see if I liked it. We had a lot of freedom and I was promoted to News Editor pretty quickly. It was a wonderful first job in the industry and helped me to develop my point of view.

When the magazine folded its Fashion Editor, Christine Lerche was moving on to become Deputy Fashion Editor at Marie Claire. She introduced me to Marie-Noëlle Demay, Marie Claire’s Fashion Editor-in-Chief. They hired me to create a fashion news page that I write for the magazine every month.”

“My idea of beauty is really fluid. Working for Marie Claire I am exposed to one side of the industry. I am good at keeping an open mind drawing my influences from not only fashion but renaissance painting and cinema as well. Over time I’ve come to learn what becomes me. I’m also very observant – I watch women, how they dress, how they walk, how they move, how they talk, how they do their make-up or not do their make-up… I get inspired by the people around me, and in turn create my own little style drawing from everything I see that I love.

I’m crazy about fair skinned red heads and am drawn to unusual cold beauties. I love a woman who can look great naturally, with hardly any make-up on and still turn heads. Jessica Chastain is my most recent beauty crush. I also love Cate Blanchett, not only has she got perfect skin and a beautiful face, but she has amazing style.”

“When I wake up I’ll spray some Avène Thermal Spring Water on my face. It gently wakes my skin and washes off night sweats. After breakfast I wash my face with Bioderma’s Cleansing Foam and put on my moisturizer of the moment. Next I’ll lightly dab on some of Decléor’s Flower-Dew Moisturizing Eye Gel-Crème to keep my eyes looking fresh. I like to wait a few minutes after this and let my skin rest before I get into my makeup.”

“I never really liked foundation… until I met Armani’s Face Fabric. It was love at first try. I never go without it. I wear it every time I go out and it makes my skin look naturally flawless and dewy. I am minimal with blush and will swipe on some of Guerlain’s Terracotta on my cheekbones. That is about all I do for color : as far as I am concerned, the fairer the better… In terms of my eyes I don’t wear mascara everyday. When I do, I apply Shu Uemura’s Lash Builder as a base to protect and nourish my lashes. It also makes applying mascara a lot easier. I never put anything on my lips (except plain treatments) but I do love to glam’ up my eyes for the evening. And for that, MAC is my best friend. I love their eye liner pens and eye shadows I probably have around twenty different colors.”

”Since summers in Paris aren’t as humid and hot as in they are in the US, the change isn’t too drastic between seasons here. But when I come to NY for the summer my entire regimen needs a revision. To ward off the strong sun I use the Bobbi Brown Protective Face Lotion SPF 15 during the day. I wash my face with Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser twice daily and go to sleep with the Clarins Multi-Active Night Crème on. This is my perfected summer in the city routine.”

“I think that every girl needs the best hairdresser they can find. I found mine at David Mallett. The first time I went there three years ago I felt like my hair had finally found heaven. The salon is hidden in a gorgeous apartment in the 2nd arrondissement. It’s more expensive if David cuts your hair, but the crew working with him is just as talented. They have one look at you and just know what to do. Every friend who listened to my recommendation has become as devoted.”

photos by: THE FORMULA

Tags: Armani, Avene, Bioderma, Bobbi Brown, Cats, Clarins, David Mallett, Decléor, DIVA, Embryolisse, France, Guerlain, Jessica Chastain, Jessica Hausman, MAC, Marie Claire, Nuxe, Shu Uemura