If there’s one thing that sells a beauty product, it’s packaging. In fact, I often feel like women are so enamored by compacts and containers that companies could sell sewage water if it was distilled into something eye-catching. But in the case of Davines’ latest hand-wrapped hair styling line, aptly named More Inside, it’s not just about having a pretty face. Along with the artisanal, patterned papers inspired by vintage fabrics that envelop the bottles, jars, and tubes, the formulas found within the vials are well edited and designed to work. The company did away with its two separate collections (For Wizards and Defining), consisting of twenty-eight lotions, potions, and sprays, and instead pared this new range down to sixteen SKUs. However, two of the best-sellers remain—Sea Salt Primer Spray (my personal favorite) and Oil Non Oil—albeit both are dressed up in fresh outfits and branded with new monikers. The remaining fourteen, including hair sprays, mousses, pomades, pastes, waxes, and serums, create looks ranging from sleek and polished to tousled and relaxed. Plus, the brand’s no-frills naming convention—a simple and straightforward sentence that indicates each formula’s function—makes choosing the right product easier than ever. For example, a-once cryptic clay is easily deciphered now that it’s called This Is a Strong Hold Clay It’s for a Firm, Mat Finish. Even better: Printed on the inside of the elaborate FSC-certified paper (meaning the wood used to make it comes from responsibly managed forests) you’ll find adorable illustrations, inspirational quotes, and QR codes that link to the brand’s website and a video tutorial with artistic director Angelo Seminara on how to use the product. Essentially, these stylers are like Russian nesting dolls: The surprises just keep on comin’.
