I Reviewed Michael Douglas’ New Hair Styling Range. Was it a Hit or a Miss?
Anyone who knows me can vouch for the fact that I am a huge fan of Michael Douglas, AKA the nicest man in beauty.
Not only did we used to work together ‘back in the day’ (I can confirm he is an absolute joy of a human) but he’s also a really, really talented hairdresser. If anyone knows their stuff about hair, it’s him.
And luckily for us, Michael’s also one of Live That Glow’s beloved regular columnists, and a judge for the second year running in our beauty awards. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves when saying that out loud.
A few years ago Michael launched his MD London hair tools which have proved to be a roaring success, adored by influencers, celebrities and his many followers. Side note: his Strait Hair Straighteners are the smoothest, lightest, easiest flat irons you’ll ever use.
So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that the next launch in the pipeline was his own range of hair styling products, entitled The Numbers.
My excitement soon turned to panic though because, well, I’m fussy when it comes to hair products. Very, very fussy.
My hair is wavy and frizzy. It is hard to manage and never does what it’s asked. And, full disclosure, adding styling products to the mix can often tip my hair anxiety over the edge because anything too heavy will flatten it in an instant and anything too light won’t make any difference to it at all. Argh.
Image – Courtesy of writer
So, what if these products – created by a friend no less – didn’t perform the way I wanted them to either? Talk about awkward. Because here at Live That Glow, we pride ourselves on keeping our reviews 100% honest.
Would Michael’s products let me down? Or would they be just the ticket for my fussiness? Oh, the pressure. Here goes…
The product details
There are 6 products in The Numbers range and they cost £15 each (from MD London). The 1 – Hair Primer is described as the universal pre-styling essential with heat protection, lightweight conditioning, smoothing and frizz control (bring it on). The 2 – Volume & Shine Blow-Out Spray aims to not be sticky and promises to deliver long-lasting volume, shine, heat protection and frizz control.
@mdlondonhair 1 + 3 + 6 = banging curls 1 + 2 + 5 = volume and natural texture 1 + 2 + 4 = sleek and glossy perfection That’s right folks we’ve reinvented mathematics ? THE NUMBERS is the styling range adds up…and it’s out NOW ???? After years of being asked by frustrated consumers for clear advice about what styling products will work for them, Michael has developed THE NUMBERS – a range that you can count on. So expect more number puns ?? in the coming weeks as there’s a ton of content coming your way, introducing each product and how they combine to give you the hair that you want. Available now at mdlondon.com or link in bio. What NUMBERS are you?
The 3 – Volume, Curls & Waves Mouse is for ‘curls that bounce, pop and shine’ and helps to enhance texture, reduce frizz and resist humidity and give a lightweight, flexible, non-crunch hold. The 4 – Hairspray That Holds promises to give firm, lasting hold but without the sticky crunch, a reworkable texture and volume.
The 5 – Voluminous Texture is a dry shampoo-meets texturizing spray which refreshes hair and adds volume. And finally, The 6 – A Settling Finish claims to be a cream clay pomade that softens, defines and adds definition and movement without weighing down the hair.
Each product has its own QR code on the packaging so that you can scan and read up on it online, with how-to videos with Michael himself included (I love this concept).
How I tested the products
Naturally, I don’t have a use for The 3 (curl mousse) or The 6 (the cream clay pomade) so I only tested The 1, The 2, The 4 and The 5. I used The 1 and The 2 on freshly washed, damp hair which is when my hair is at its most tricky.
I used The 4 on freshly blow-dried hair, then The 5 a few days later when it needed a refresh.
First impressions
My immediate thoughts when opening up my box of products was how universal the range felt.
There truly is nothing ‘girly’ about the packaging, nor is it overly masculine. The earthy tones with a hint of blue are, in fact, slap bang in the middle, meaning that everyone can feel instantly included.
I’m a sucker for a scent too so I cheekily spritzed The 4 into the air in front of me and was instantly struck by how unique the scent is. Again, it’s universal. No obvious girly prettiness nor heavy woody, masculine notes. A simple mix of citrus, florals and musk – the perfect cocktail for a unisex range of products.
Image – Courtesy of writer
I can honestly say I’ve never smelt a hair product like it, and I’m pleased to report that it isn’t overbearing, it’s just right.
After washing my hair, I applied The 1 onto my damp hair from mid-lengths to ends. It’s a cream formula and easy to pump out and as my hair is a short bob I only needed one pump. It didn’t feel sticky or unpleasant and I was encouraged by its promises of heat protection and frizz reducing.
You can then either blow dry your hair or let it air dry – either way, the product promises to do the job in hand.
Next, I applied The 2. I have only ever come across one blow dry spray that works so this was a biggie for me. The 1 and 2 are meant to complement each other so I didn’t have a problem applying both.
I don’t usually like to overload my hair with styling products but there is trust when it comes to Michael so in this instance, I made an exception. It sprayed on evenly and easily, I just prayed it wouldn’t weigh my blow dry down or feel too sticky once my hair was dry.
My results
After I’d finished blow drying my hair I spritzed on The 4 – Hairspray That Holds because I like to have a slightly contrived flick at my parting. It didn’t make my hair feel crunchy or sticky – my absolute bugbear when it comes to hairsprays – and I could tell that my flick was there to stay if I wanted it to but it would also move back into its original position if I needed it to.
That’s the thing with the hairspray – it doesn’t make you feel committed until your next hair wash but equally, if you want to commit, you can.
As for my blow dry, I was seriously impressed. It was as if I had just walked out of a professional blow dry because everything I had asked my hair dryer and brush to do had been done.
Image – Courtesy of writer
My hair was smooth and shiny, yes – but the most noticeable part was how lightweight it felt. There was zero weight or greasy feeling, and I felt a million bucks. Full disclosure – I sent Michael a very over-excited voice note at around 9 o’clock that night to tell him how much I loved the products. Yes, me, the fussy one. Game-changing.
Over the next few days, I’ll be honest – my hair looked fabulous. And the wash lasted too, probably because I wasn’t fiddling with it as much as I normally do – I didn’t need to!
A few days later, I decided to give my hair a refresh so I picked up The 5 – Voluminous Texture. It’s essentially a texturizing dry shampoo but the first thing I noticed was that when you spritz it, you’re not plying your hair with a load of powder like with other dry shampoos, you’re just enhancing all the good bits from your blow dry and giving your hair a healthy, voluminous boost.
What I loved about it was, like with the other products in the range I’d tried, my hair still felt as light as a feather after spritzing and my roots had just been given this invisible lift.
I didn’t want to change the style of my hair – my blow dry was still intact – but naturally it had flattened a little and didn’t look as ‘fresh’ as when I first washed it. This was the perfect solution. It gave my hair a bit more life and a bit more volume, without actually changing anything. Genius!
Overall value for money
You can buy all six of these products for £90 which I think is pretty reasonable. However, it’s not likely that you’ll need all six. If you only use four products like me, you’ll be spending £60 on four really decent hair products (remember how fussy I usually am? But I would honestly spend this again in a heartbeat).
The dry shampoo alone is a steal because of how good it is, even if you’ve nailed your blow dry spray/heat protection products elsewhere. And you don’t need to use a huge amount of it either, so it’ll last. Plus I feel like the how-to videos from the man himself that come with each product add value here too.
That said, £15 on any haircare product is still an investment, so if you’re unsure, I recommend choosing one product from the range to start with before adding in more later if you’re a fan.
The takeaway
I tried not to like these products. Why? Because if I could write a negative review about the work of someone I regard so highly, then surely that would be all the evidence you, our readers, need that we’re completely honest with you.
But – plot twist – I didn’t need to. (Can you sense my relief?) Because these products are genuinely brilliant. And the fact that the lovely Michael created them is just a really, really happy bonus.
Get Glowing!
