Beauty review: MONDAY haircare

Right now many of us are getting our regular beauty fix from the supermarket shelves, and given that many incomes have been lost or diminished of late due to the impact of Covid-19, that’s a trend that may long continue. Thanks to all in sundry then that supermarket and mainstream chemist beauty offerings have upped their game exponentially over the last couple of years, and that all new, New Zealand-based haircare brand MONDAY has arrived to really knock one out of the park.

Promising “a range of salon-quality products available at affordable prices”, MONDAY is the brainchild of New Zealand entrepreneur and beauty enthusiast Jaimee Lupton, who was inspired to create a range of products that provide the benefits of salon quality formulations to all shoppers. I worked with Jaimee many years ago and have to say her hair has always been off the chain in terms of spectacular, so could her new brand deliver the same for the everyday person?

“I’m a huge believer that every person, no matter their story, should be entitled to look and feel good,” says Jaimee, “and the lack of transparency and extortionate pricing across the beauty sector is what gave me the idea to start MONDAY.” After having used it over the last month I can confidently say that it performs above and beyond product lines five times its price when it comes to delivering results and with a truly premium feel.

No overnight success story, MONDAY’s formulations have reportedly been through seven stages of research and development in order to challenge – and exceed - the performance of reputable salon brands. I love that they all feature a unique mix of low irritants and strong surfactants, and that 11 amino acids and a variety of essential plant extracts ensure quick absorption of the formulation into hair follicles; keeping the hair healthy, soft and shiny. MONDAY is also cruelty free and without SLS or paraben nasties, yet gives your locks the lush, silky afterfeel of many luxe brands that definitely don’t meet their strict criteria.

I’ve been using the Repair duo of shampoo and conditioner over lockdown, and switched back to some of my usual go-to’s in between to compare results. I have to say that for my highlighted hair it has been a definite MVP, although I have to rinse super carefully as I can get greasy roots that cling mercilessly onto any nourishing ingredient that crosses their path! I think if I swapped it out every two or three washes for the Sensitive formula I’ll definitely have the perfect combo, and given that the RRP is $7.99 for the whole range I can definitely afford to branch out!

On the aesthetic front, MONDAY also punches well above its weight with some totally #shelfie-worthy, beautifully minimalist packaging. The bottles are also made with recycled plastic to minimise the brand’s carbon footprint and reduce landfill, which gets a big tick from me.

Kiwi model Georgia Fowler is the brand’s first ambassador, and as an old school friend of Jaimee’s is reportedly over the moon to be able to help steer the ship behind the scenes too. I for one can’t wait to see what MONDAY does next.

The complete range of MONDAY shampoo and conditioners – Smooth, Repair & Sensitive – is available for RRP$7.99 at New World, Pak’nSave and Four Square stores nationwide.