After it gained traction in New Zealand, where it was created, and in Australia, MONDAY has made its way up north. Available in four shampoo and conditioner pairs (Gentle, Smooth, Moisture, and Volume), the brand boasts a range of professional products that are not only affordable, but also SLS-and paraben-free. Better yet, the animal-cruelty-free formulas come in rose blush bottles that look just darling in our bathrooms. We met co-founder Jaimee Lupton to find out more about MONDAY and her own beauty habits.

Where does your interest in the world of beauty come from? What inspired you to launch MONDAY?

I spent a long time working for a public relations agency in Sydney that managed luxury brands like Land Rover, Dom Pérignon, and Celine, among others. When I came home to New Zealand, there was nowhere I wanted to work, but I saw a clear lack of top-quality hair products on the market that were affordable.

I’ve always believed that beauty products can do their job without costing a week’s worth of salary. And yet, I was one of those people who spent an exorbitant amount of money on my hair each month, even if there are no ingredients in shampoo and conditioner that can justify such high prices. And when I perused beauty aisles, everything looked the same: the gaudy packaging, the promises… With MONDAY, I wanted to create products that could do it all: work well and look good.

How would you describe MONDAY’s DNA?

The best way to describe MONDAY would be to describe the “MONDAY girl”: she’s cool and collected, with a bit of an attitude. The kind of friend who’ll offer you a bottle of natural wine to celebrate your promotion, send you funny memes at night, and share her vegan Bolognese recipe with you. She’s passionate about the world of beauty but also has strong environmental values. She makes sustainable purchases, buys clean beauty products, and tries to encourage woman-owned businesses. Whether she’s a student, career woman, or stay-at-home mom, she knows a good deal when she sees it, and that’s why she loves MONDAY. She’s the person everyone goes to for great advice and recommendations.

MONDAY Haircare

What were your main challenges when launching MONDAY?

The biggest challenge of all was to launch the brand in the middle of a pandemic! Let’s just say that wasn’t part of the initial plan. However, I do think it was beneficial for us in the long run: more than ever, people wanted top-quality products and reasonable prices. And while we’re confined, we want to take care of ourselves and try new products. We had some trouble with delivery times, but once our products got to their destinations, they flew off the shelves like hotcakes!

That’s just amazing!

One article described our products as “liquid gold” when they were launched in Australia and New Zealand, and after that, hundreds of people reached out to tell us how hard it was to find them. People would post Instagram videos of empty store shelves!

Speaking of Instagram, your brand has such a strong presence and well-defined identity on social media. What role do you think that played in MONDAY’s success?

One of our biggest achievements was creating a community that truly loves the products and shares them on Instagram. The packaging – pink, hyper minimalist, sleek, and luxurious – is easily recognizable and very photogenic. Plus, everything was carefully thought out: the square shape of the bottles means they efficiently fill up the boxes we send out to distributors, and the silkscreen-printed information means we have none of that sticky residue left by traditional labels. The bottles, on top of being made from recyclable materials, are 100% recyclable.

Product packaging is not the only thing that impacts the consumer’s decision, though. Let’s talk about the product itself.

Absolutely! We found the perfect balance between natural extracts and high performance. We don’t use sulfates, parabens, phthalates, methylisothiazolinone, or gluten… Consumers are increasingly aware of what they want and don’t want in their beauty products. We were able to do all that while keeping prices low. That’s what was most important to me.

Can you tell us about your own hair routine?

I wash my hair three times a week. I love using MONDAY’s Moisture shampoo, followed by our Volume conditioner. I also go to the hairdresser every eight weeks. I’ve always done that – it keeps my hair healthy and gives me a chance to check out what’s going on out there! (laughs)

You’re a self-proclaimed beautista. What are the products you just can’t live without?

Are you ready? It’s a long list! (laughs) Diptyque’s Narguilé candle; By Terry’s Baume de Rose glowing rose mask (the perfect night mask: its gel texture is super luxurious and takes to skin like a charm, leaving it revived); Byredo’s Velvet Haze eau de parfum (a long-lasting fragrance with woody, spicy, and sweet notes); and Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Mist (you can spray it on before moisturizing or after applying makeup).

Hair-wise, which celebrity do you admire the most?

Jessica Alba! Her beachy waves are always perfect. And her colour – brown with golden highlights – is incredible.

Lastly, are there any exciting MONDAY launches to be expected shortly?

Yes! We’re releasing a MONDAY travel kit that will include a hair treatment that’s still in development. We’ll probably really need it when we can all start travelling again. Next year, we’re also going to release a line for blondes. The formula, which will obviously be purple, will come in lilac bottles. We’re super excited!

MONDAY Haircare (starting from $8; walmart.ca).

Read more:

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Top 5 Tips to Elevate Your Winter Self-Care Routine – Starting With Your Scalp

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