MONDAY offers an award-winning range of luxury haircare that’s vegan, cruelty-free and affordable. We chatted with co-founder Jaimee Lupton to find out more about this exciting brand.
What was the inspiration behind launching MONDAY?
I was tired of spending a fortune on haircare from the salon and really wanted an affordable alternative but realised there just wasn’t one! At the time I was using these amazing, affordable beauty and skincare brands such as Glossier and The Ordinary and realised there weren’t a lot of brands doing that for haircare. That’s where the idea for MONDAY was born. As for the name, we thought about how the idea of good hair is often saved for special occasions, but we wanted MONDAY to be about everyday good hair.
Have you always had an entrepreneurial streak?
Yes! My parents always encouraged us to work hard from a young age. Once I started working full-time, I knew I’d one day launch my own brand or company – I had lots of ideas and really just needed to find the best way to bring them to life.
What were the challenges you faced when launching MONDAY?
Our biggest challenge – the pandemic – ended up being a blessing in disguise. We launched in New Zealand and Australia when the pandemic first hit in March 2020, and while it derailed some of our plans around our launch and created problems around shipping, it also placed a focus on being able to take care of yourself from home and needing to have products that were available in your local supermarket.
What, in your opinion, makes MONDAY’s product line appealing?
I think it’s our approach to making quality products more accessible. We don’t believe that SLS-, paraben- and cruelty-free haircare should cost more just for the sake of it. Our products are salon-quality and have won several awards, which really goes to show they work. People also really love having our pink bottles in their bathroom.
Let’s get into a little more detail: what are the differences between the products? How do we pick the right ones for different types of hair?
People with curly and coily hair really love our SMOOTH and REPAIR lines for extra nourishment and shine, and typically people with fine, thin or oily hair find VOLUME works best for them. If your hair or scalp needs a little extra TLC, then our SENSITIVE line could be for you.
Our goal with MONDAY is to make luxury more inclusive, so we’re interested in taking MONDAY to as many people as possible.
How does MONDAY embody its ethos of being eco-friendly?
We do this in several ways, and we believe in constant improvement. Our bottles are made from recycled plastic, are 100 per cent recyclable (including the pump, which is rare!) and have a rectangular shape so they can be packed and transported more efficiently. We use soya-based ink, print directly onto our bottles, and our products are also vegan and cruelty-free.
Are there any products in development that we should watch out for?
Yes! We have several products in development, which I’m really excited about. We have always said that if you’re using a quality shampoo and conditioner you don’t need a lot of other products. But our MONDAY community has asked for certain products to complement their hair routine, like a purple shampoo, dry shampoo and a treatment. There are others, but my team probably wouldn’t appreciate me spilling all their secrets.
Why is the UAE interesting to MONDAY as a market?
Our goal with MONDAY is to make luxury more inclusive, so we’re interested in taking MONDAY to as many people as possible. I do hope that people in the UAE find MONDAY helpful for the hot, humid weather. Stay tuned for treatments and oils that would be especially beneficial.
