Founding

MONDAY Haircare was established by Jaimee Lupton, a beauty entrepreneur with prior experience in luxury beauty, public relations, and branding. Lupton identified a gap in the market where consumers were often forced to choose between inexpensive mass-market products and expensive prestige or salon alternatives. Her objective was to create a product line that offered a premium look and feel while remaining affordable enough to be purchased alongside everyday supermarket items.[1]

The brand launched in early 2020 with a concept distinct from conventional prestige haircare. Rather than emphasising exclusivity, MONDAY Haircare sought to make luxury more inclusive and accessible.[2]

The name MONDAY was selected based on the idea that good hair should not be reserved solely for weekends or special occasions. According to the company, Monday symbolises a fresh start and the optimism of having an entire week ahead.[2]

Early growth

The brand garnered significant attention shortly after launching. In its initial markets of Australia and New Zealand, MONDAY Haircare reportedly sold out of approximately six months’ worth of inventory within just six weeks. By early 2021, Forbes reported that the company had shipped more than two million bottles since its launch.[2]

This rapid growth was driven by several factors:

• Distinctive pink packaging
• Relatively low price points
• Premium visual branding
• Mass-retail distribution channels
• Social media marketing strategies
• A focus on younger beauty consumers
• The rising popularity of affordable, prestige-aesthetic beauty products

Following this initial success, the brand expanded internationally and currently describes itself as being available in over 30 countries.[2]

Jaimee Lupton is the entrepreneur behind MONDAY Haircare. She conceptualised the brand after observing a disparity between inexpensive supermarket haircare and costly salon products. Her philosophy centred on the belief that consumers should not need to spend significant amounts of money to access attractive packaging, sophisticated formulations, or a salon-inspired experience. Consequently, MONDAY Haircare was designed from the outset around the concept of accessible premiumisation.[1]

Lupton has received industry recognition for her work, including being named Mumbrella’s Under-30 Achiever of the Year in 2021 and Acquisition International’s Beauty Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022.

The positioning of MONDAY Haircare is built upon four primary pillars.

Affordable luxury

This is considered the brand’s defining characteristic. MONDAY Haircare aims for its products to look, feel, and perform like premium haircare while remaining accessible through supermarkets, drugstores, and other mass retailers. The company describes this approach as making “luxury more inclusive.” Rather than selling exclusivity, the brand offers the aesthetic and experiential qualities of luxury without the associated premium price tag.[2]

Everyday beauty

The brand name reflects the concept that great hair should be part of daily life rather than something reserved for weekends, parties, or special occasions. This philosophy informs the brand’s deliberately optimistic and casual personality.[2]

Accessible design

Packaging is integral to the identity of MONDAY Haircare. The bottles feature a distinctive soft pink colour and a rectangular, architectural shape that creates a premium visual appearance while ensuring recognisability on crowded retail shelves. Forbes has noted the packaging for its notable pink hue and architectural silhouette.[2] This design serves as a key marketing tool, allowing consumers to identify the brand immediately without necessarily reading the label.

Values-led beauty

MONDAY Haircare emphasises attributes associated with modern conscious beauty, including:[1]

• Cruelty-free production
• Vegan formulas
• Absence of SLS
• Absence of parabens
• Recyclable packaging
• Use of recycled plastic
• Focus on selected natural ingredients

While originally best known for its shampoo and conditioner systems, the MONDAY Haircare portfolio has expanded significantly. The brand currently offers categories including shampoo and conditioner, hair masks, dry shampoo, hairspray, leave-in conditioner, hair gummies, body wash, treatments, styling products, and travel sizes.[2]

Core haircare ranges

SMOOTH

Designed primarily for curly, wavy, frizzy, coarse, and coily hair, the SMOOTH range focuses on nourishment and frizz management. Notable ingredients include shea butter and vitamin E. The company states that its shea butter is ethically and fairly traded through its supplier. The SMOOTH range received the 2021 Glamour Beauty Award for Best Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner for Frizz.

MOISTURE

MOISTURE targets dry, stressed, coarse, and coily hair requiring additional nourishment. The formulation highlights ingredients such as coconut oil, hydrolyzed rice protein, shea butter, and vitamin E.[3] This range was previously known as REPAIR.

VOLUME

VOLUME is intended for thin, fine, or oily hair and is formulated to provide additional body and volume.[1]

GENTLE

GENTLE is positioned for hair needing extra care and serves as a general-purpose option for normal hair or hair requiring additional maintenance.

Other products

As the brand has grown, MONDAY Haircare has expanded beyond its original shampoo-and-conditioner concept to include:[2]

• Hair treatments
• Anti-frizz products
• Deep-moisture treatments
• Curl products
• Repair treatments
• Leave-in products
• Dry shampoo
• Hairspray
• Body wash
• Travel products
• Hair Gummies (a daily ingestible supplement marketed for hair health)

This expansion marks a shift from a focused shampoo and conditioner startup toward a broader beauty and personal-care brand.

MONDAY Haircare describes its formulations as dermatologically tested and pH-balanced, emphasising that products do not contain SLS or parabens.[3] The brand also highlights a focus on natural ingredients across its ranges, including:[3]

• Shea butter: Used for nourishment and moisture retention
• Vitamin E: Included for antioxidant properties
• Coconut oil: Featured particularly in the MOISTURE range
• Hydrolyzed rice protein: Used in MOISTURE formulations

The company states that all MONDAY Haircare products are vegan and cruelty-free.[3] It is noted that terms such as “natural,” “vegan,” “cruelty-free,” and “sulfate-free” are not synonymous; while MONDAY combines several of these claims, each refers to distinct product characteristics.

Cruelty-free positioning is central to the identity of MONDAY Haircare. The company states it is approved under the Leaping Bunny programme operated by Cruelty Free International, which independently lists MONDAY Haircare as an approved brand.[1]

Additionally, PETA lists MONDAY Haircare as cruelty-free, stating that neither the company’s ingredients nor finished products are tested on animals, and that suppliers and third parties adhere to the same standard.[4]

Sustainability is a major component of MONDAY Haircare’s branding strategy.

Recyclable bottles

According to the company, the distinctive pink bottles are designed to be 100% recyclable, including the pump. The bottles are manufactured using 20% recycled plastic.[3]

Packaging design

The rectangular bottle shape serves a practical purpose alongside its visual identity, allowing for more efficient packing during transportation. Furthermore, labeling is printed directly onto the bottle rather than applied as a separate plastic label, which the company states aids recyclability.[3]

Distribution packaging

MONDAY Haircare states that its outer distribution boxes utilise recycled content and that plastic fillers, bubble wrap, and polystyrene are avoided in distribution packaging. Packing tape is also described as being made from recycled content.[3] These measures support the brand’s positioning as an environmentally conscious mass-market beauty brand.

MONDAY Haircare states that it partners with charities or non-profit organisations in its operating regions to provide beauty and personal-care essentials to vulnerable women and girls.[3] The company’s social responsibility programme encompasses three themes:

1. Animal welfare
2. Environmental considerations
3. Access to personal-care products

The marketing strategy of MONDAY Haircare combines premium visual branding with mass-market accessibility, distinguishing it from traditional salon brands. This approach allows the company to occupy a unique position between drugstore haircare and prestige beauty.

The visual identity is defined by a combination of pink colouration, minimalist typography, geometric bottles, playful language, and affordable pricing. The company has cultivated a strong social-media-oriented identity and notes that it has become a particularly popular haircare brand on TikTok.[2]

MONDAY Haircare has also collaborated with a group of personalities referred to as “MONDAY Muses,” including celebrity colourist Jenna Perry, hairstylist Patrick Wilson, nail artist Betina Goldstein, and stylist Bettina Looney.

MONDAY Haircare has received recognition from various beauty publications and award programmes. Company materials cite accolades from outlets including Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle.[1] Notably, the SMOOTH range received Glamour’s 2021 Beauty Award for Best Drugstore Shampoo and Conditioner for Frizz.

Originating in Australia and New Zealand, MONDAY Haircare has subsequently expanded into international markets. According to the company’s FAQ, the brand is currently available in more than 30 countries, including:[2]

• Australia
• New Zealand
• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Sweden
• South Africa
• United Arab Emirates
• Philippines
• Vietnam
• Various other European and Asian markets

This international distribution has transformed MONDAY Haircare from a New Zealand-origin startup into a global mass-market beauty brand.

MONDAY Haircare occupies a distinct position within the beauty industry, situated between traditional drugstore haircare and professional salon brands. Its competitive advantage lies not in being the cheapest option available, but in offering a premium-looking experience at a price point attainable for ordinary consumers. This distinction is central to the brand’s market strategy.

Several factors explain the brand’s rapid rise:

Strong visual identity

The pink bottles are instantly recognisable and highly shelf-friendly, while also photographing well for social media platforms.

Affordable premiumisation

MONDAY Haircare provides consumers with visual and emotional cues associated with luxury beauty without the luxury pricing.

Simple product architecture

The original range was organised around intuitive needs—SMOOTH, MOISTURE, VOLUME, and GENTLE—rather than forcing consumers to navigate dozens of specialised products.[2]

Social-media compatibility

The packaging and approachable brand voice make the brand particularly suitable for visual platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

Mass distribution

Accessibility is core to the brand’s philosophy, making availability through major retailers strategically important.

Values-based positioning

Cruelty-free certification, vegan formulas, recyclable packaging, and the absence of SLS and parabens provide differentiation beyond appearance and price.

The personality of MONDAY Haircare can be described as young, optimistic, approachable, stylish, playful, inclusive, and slightly cheeky. It deliberately avoids the intimidating language sometimes associated with luxury beauty, aiming instead to make premium-looking haircare feel ordinary and accessible. The brand name reinforces this philosophy: Monday is not typically viewed as glamorous or exceptional, yet the brand’s proposition is that it can still be a good hair day.

Packaging is a primary asset of MONDAY Haircare rather than a secondary element. The bottle communicates multiple attributes simultaneously:

• Pink colour suggests a playful and contemporary aesthetic
• Geometric shape implies modernity and premium quality
• Minimalist design conveys sophistication
• Pump dispenser offers a salon-like experience
• Price point signals accessible luxury

This cohesive design allows MONDAY Haircare to visually compete with significantly more expensive brands while maintaining a mass-retail position.

MONDAY Haircare has evolved beyond a simple shampoo-and-conditioner company. Its current range spans haircare, treatments, styling, supplements, body care, and travel products, indicating a transition toward a broader personal-care platform.[2] This expansion aligns with the long-term vision of founder Jaimee Lupton, who has discussed building a broader portfolio of beauty brands targeting younger consumers and accessible beauty.

1. About MONDAY Haircare | MONDAY Haircare
2. New Brand Monday Ensures Every Day Is A Good Hair Day
3. Ingredients – MONDAY Haircare – United States
4. Is MONDAY Haircare Cruelty-Free? | PETA