I Tried Coles’ Most Hyped Hair Brand, Monday — Here Are My Honest Thoughts

I knew I had to review MONDAY Haircare when it popped up on my TikTok For You page not once, not twice, but three times within an hour. For those of you who aren’t addicted to TikTok (congratulations on that, by the way), that’s a lot, considering the amount of content you scroll through and the sheer number of products touted as the next big thing.

You've probably seen MONDAY Haircare on your Coles shelves. It's hard to miss — their peachy pink bottles stand out amongst a sea of Panetene bottles. Currently MONDAY’s range includes four shampoo and conditioner duos, each dedicated to a specific hair concern: Gentle (for damaged hair), Moisture (for dry hair), Smooth (for frizzy hair) and Volume (for fine and flat hair). At only $10 a bottle, it’s no wonder they’re so popular; all about making haircare more inclusive, products promise to offer salon-worthy results at a fraction of the cost. The Instagram-friendly, baby pink packaging and roster of celebrity fans (including Khloe Kardashian and Addison Rae) sweeten the appeal, too.

MONDAY says it's shifted over 5 million bottles since its launch into New Zealand, Australia, US and Canada, and in 2021, sold an average of seven bottles each minute. As ever though, with great hype comes great scrutiny. Is it worth the hype and a spot in your shower caddy? To find out, I spent a few weeks trialling the brand. Here’s how I got on...

MONDAY’s range is divided up into four targeted lines which are easily mixed and matched. This is great, as hair types often don't fit neatly into one box. My hair is on the finer side but always benefits from a dose of moisture, so I tried the Gentle and Volume duos, alternating the shampoos and conditioners depending on what my hair needed that day. Each duo contains the same key ingredients: nourishing shea butter, coconut oil to soften and add shine, vitamin E to support hair and scalp health and, in the conditioner, panthenol for hair elasticity and split ends.

MONDAY’s Volume duo lightly cleanses and hydrates hair so as not to weigh it down. Ginger root extract invigorates your hair and scalp for more volume.

MONDAY’s Moisture duo. On top of the punch of moisture from the coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin E, these are formulated with hydrolysed rice protein for strengthening stressed out hair.

I don’t want to be that person who is swayed by the packaging alone, but MONDAY does look great in my bathroom – a definite upgrade on the usual squeezed-out-of-shape bottles, labels peeling off with all the moisture. Not only do they look great, these bottles are also brilliant to use. I’m a big fan of the pump feature; you don’t want to be fussing with a screw top when you’re wet, soapy and not quite awake yet.

I started out with the Gentle duo. I was expecting the strong, tropical smell you tend to get with shampoos containing coconut oil but this lighter, more floral fragrance is a lot more subtle – ideal if you're not a fan of overpowering scents. The light gel formula lathered up quickly and satisfyingly on my hair. Length aside (mine hits my chest), my hair is on the thinner side so I only needed three pumps for my whole head. The conditioner is a thicker, creamier consistency that absorbed quickly into my hair. Again, I didn’t need much to feel like my hair was well coated, and two pumps were enough.

Afterwards, my hair felt thoroughly cleansed but not stripped of its natural moisture. It dried soft and glossy and my natural waves weren’t weighed down. All in all, this is a great shampoo and conditioner duo that’s simple, affordable and performs well. After two weeks of using the Gentle duo, I've received plenty of compliments from friends. I have virgin hair so it’s hard for me to say what effect MONDAY might have on bleached or treated hair but as with any new product, if you are concerned about any potential damage, I would recommend patch testing a small lock of hair first.

I was also keen to try out the Volume duo, hoping it would boost my fine hair. Although it made my hair soft and glossy, I didn’t see any difference in my hair’s volume and body.

I was really happy to find out that MONDAY’s entire range is PETA certified cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. The brand is dedicated to focusing on natural ingredients and is 100% free from sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), which is found in many haircare products, but can irritate some sensitive or reactive skin types. MONDAY’s pink packaging isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, either. It's made with 20% recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable (including the pump!) so it won’t end up in landfill. The brand has promised to make its products refillable soon, too.

You can nab MONDAY Haircare at your local Coles for $10 — $20 a pop.