On October 28, Jennifer Lawrence announced that she was officially joining the celebrity beauty brand club by launching Mes°, a “biodesigned” (not sure what that means? Neither are we!) hair-care line pronounced “mess.” Mes° debuted with three products: the Multitask Repair Mask, a reparative mask you apply on dry hair; the Off-Duty Restyling Serum, a bi-phase styling serum; and the Good Roots Volume Mist, a volumizing product that doubles as a scalp treatment.
Each product was made to simplify our hair routines by having a dual purpose: to style, yes, but also improve hair health over time. On the brand’s website, the first words you see underneath a dancing JLaw are “Less time fixing your hair, more time living.” Lawrence’s laid-back, relatable personality is infused into the ethos of the brand, but all the good vibes in the world can’t make great beauty products.
Luckily, Lawrence brought in formulation pros for that part. She partnered with Arcaea, a biology-focused beauty company founded by chemical bioengineer Jasmina Aganovic, to co-create the brand. With Aganovic as CEO, the company launched Future Society, a fragrance brand that uses biotechnology to revive scents from extinct flowers. The combination of Lawrence’s huge fanbase and Aganovic’s background as a scientist sure made it seem like this brand would be a hit.
Instead, the internet wasn’t exactly impressed
Instead, the internet wasn’t exactly impressed. The brand announcement was immediately followed by backlash, with people questioning the intention behind Lawrence’s new venture. In September, when the actor joined Instagram seemingly out of the blue (and in her signature, self-deprecating way), fans were thrilled. Now, that move is being framed as calculated and inauthentic—a way of using social media to promote the brand. Commenters also started focusing on the actor’s looks, saying they didn’t recognize her “new” face and inciting a debate on whether or not she had an upper blepharoplasty.
Some were also quick to draw a comparison between Mes° and another hair-care brand, Messy, which Drybar cofounder Alli Webb launched last year. While there are few similarities to be found in the brands’ packaging and products, some commentators are claiming the name and message are too close for comfort. In an Instagram video, Webb claimed to see parallels between the two brands’ ethos of being imperfect and, obviously, messy. “I have been literally inundated with DMs and messages from friends and you guys being upset on my behalf about this new hair-care brand that recently launched called Mes°,” she says.
Drama aside, celebrity beauty brands can be great—Rhode, Rare Beauty, and Fenty Beauty are huge successes and count many Allure staffers as fans, and Mes°’s mission seems promising. But this year has already seen the closing of Scarlett Johansson and Gwen Stefani’s lines, and plenty of others have long been dead and gone (remember Jessica Simpson’s line of edible cosmetics?). Do we really need another one?
For all the chatter around Lawrence’s new hair-care
For all the chatter around Lawrence’s new hair-care line, there are very few actual reviews. I’m all for giving things a chance, so I asked my colleagues to test-drive Mes° and give us their honest thoughts. Let’s have the products (and our team) speak for themselves, shall we?
What it is: A reparative hair mask meant to be applied to dry hair and left in for a minimum of five minutes. It can also be used as a styling product for a wet look or a slicked-back style. The instructions are to apply before washday—the brand does not mention whether or not this replaces conditioner or adds an extra step.
Sarah Kinonen, beauty director: “I have a very low-maintenance hair-care routine, especially for someone with very blonde highlights. I usually wash it once or twice a week, spritz in a leave-in conditioner post-shower, and then let it air-dry. I don’t use styling products or hot tools, except when someone else is using them on me. When I wash my hair, I use a mask (yes, even on my fine hair) as opposed to a conditioner, so I figured the Multitask Repair Mask would fit right in. That is, until I realized this mask was meant to be applied to dry hair. The idea of slopping goop onto dry hair before washing has never appealed to me. Nevertheless, I followed what little instructions are on the refillable container (which I thought arrived accidentally empty in my PR mailer, but that’s another story), raked and slicked the Elmer’s Glue-like mask into my very dirty roots and ends (it had been a full week since my last washday), and let it sit for about five minutes.
I hopped into the shower, rinsed it out
“I hopped into the shower, rinsed it out (it felt like it slid right off), double-shampooed as I normally would, then, instead of raking in my usual hair mask, I quickly just conditioned my hair. Out of the shower, I spritzed in my go-to leave-in (I love the Best of Beauty-winning Davines Love Smoothing Lightweight Milk), brushed out any tangles, and went to bed with a wet head (I usually do this). In the morning, I woke up with super-soft hair (maybe slightly softer than normal) that barely needed to be tamed with a comb.
“The verdict: The mask is nice! But I’m not sure if I’d ever replace it with my current hair masks. I like the idea of doing my hair-washing and -masking all at once in the shower, so having to apply it to dry hair, find something to do, and then wash it out doesn’t really align with my otherwise simple routine. And while I know the mask can also be used as a styler to create a wet look, I’m going to be honest: You will never catch me doing that.”
Kassidy Silva, social director: “As a mom, I’m always on the hunt for products that are going to cut down the time of my beauty routine, so my hopes were high when trying the Multitask Hair Mask. I used a generous handful on my dry hair, coating my full head. The mask has a bit of a fishy, plastic smell that took me off-guard at first sniff, but it didn’t linger. While the mask’s texture was similar to a watery goo, once applied, it appears like a heavy shine oil rather than leaving a cast in my hair. Once my hair was fully coated, I threw it up in a clip while anxiously waiting for election results to come in.
While I like the idea of cutting time
“While I like the idea of cutting time in the shower and not having to get my hair wet before applying, this is not a product I would use to try to style or pull off any variety of a wet hair look. For me, it’s strictly for wearing around the house while doing chores before hopping in the shower.
“Performance-wise, it left my hair feeling soft and silky, but didn’t do as much heavy lifting as I would like in a mask. I use hot tools daily, so I am constantly trying to combat potential damage to my hair. This mask would fall into the category of a mini refresh for me. I could see myself taking it on a long vacation, but not swapping out my weekly essentials.”
What it is: A volumizing spray that simultaneously lifts hair at the roots while reducing scalp oil. It can be used on dry hair for a refresh or on damp hair before blow-drying.
Elizabeth Gulino, senior staff writer: I am,
Elizabeth Gulino, senior staff writer: “I am, in fact, the target audience for JLaw’s hair line—the long undone waves photographed in her New York City pap walks are exactly what I want my hair to look like on a daily basis. The first product I tried was the Good Roots Volume Mist, which I spritzed on in the middle of the workday on dry, day-four hair. According to the instructions, it can be used between washes to reduce scalp oil (something I honestly don’t experience) and add some lift to flattened-out hair. After spraying it onto my roots, my scalp stayed pretty damp for almost half an hour—and it looked like it, too. I either sprayed too much of the stuff, or this is not the product for me. After an hour or so, the dampness subsided, and it did give my roots a little lift. My hair also had a grippier texture; when I pushed it up or tried to style it a certain way, it stayed put.
“That night, I washed my hair and sprayed the mist onto my damp roots before I blow-dried it. This method gives the best results, according to the brand’s website, and that’s something I can vouch for firsthand. My hair wasn’t oily or wet like when I tried it earlier in the day, and it gave my hair some volume without weighing it down. I’d definitely try this product again on damp hair.
“For one last hurrah, I used Good Roots Volume Mist for a third time on dry, second-day hair, and was pleased with the results. While, yes, it still made my hair feel damp for around 15 minutes, it did give my roots more grit and volume than before. I don’t think this product will replace a dry shampoo since it didn’t necessarily make my hair feel clean when my hair was at its dirtiest on day four. The few spritzes I worked into my scalp then made my hair look and feel even dirtier. It’s not my favorite product, but it did give a decent zhuzh to limp roots.”
Silva: With a fluffy bob, I spend
Silva: “With a fluffy bob, I spend a ton of time every morning giving my hair a refresh to get that volume back in from overnight. My hair is also naturally quite flat, so I need all the help I can get.
“On the volume front, the Good Roots Volume Mist was a win: I liked how little product I needed to use to get a boost and was impressed with how long my style lasted. I applied it directly onto dry hair across four sections, massaging it into my roots, then letting it fully dry. I had good volume from the product before I styled my hair. After I went in with a thermal round brush, it helped hold those top pieces that I’m always fighting to keep lifted. However, I found that it added a gritty texture and got a little closer to the greasy side of shiny than I wanted.”
What it is: A smoothing product meant to be used on dry, dirty hair to smooth flyaways, reshape, and restyle.
Alessandra Foresto, managing editor: I really wanted
Alessandra Foresto, managing editor: “I really wanted to like the Off-Duty Styling Serum. The idea of having a serum that refreshes your hair on day two or three seems like a lifesaver for someone like me who heat-styles their hair pretty often, but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I used it on wet hair right out of the shower because it claims to detangle and also protect from heat. My hair was definitely not as soft as it usually is after I apply my regular favorite detangler. It was a little harder to brush through knots and tangles right out of the shower. The serum was also sticky on my hair and hands, and it felt like it left a residue.
“Lawrence says this serum tames little frizzy floofs, but my experience was that the serum left my hair frizzier than normal. My hair was pretty frizzy after a rough blowout, which is not normally the case. The next day, my hair was still frizzy, even though I slept with it in a bun, which normally smooths things out a bit. I gave it a try again, and my experience was the same. It didn’t really feel like it tamed any of the floofs, and the serum felt pretty sticky. My hair was also not as soft or detangled as it is with my usual products.
“I gave it yet another try after curling my hair with a flat iron, and it didn’t really feel like it did anything, although my hair is shiny. The smell is nice and light, and I really wanted to like the product, but it just really didn’t work for me.”
Gulino: “I came into the office in the morning after using the Good Roots Volume Mist on my damp hair and saw the Off-Duty Restyling Serum on my colleague’s desk. I snagged the sculptural bottle and worked two drops into my palms before running them through my hair. I liked this product! It subtly tamed my flyaways and, as Lawrence calls it, my ‘floofs.’ The next day, I tried it again at the office using a few more drops. I’d continue to use this. It may work for me because I have thick, dry hair. I’ve officially stolen this from my coworker.”
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