J.Law’s Haircare Line Is Here: Insider Details on the Process, Hunger Games Inspiration, and How She Uses Each Product

I’ll start with what everyone’s probably thinking: Yes, there’s an overwhelming number of celebrity beauty brands in an already overcrowded beauty market. The celebrities won’t be stopped, but by now, consumers can immediately tell the difference between A-listers who have a genuine respect for the category—the science, the community, the existing bigwigs—and those who are merely in it for the big bucks. (I won’t name names.) After hearing Jennifer Lawrence speak about her debut haircare line, Mes°, I’ll confidently classify her in the former camp.

“I’ve been wanting to make something for years,” the Oscar-winning actress shares during an exclusive brand presentation. “[Working as an actor], I have no agency over my hair at all. Not the color, not the cut, hot tools every day on set. [I was] dyeing it all of these different colors, especially during Hunger Games, when my hair was being dyed brown and then bright blonde.” (She recently documented the whiplash on her newly minted Instagram page, if you’d like a visual.) “It was so fried that I ended up cutting it all off. I don’t know if anybody remembers the pixie days,” she continues. “From that point, I got really focused on hair health.” Fifteen years later, give or take, she finally found a partner that aligned with her specific vision: Jasmina Aganovic, chemical bioengineer and founder of biotech beauty company Arcaea. Aganovic’s goal, when it comes to creating hair products, is to treat strands as a complex biological material—to target their actual lipid structure rather than simply coating the outer hair shaft like so many traditional formulas. Learning about the science literally gave Lawrence goosebumps. “This is what I’ve been waiting for,” she recounts.

Photo of Jennifer Lawrence for mes° launch campaign

(Image credit: Courtesy of Mes°)

Debuting with three versatile products, Mes° has multitasking baked into its DNA. Each formula provides immediate styling gratification—be it bouncy volume, slicked-back shine, or smoothly defined texture—but it also targets the hair’s inner framework for strands that look and feel good long term. “It was always an either or,” Lawrence notes. “Either my hair is styled, which means hair spray, hot tools, and teasing, or it’s healthy, which means it’s listless, flat, and damp.” The industry is certainly not lacking high-performing brands in this space, but I will say that after learning about the sophisticated technology here, I’d be just as hyped for the launch if it didn’t come with a buzzy celebrity face. Hand on my heart.

Photo of Jennifer Lawrence for mes° launch campaign

(Image credit: Mes°)

Of course, it’s also worth noting that Lawrence’s current mane has landed on many beauty mood boards as of late. Those lived-in, honey-blonde waves, that wispy fringe—Lawrence is basically the poster child for breezy, “undone” texture, so if she were going to put her name behind any beauty venture (as stars these days are wont to do), I sure am glad she decided to dive headfirst into hair. Ahead, discover everything you need to know about each product, straight from Lawrence and Aganovic themselves.

Good Roots Volume Mist

Photo of Jennifer Lawrence for mes° launch campaign

(Image credit: Courtesy of mes°)

First, Aganovic shares, it’s important to know that the formulas don’t exactly fit into a single product category—but that’s what makes them so fascinating. Take the Good Roots Volume Mist, for example. It immediately lifts flat, limp locks, like its name suggests, but it also functions as a scalp treatment with oil-balancing actives (namely, a proprietary ARC-5 technology and Mediterranean microalgae). “It’s not an annoying scalp treatment in the sense that it’s a little dropper that you have to use on a daily basis,” Aganovic explains. ‘It’s just a spray that is also going to give you a great natural lift.” A healthier scalp, after all, begets healthier, bouncier roots.

“I need texture in my hair because I have huge cheeks. It must be balanced, and I’ve never bought the same volumizing spray twice,” Lawrence quips. “You can put as much as you want onto wet hair, and it never gets crunchy. Your hair never dries out. Your hair is soft, fluffy, and it stays for days because it’s actually a scalp treatment. It’s an anti-inflammatory for your scalp and balances oil, so your hair is lifted, healthier, and it lasts.”

Multitask Repair Mask

Photo of Jennifer Lawrence for mes° launch campaign

(Image credit: Courtesy of Mes°)

Here’s the thing about reparative hair masks: They typically aren’t the most user-friendly. Most options require you to wet your hair, rake it from root to tip, then leave them on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing. Oh, and don’t leave it on for too long, or you might risk protein overload, which results in dry, brittle strands—exactly what you were trying to solve with the mask in the first place. This Multitask Repair Mask completely streamlines the clunky routine, as you apply it on dry hair before you hop in the shower. Then as it marinates, it helps replenish the lipid architecture of the hair by 158% (there’s clinical data on this) and keeps those precious proteins from seeping out when you rinse.

The best part? “There’s no time limit on it,” Lawrence shares. You can leave it on for an entire day if you wanted to—something Lawrence herself has done for a slicked-back “wet” look. “I love wet-hair looks for the red carpet or [for days when] I don’t want to do my hair. Before this product, the only thing you can put on for a wet-hair look [that lasts] is lube.” Talk about a celebrity red carpet secret. With this mask, “the wet look will stay in perpetuity,” she adds.

Off-Duty Restyling Serum

Photo of Jennifer Lawrence for mes° launch campaign

(Image credit: Courtesy of Mes°)

Finally, we have what Lawrence lovingly calls her “floof” serum: a bi-phase oil-serum that smooths frizz (the “floof”), adds shine, and defines texture via a mix of high-tech styling polymers (dubbed AirSilk C15-19) and nourishing emollients. It also provides 450°F heat protection. Though, according to Lawrence, you may rely less on your hot tools once you give it a go. “I get photographed pretty much every time I leave my house, but I don’t have time to give myself a blowout, and I don’t want to be putting hot tools on my hair every day,” she explains. “I wanted to brush my hair and put something in that would [help] the floof life. … This is a hot tool replacement [and] styling serum that can help hold your texture for longer, and it also gets activated with a brush.”

It may feel a little “wet” upon application, but don’t be wary of the initial payoff. “It doesn’t change your hair texture,” Lawrence assures. And because of that bi-phase formula, it won’t cause buildup or weigh down your locks. “You can even put it on your roots, and it won’t make you make your hair flat,” she adds.

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