Gentlemen prefer Blondes – LUSH Hairmask Marilyn

Now before all my (beautiful) dark or red haired readers feel set back, rest assured that I merely quote a movie title.
A movie starring Marilyn Monroe, famous for being blonde. Of course she was many more things than that, and probably one of the most tragic and misunderstood women ever, but being the blonde bombshell will forever be linked to her.

And while I am far from being a bombshell (not that I want to), I am a natural blonde. As most of us do, I darkened over the years, turning from light to ashy, and in my attempt to keep the sun kissed look damaged my hair beyond reason with vast amounts of bleach.

LUSH Marilyn Hair Mask

But without sun or bleach, blonde locks can loose all color, looking dull and tired, and while I am perfectly fine with not being a bombshell, I am not happy with the way my hair color looks now that I have shunned the bleach for almost two years.

There must be a gentler way, I figured, and tried the LUSH Marilyn hair mask.

What LUSH claims:
A pre-wash treatment to help keep hair shiny, bright and conditioned. This moisturizing hair mask contains an army of brighteners including lemon, chamomile and saffron infusions, plus essential oils to gently lighten fair hair over time, as if it has been kissed by the sun
Marilyn can also help blondes maintain their hue that has potential to become brassy over time.
We´ve used lemon to add shine and used linseed mucilage, a gel made from boiling the seeds, to soften and moisturize. Olive oil helps to strengthen the hair shaft, so you are less prone to breakage.


Facts:
One pot contains 230 ml, is available in LUSH stores or online and retails for 13,50 €.
It is a pre-wash treatment, which can be confusing at first. Other than your regular hair mask it is applied to dry hair and left on for around 20 minutes (or longer) before you hop into the shower and shampoo as usual.
Strictly for research reasons I have left it on as long as over night and am happy to report it worked just fine. After ten minutes the mask turns hard on your hair and stays that way until rinced off.

It smells a little like lemons and is off white in color

The consistency is quite runny, so be prepared to make a mess in your bathroom during application.
After using it my hair feels soft and silky, and it seems a little lighter to me at my roots.

Favorable ingredients:
– Linseed Mucilage: Moisturizing
– Chamomile Infusion: Brightening
– Saffron Infusion: adds warmth/ a golden tone
– Lemon Juice: Brightening, adds shine (can be a little drying on its own)
– Olive Oil: Nourishing
– Lemon Oil: Adds shine
– Lecithin: Moisturizing, adds as surfactant

Unfavorable Ingredients:
– Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Drying
– Parabens

Does it live up to its claims?
Yes.
It lightens my hair just a little, making it look a less tired and more like I have been on summer vacation. My hair feels soft and has some shine to it.
As far as brassiness goes I cant tell, as I never had any issues with that.

Will I rebuy?
Yes, already have.
I am a little put off by the SLS, as I try to avoid it in hair care because I really don’t need anything more drying for my hair, but by the feel of it the oils seem to counteract it quite well.
If they would leave it out though, this mask could be holy grail for me.

Who do I recommend it to?

Blondes, be they all natural or man-made, that look for a little pick me up for their hair color. This will in no shape or form take the place of bleach, but sometimes a little more shine can make all the difference.

Have you seen any films with Marilyn Monroe?
And have you always been true to your original hair color?

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