Madison Reed Offered Me A Free Gift From Julep

Enclosed with the hair color directions, Madison Reed suggests that while one's hair is processing they relax and scan the given code in the box to claim a free gift. I scanned, and my free gift was a choice of nail polish from Julep. What was my question? Do they test on animals, of course! I also asked if they used any animal ingredients in their products (they sell skin and hair care products--not just nail polish).

I could not find the answer on the Julep website, and so I inquired by email. A couple days later I received the following response: 

India Marshall (Julep) Feb 17 11:13 AM Hello Sherri, Thank you for your inquiry about Julep products. We absolutely DO NOT test on animals! Never have, never will! We only “test” on humans. One of the great things about Julep is we have 4 Nail Parlors and amazing customers that let us test and try products on them all the time! Some of our products do contain animal-derived ingredients (milk, beeswax, etc). Here are some products that are completely VEGAN: Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub and Julep Essential Cuticle Oil. Julep Nail Color is “4-free” and does not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. We like to say, we took out all of the nasty carcinogens that are found in so many other products. I hope this convinces you even more how Julep can be a brand you can be proud to wear. We are always interested in how new Julep customers hear about us, since we use many different outlets. If you have time just drop us a line. Also, please let us know if you have any more questions. Until next time, have a wonderful day! Maven Experience Team 1-877-651-3292 www.julep.com Monday-Friday 8am-5pm PST Saturday 9am-1pm PST Sunday Closed In an online search, I found a guide to cruelty-free companies that listed Julep as a vegan company, but as the above email points out, they do use animal-derived ingredients in some of their products. BUT I am thrilled that they do not test on animals. I will take any victory I can find. I selected a nail polish and look forward to receiving it in the next few days. Review soon to follow.

Madison Reed Hair Color at Home Customer Review

A friend of mine recently went to work for this company, Madison Reed. She is a licensed cosmetologist, and so when she recommended a color for me to try I only had one important question: Do they test on animals? The answer was a resounding No! They do not test on animals, and so I went right to their website to place my order. 

The Madison Reed website has options for helping you match one of their colors to an existing brand you have already been using (the  Color Translator), or you can go through a few steps and get suggestions of colors that might suit you (the Color Advisor). Or you can even simply browse each color group: Black, brown, red, or blonde. I personally just went for the one recommended to me. 

Upon placing my online order, I was told my package would arrive between February 13-15, which was a week away. I chose standard, no frills shipping to save money. When I came home from work on the 13th, there was the beautiful box on my doorstep!

In the kit they not only give you the products to color your hair, but you also get two pairs of gloves, a cap, a cleansing wipe, barrier cream to keep your skin clean, and a small tube each of their signature shampoo and conditioner. And as you will see in the above video, everything they send is recyclable! 

It is a bit pricey compared to the drugstore brands, but you can use this one knowing no animals were tortured in the making, it is good for the environment and you as it does not contain all the harsh chemicals most brands have as staple ingredients. You can save some money by signing up for their auto delivery. I personally placed a one-time order so that I could check it out before signing up for regular deliveries. The total cost with shipping came to $37.50 ($29.95 + $5.00 shipping).

My experience

I found the instructions very easy to follow. The product did not run or drip all over me or my bathroom, which I greatly appreciated. There was also no offensive, lung-choking odor that usually comes with at-home hair colors. I usually reuse the gloves given in a hair coloring kit, but I have to admit, it was nice having a second pair. I usually wash the one pair while the color sits on my hair, but this time I just took them off and didn't worry about it. And the gloves fit really well. They were not like the plastic hand puppets you would get in a McDonald's Happy Meal. I almost felt guilty tossing them out when I finished using them. But I did as the video suggests, and I wrapped it all up in the box and tossed it into the recycling bin.

Some colorants I have used in the past have made my scalp itch, if not at the moment of coloring, then over the three to four days following. Madison Reed's color never irritated my scalp during or after the treatment. And the color is here to last! It's only been a few days, but I can tell that it won't be faded in a couple of weeks like all the other brands I have used. I will definitely give an update in week three or four. 

The shampoo is nice smelling. Again, not overwhelming, and unlike drugstore brands, I did not smell like an old lady after using it. It has a classy perfume scent. Personal preference will prevail, I suppose, but I liked it. 

The verdict? 

I will try Madison Reed again. I would like to try a lighter shade than the one my friend recommended for me, but this one (Milano Brown) is really quite nice. My natural hair color is ash brown with greys and whites around my face. It is usually the outgrowth of the grey and white hairs that dictate when I will color next. 

Thank you Madison Reed, and thank YOU Chelsea.