Blake Lively is the woman whose name is on everyone’s lips as the star and producer of the hugely popular film It Ends With Us. At the same time, she launched a hair care line at Target seven years after the original idea. But is it a hit or a flop?
According to a press release from Target, the line is “inspired by Blake’s personal routine of shampoos, hair masks and styling products. The secret: It’s built on the right balance of strength and moisture, and notably, it doesn’t contain traditional conditioner (more on that below). It’s a simple, innovative and affordable approach to hair care that’s vegan, cruelty-free and smells amazing. (Blake worked with master perfumers to develop the scents.) Oh, and did we mention the packaging? It’s pretty enough to display in your bathroom, and the plastic is 100% recycled.”
The line is called Blake Brown, her father’s last name. The Lively family officially adopted her mother’s last name after her parents’ children were merged into one family. Lively explained, “Brown is my father’s last name. My father took ‘Lively’ from my mother, but Blake Brown is on my birth certificate. It was important to me to put my name on this brand because I worked so hard on it and because it’s so personal to me, but I didn’t want to use ‘Lively.’ I want the brand to stand on its own and earn people’s respect, and it felt like ‘Blake Brown’ was the answer.
Items in the row include:
- Sandalwood-Vanilla Fundamental Strengthening Shampoo
- Sandalwood-Vanilla Fundamental Strengthening Mask
- Wild Nectar Santal Fundamental Care Shampoo
- Wild Nectar Santal Fundamental Care Mask
- Milky Sandalwood Rich Reset Pre-Shampoo Mask
- Bergamot Wood All-in-Wonder Leave-in Potion
- Glamour mousse with blackcurrant and vanilla
- Amber Vanilla Dry Shampoo
Fans can snag these hair essentials for prices ranging from $18.99 to $24.99 exclusively in stores and online at Target.com.
Blake Lively’s hair care line Blake Brown generates $16 million in media exposure within a week of its debut https://t.co/iAdvXqfRZZ
— WWD (@wwd) 8 August 2024
But the question is: Do consumers like the products?
According to Page Six, “the line notably lacks traditional conditioner,” which may surprise many shoppers. But that’s because “Lively exclusively uses masks after each hair wash, a trick she learned from years of working with some of Hollywood’s top hairstylists.” The outlet explained that its team members were “pleased with the performance — and especially the scent — of Blake Brown’s first offerings,” though there were some packaging issues the brand could work on.
Yahoo! Life found that many Target shoppers agree: “Overall, they liked the formulas and said their hair felt soft and moisturized and looked shiny. However, some people said the scents were too strong for them. And some people didn’t like the packaging – adding that it was too bulky and they didn’t like the screw-on caps.”
Woman’s Wear Daily reported that the line generated $16 million in media value within a week of its July 31 launch. Lively can add that success to the two beverage brands she also runs: Betty Buzz and Betty Booze, named after her third daughter with husband Ryan Reynolds.
