Blake Lively’s hair has been a loud topic of discussion since her breakthrough role as Bridget Vreeland in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In the 19 years following, the actor’s hair has been dyed shades of golden blonde, copper red, brunette, and now bronde—yet it’s remained long, thick, and luscious because of a secret she learned on set. Today, she’s launching her own beauty brand named Blake Brown centered around her signature feature, as well as spilling the secret to how she gets it: “I don’t know anyone who uses conditioner in my industry.”
Pardon? “It’s not that people in the entertainment industry are gifted with better hair,” Lively tells me conspiratorially. “We’re using a different hair system than the process promoted to the mass market.”
That system goes like this: Buy two sets of shampoo and hair masks, one dedicated to hydration and one dedicated to strengthening because “your hair needs two things, strength and moisture,” Lively says. From there, shampoo (sometimes twice if you have a lot of product in your hair), smooth in a mask for at least 30 seconds, and rinse. Next time you’re in the shower, swap the duo for the other hair goal. Yes—it is that easy. And yes—no conditioner step is needed.
Lively discovered the masking-only technique after taking on major hair damage after her first job. “It was just so damaged and destroyed,” she says. “A hairstylist explained to me that this process could save it. If you give hair strength, you give it foundation, structure, and stability. But if you only give it strength, it’s going to become brittle and hard. So it also needs moisture and elasticity. But if you give it too much, it’ll break.” It’s the swapping-between-washes method that gives hair everything it needs.
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Blake Brown’s eight-product assortment, which launches August 4, includes two shampoo and mask sets to meet these needs: the Fundamental Nourishing Shampoo and Mask and the Fundamental Strengthening Shampoo and Mask with fragrance blends like santal, sandalwood, peony and fig. “People think of hair masks as more of a specialty product or a one-off treatment,” she says. “But I use it every single time like I use conditioner.” There’s also pre-shampoo mask that Lively swears by. “I live by the principle that if you take from something, you have to give back to it. And that applies to my hair, too. So if I take from it by styling it or really wearing on it, then I give back to it.”
While she’s busy spilling secrets, Lively answers another question I have, too: Who is Blake Brown? “I wanted to put my name on the brand because it’s something that I hammered, carved, welded, molded, and baked,” Lively says. “But I didn’t want to rely on my name alone. So it’s a version of my name—my dad took my mom’s last name—Lively came from my mom and Brown came from my father.”
For Lively, Blake Brown is just the start of an exciting end of summer. Last week, right after we talked, she took to the Deadpool & Wolverine red carpet with pal Gigi Hadid. Next week, she starts a world tour to promote her role as florist Lily Blooms in It Ends With Us. “Blooms everywhere,” she jokes about the upcoming moments. Clearly, everything is coming up roses.
Blake Brown will be available to shop at BlakeBrownBeauty.com on August 4.
This post originally appeared in Vogue.com
