Why I Stopped Using Conditioner on My Dyed Blonde Hair // with New Wash!

*This post is in partnership with Hairstory Studio + also includes affiliate links. All opinions are my own and I only share products I love with you all! Thanks for reading along and supporting my family!*

I'm so excited to finally share with you a product that I've been using and loving since March!

     I've slowly transitioned to blonde hair over the past year and a half and it's definitely been a learning curve! One thing that I've finally made a priority is using better products on my hair. With my natural hair, I was basically a $2 Suave girl and my hair stylist has finally convinced me that what I could get away with on my natural hair just won't cut it on highly processed hair. 

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Before Photos: March 21, 2017

     When Hairstory reached out to me about their new detergent free hair cleanser, I was intrigued by the idea but hesitant to try something new and different on my blonde hair. The idea behind New Wash is using ONE product in the shower and not following with conditioner. Their theory is that the only reason we need conditioner is because shampoos (even sulfate-free shampoos!) are a detergent and therefore damage your hair! Using New Wash also prevents your scalp from producing as much oil and can eventually help you go longer between washes! (Similar to the no shampoo theory if you are familiar with that!)

     Gina at Hairstory helped to further ease my fears by explaining that their products are free from any harsh chemicals and instead use essential oils and naturally occurring ingredients such as jojoba oil and aloe. She also showed me this video which demonstrates how New Wash actually helps protect colored hair much longer than other products! 

     I agreed to switch to New Wash for 30 days but I was pretty skeptical about the idea of not using conditioner. I mean sure, cutting down to one hair product sans harsh chemicals sounds great but let's be honest, bleaching your hair blonde makes it SO dry. I definitely miss my shiny, healthy natural hair and even with biting the bullet and purchasing salon products, I haven't found anything that has worked wonders on bringing back it's natural texture. 

Week Two

     The first time I used New Wash, I was literally shocked at how soft it made my hair feel! It's the softest my hair has ever felt since I started going blonde besides getting actual conditioning treatments done at the salon. I put my hair up that evening for the gym and no joke, when I took it down from my ponytail after working out, I felt like I was in one of those ridiculous shampoo commercials because my hair fell down looking just as good as before I worked out. There weren't even any hair tie lines; it was crazy! 

     It did take my hair a few washes to transition to this product. The first time I used it, I woke up the next day looking like my hair needed to be washed even though I never usually need to wash my hair that quickly! My hair has since adjusted and I can go just as long between washes as I used to. (I can easily go a few days or more.) 

 
Week Three

     I have been using New Wash since March and I'm still really happy with it! The last time I had my hair done my hair stylist agreed that this is a worthwhile product and that it helped keep my blonde looking great! 

     Hairstory sent me their full line and I've really enjoyed trying out their other products as well. I love using their hair balm in place of hairspray. I just use a little in my hands to tame flyaways and I've also used it on the boys instead of hair gel! 

 

here I used the "Undressed" texture spray

Week Four

hair color by: Allison Jonez Hair

     All of these photos were taken during the first 30 days that I switched to New Wash. You can see that my blonde still looks great after 30 days and I can tell that it's softer and healthier than ever! I do still use purple shampoo 2-4 times a month to help keep my tone. 

One tip that I do have about this product is that you'll need to spend a little extra time making sure you rinse it all out in the shower. I read a disclaimer about this and it's definitely true because this stuff will want to stick if you don't give your hair an extra rinse!

Now, if you are a fake blonde like me (hah!) please, please, please tell me all your hair secrets and favorite products below! 

Have you heard of New Wash? What are your thoughts?

The Best Products for Maintaining Blonde Hair

     I started dying my hair blonde a little over 2 years ago and it's definitely been a bit of a learning curve to find products that work! Prior to going blonde, I didn't dye my hair for ten years and during that time I pretty much just used the cheapest drugstore products I could find. Since I never colored my hair, it stayed really healthy and strong even though I wasn't putting much effort into products. 

     Now that my hair has been through many rounds of bleach and color, it's become so much more important for me to take the time to find higher quality haircare! My hair stylist had to teach me that if I want to keep my hair healthy and my color vibrant, I have to invest a little more and most importantly always choose sulfate-free products!

So, after much trial and error, I've put together my list of "The Best Products for Maintaining Blonde Hair!"

*This post contains affiliate links! Thanks for supporting me!*

beauty things / skincare.

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     I have a secret love for beauty products. I find shopping for little things like face wash + makeup so enjoyable and I love browsing the beauty aisles to pick out a new product to try. I go through phases of binging through beauty blogs / vlogs and I love seeing what others are doing in their everyday routines. I thought it would be fun to start sharing my opinion of the things I try since I love when other bloggers share about everyday drugstore products and I feel like it's hard to find honest reviews of products that aren't all high end! Are any of my readers closet beauty fiends as well?

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    This post is about a few skincare products that I've been using lately. This year has definitely been one of the worst years for my skin!  I've never had any terrible skin concerns but I do struggle with on and off breakouts. My stress level has been at an all time high and in turn my eating habits have been horrible. I am sure that those two factors are playing an added part in breakouts for me. I can't say that I've had any ultimate success with a skincare routine but I like knowing that I'm taking care of my skin regardless!

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1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5  // 6

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1 // Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil - My sister-in-law is an avid couponer and she sent me home in December with a huge bag of beauty products from her stash which was so awesome! I was excited to try this product after being inspired by the whole Korean Skincare Routine ( here's the post that got me interested ) which believes in cleansing your face with more than one product. At night I've been removing my makeup with this oil and then following up with a cream cleanser as well. In the past I've tried removing makeup with coconut oil and it had a negative impact on my skin, but this product which using rosehip seed oil, has been fine for me. ( Maybe because it isn't just straight oil? )

2 // Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser - I think I bought this at Rite Aid along with the Biore cleanser because I just wanted to try a couple new face washes maybe hoping to find something amazing? This stuff is "minty" feeling which bothered me at first but I got used to it. I didn't have any problems with this cleanser, just a basic run of the mill face wash.

3 // Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser - Previously whenever I was breaking out I'd buy a face wash with salicylic acid as the main ingredient but it always just dried up my skin. This product was a game changer for me because after trying it at my sisters house and loving how it felt on my skin I realized I needed to branch out from the salicylic acid idea in face washes.

4 // Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser - I kept hearing about the trend of charcoal in face washes and I have to admit; I loved the idea of charcoal magically pulling out impurities in the skin! Doesn't it sound amazing? This face wash also has a minty feel. I'm down to the last of this bottle and it's worked just fine as a cleanser but honestly I'm not feeling any magical pore-clearing-charcoal-action going on. It just feels like a normal face wash to me.

5 // Aloe Vera  - I love using aloe vera on my face and have done it for years. I've always been drawn to natural products and slathering aloe vera on my face gives me this feeling that my face is sucking in moisture and vitamins. After doing a little research, I've come across lots of cool facts about using aloe vera on your skin to treat wrinkles, to moisturize, to heal acne scars etc! I'm definitely onto something here but I would like to find an aloe without any added color! It annoys me that they even add green dye to this - why??

6 // Yes to Carrots Daily Facial Moisturizer - I haven't had a moisturizer with SPF in it for a while even though I feel like wearing sun-screen everyday is so important, so I picked this up at Wal-greens to remedy that. I chose the Yes to Carrots brand because I wanted something more natural if I was going to be putting it all over my face everyday. Honestly when I first put this on, the small bothered me A LOT. It smelled like ... well, carrots maybe? The smell doesn't bother me now, so maybe it was just unexpected at first? Like a lot of all-natural sunscreens this stuff is kind of thick, it doesn't smooth on as well as some lotions but it isn't too bad and it hasn't caused me to break out or had any negative side effects. I do wish it had a stronger SPF than 15 though, I'm going to look for a stronger SPF in a product next time.

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     So please, share - which skincare products have you had success with?? Any advice for a girl struggling with breakouts? Gimme every tip you've got in the comments!

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2 New Skincare Products I'm Adding to My Routine!

*Thank you, OMG Botanicals for sponsoring this post on By Gillian Claire!*

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I'm so excited to share a new wonderful skincare company with you guys today!  

I am very picky about the beauty products I share with you all on my blog and I was really intrigued by OMG Botanicals, a start-up company dedicated to creating safe and natural products! I am always looking for ways to clean up my skincare routine. All of the skincare and aromatherapy products at OMG Botanicals are paraben, formaldehyde, phthalate and GMO free!

Upon learning more of OMG Botanicals' story and their "integrity, passion and love," for their customers as well as their commitment to safe ingredients, I fell even more in love with this company! Of course, I am really pleased with these products (which is why I'm sharing!) but having the opportunity to promote products that work and also come from a company that cares and is committed to wellbeing gives me all those, "I love blogging!" feelings!

My main skin concerns are dealing with breakout prone skin as well as finding anti-aging products that will keep my skin healthy and youthful! You know I have been on a journey to fighting breakouts for a while. I breakout the most around my mouth and chin as well as getting occasional cystic pimples that seem to be hormonal, as well as very painful!

For the past few months, I have been strictly using the oil cleansing method to wash my face. The oil cleansing method makes so much sense to me and I had hope that it would be a fix all cure for me! I have really loved using all natural oils to clean my face, but it hasn't been a miracle on my skin. In the past month, I've decided that I need to add something else to my cleansing routine.

I've added this Antioxidant Cleanser from OMG Botanicals to my routine and I'm really happy with my results so far! First of all, I love that this product uses safe, natural and non-toxic ingredients. The smell is very minimal and fresh, which is perfect for me. This cleanser is creamy and very soothing to the skin. I have extremely sensitive skin and haven't had any negative reactions or breakouts as a result of adding this to my skincare routine.

The OMG Botanicals Antioxidant Cleanser uses a blend of Olive Squalane Oil and superfruit extracts! I love that I'm adding another natural oil product to my routine and the superfruit extracts add amazing free-radical fighting benefits! This cleanser is intended for soothing breakouts and minimizing pores. I have noticed that adding this cleanser morning and night to my routine has given my face a deeper clean. Most importantly to me, it has helped to dry out previous breakouts gently without over drying and making my feel face stiff like Salicylic Acid products tend to do.



In conjunction with the Antioxidant Cleaner, I have added this OMG Botanicals Renewing Serum. This serum also contains Olive Squalane Oil as well as Hyaluronic Acid and Rose Hip Extract. I love using this serum after washing and drying my face morning and night. It feels so luxurious and hydrating!

The Renewing Serum is meant to plump, renew, hydrate and nourish your skin. If you aren't already familiar with Hyaluronic Acid, it's a great anti-aging ingredient that naturally occurs in our skin but declines as we age. I definitely see the plumping action of this product the morning after I use it which is my favorite aspect!




Overall I am so pleased with the two new OMG Botanicals products that I have added to my skincare arsenal! These two products are made to work together so it's a perfect duo for me to work on fighting breakouts while also adding back moisture and anti-aging defense to my skin! I will keep using them twice a day and am encouraged that I will continue to see improvements with breakouts and anti-aging. I will, of course, keep you all posted!

Be sure to check out OMG Botanicals and use code: OMG20 for 20% off your purchase!

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xoxo,
Gillian

My Favorite Winter Skincare Products

*This post is in partnership with Belli Skincare. I only work with brands that I truly love! Thanks for reading along!*

During the winter months, I am doubly obsessed with taking care of my skin! In Colorado the air this season is dry  and cold  and it makes me want to just pour moisture into my skin any way that I can! Does that even make sense? I want to share with you some of my favorite skincare products that I've come to love this winter!

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The theme to my skincare this winter has been gentle + hydrating. I have had a rough time with my skin in the past few years. It's like I'm seriously going through puberty or something 15 years late! I use some different face washes at night to help with that issue but anything else I put on my skin I want to be soothing and gentle. Ok, let's get into my favorites.

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Belli Eye Brightening Cream 

I was so excited to finally get my hands on this brand after hearing so many good things! The Belli skincare line is created and safe for pregnant + nursing mothers which is such a neat idea! All of their products are allergy tested, free of parabens, gluten, phthalates, artificial dyes + fragrances and goes through a unique safety screening process. I love the idea behind the Belli brand and this eye brightening cream appealed to me right away with it's claim to "revive tired eyes". I stare at my computer screen all day for work and I love using this luxurious cream in the morning and night to soothe my eyes!

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Garnier SkinActive Moisture Bomb 

Again with the moisture thing. I actually recently picked this up because I needed a new sunscreen lotion to put on under my makeup and I love it. It goes on really wet feeling but dries quickly making me feel like my face just absorbed a ton of moisture. If you ladies aren't wearing a sunscreen everyday; you need to start doing this TODAY!

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e.l.f. Daily Face Cleanser 

So I've been doing some research on how to deal with the skin issues I've been having and I came across a YouTuber who believes that you should wash your face THREE times at night after wearing makeup to relieve the impurities. It sounds a little crazy maybe but I'm pretty into the idea. I decided to pick up this e.l.f. cleanser at Target because it was cheap and I loved that it says "infused with Purified Water to help hydrate the skin." Yeah, I realize that marketing people love me for falling for these claims. I'm easy.

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Neutrogena Rapid Dark Circle Repair 

One more eye product because seriously, the eyes can not get enough pampering in my opinion. I was surprised that this product has kind of a gold sheen to it when it's put on the skin. I usually go way overboard with my skincare products so I looked a little crazy the first time I applied it. But if you use just a little of this stuff under makeup, it gives a nice little highlighted glow around the eyes. I'm a fan.

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What products have you all been loving and using this winter? Please share your favorites with me; I'm always looking for new skincare product to try!

Sharing a Few Summer PR Packages!

The world of blogging is a weird and wonderful place that I've become part of within the past 6 (eek!) years. Being an Influencer is kind of a misunderstood place to be right now and I'm constantly analyzing and figuring out my feelings about it and the direction I want to go.

Some people think that bloggers will just do anything for free stuff when in reality there is a lot more behind blogging than that for a lot of us. Free stuff can certainly be a perk but simply trying to get a ton of free products isn't really the end goal in blogging. I turn down offers constantly from companies that want to send me things. I've been focusing my efforts more on paid opportunities that allow me to put in my time and creativity with brands that I admire while being able to support my family!

Having said that, sometimes I do get boxes of "free stuff" which gives me a chance to try out new products and share them with you all - and yes, it's fun!

I don't often see bloggers do a post strictly about PR packages but I thought it would be fun to show you a few boxes I've received lately and share my truthful feelings on the products inside! I was not required by any of these brands to do this blog post. :)



Imagine Dermatology

You may remember Imagine Dermatology from this skincare post where I talked about some of their anti-aging products that I tried. They sent along this bubbling charcoal mask recently and you guys, I AM OBSESSED WITH IT. I'm not kidding; this is a staple in my skincare now. It tingles and feels extremely relaxing. Also, it actually works + pulls out blackheads like you wouldn't believe. I will definitely repurchase this, can't live without it!


Pacifica

I was so excited to receive a PR package from Pacifica, because well, Pacifica- duh! The box is the prettiest thing I've ever seen and I feel like I need to keep it forever. They sent along a couple packs of their new cleansing wipes. 

I am a big believer in removing your makeup at night and I actually like to double or triple cleanse my face to really get everything off. I love to have  wipes on hand though for nights that I'm just too tired for my normal skincare routine. I usually use baby wipes so these seemed extra luxurious + they are really reasonably priced at $6 each!

To be honest, the face wipes stung a little. I have been having some seriously sensitive skin lately though so this may be a personal problem? They smelled fruity and fun and of course the packaging was adorable. 

The Cherry Kisses Hydrating Lipstick Wipes surprised me though. I honestly didn't know lipstick wipes existed and didn't fully understand the point until I read that these also hydrate + exfoliate your lips! My lips felt so soft and smooth after using these and I will definitely use them again! (Both of these products are sulfate + paraben free and Pacifica is a cruelty free brand-yay!)

Derma E

I was also pumped to receive something from Derma E, another totally awesome company that defines themselves as "Ethical Skincare". Derma E sent along two of their cleansing products. 

The Vitamin C Micellar Cleansing Water, again, stung my face! What is the deal with my sensitive skin right now guys? Micellar water is the bomb though and I've used another one happily in the past. 

However, winner winner- I LOVE the Nourishing Rose Cleansing Oil that they also sent me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved using an oil cleanser. Like the name says, this stuff felt extremely nourishing. It has argan + jojoba oils as well as vitamin E; such wonderful natural skincare ingredients. Pick some of this stuff up guys, you won't regret it. (Side note, I have recently switched completely to the oil cleansing method of face cleansing. I'll share more about that soon but this would be a great product to try out first if you are interested in using oils to wash your face!)

So there ya go, a few favorite packages that I've received over the past few months! Did you enjoy seeing what was inside? Also, I'd love to know if you use any of these products or brands! 

xoxo, gillian 

happy friday!

i didn't used to like the idea of sharing my professional work on my personal blog. i like to be able to scroll down and just see uninterrupted photos of my boys, my family.
my blog is like a sweet little scrapbook. however, i have realized that my professional photos DO feel personal to me. after i put so much effort and care into them, i feel like i want to share them as many places as i can!

so there's a little preview of some photos i did for my sister's roommate for her graduation. you can see the rest of the photos on my sparse photography blog here.

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in other words, today is aaron's last late night shift at his job!
for the year, and maybe, probably, hopefully forEVER!
because in the next eight weeks we are planning to MOVE across the country!
but, more about that later ;)
for today, i need to start cleaning my house since my family is coming to stay the weekend and we are going to celebrate my sister's college graduation!
and right now, my little one is climbing up onto the sink to wash dishes
(his new favorite thing)
so, have a great weekend everyone!
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happy mother's day mamas!

june so far.

just a little update on what we've been up to this past month :)roman had his last day of kindergarten! ( water day ) i died with sadness at how big he is getting. :(
// we headed out to ohio that very same day after some car troubles that turned out to just be a drained battery. kansas sunsets are amazing! we took turns driving and drove straight through, 20 hours, without stopping for anything besides gas + food.i didn't take many instagram photos in the midwest, but this is one of my favorite pictures: my littlest sister + my namaw and papaw in front of their house! i'm so glad that we got to spend 2 different days visiting with them; i love and miss them so much.
// after a couple weeks in ohio / indiana, we headed back. this photo is of asher sleeping somewhere on the road trip home. sleeping babies are by far the best kind of road tripping babies...on the way to ohio we drove through some pretty scary storms. on the way back, however, the storms in kansas were way too big of a deal to drive through. we saw the craziest lightening ever and threatening storm warnings were all over the radio. we stopped at a few hotels which were all booked and were told that all of the hotels were filled up until we found ONE room left in this crappy motel!
i was so thankful that we could get off the road but it was kind of a bummer having to shell out money for one bed in a smoky scented room only to stay up super late watching for tornadoes.
( ok, i was the only one staying awake, but seriously how could i sleep? )
// i love the colors of this truck wash in salina, ks. this is at my favorite  little stop on the drive - we have good memories here from our many road trips. :)gas station break! // stocking up at target for essentials when we got home.our first visit to the big playground near our house this season. i love taking my kids to the park and getting this view! living here is awesome.  we have been taking lots of neighborhood walks! also, we found a nice free stroller on the side of the road which has been a nice addition since we didn't bring ours out to colorado when we moved.
quick story: we had this stroller sitting outside of our condo one day and it disappeared. turns out that our neighbor took it thinking we were "getting rid of it" for some reason. still not sure of the logic behind that, but he returned it after thoroughly cleaning it so i guess we win in the end!
 // little boys checking the mail.playing on the balcony one evening. both of my boys love dressing up, they are so much fun! they've been... dare i say playing together a little better lately??
// roman's new FabKids outfit came in the mail! always a happy day when that happens. :)
(affiliate link used) i definitely missed these mountains while we were away. these are the foothills behind our house at sunset. i have never actually been homesick for a place until i moved here.
love, love, love colorado. <3 <3
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//
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( photos from instagram: are you following me?? @bygillianclaire )
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would you vote for my blog today??
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cleaning my floors with Bona!

This post is sponsored by Bona, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Grab this $3 off coupon so that you can try out Bona cleaning products for yourself!

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     I don't know about you guys, but I feel like my house gets destroyed  during the winter months! It's dark and gray and my kids are stuck inside all day long. My house is little  y'all and lately I have started to feel like the walls are closing in on me!

     Last week I did some deep cleaning and it was a serious breath of fresh air! I was so excited to incorporate my partnership with Bona and their hardwood floor cleaning products into my cleaning frenzy and make my entryway feel a little less grimy and gross! My kids are constantly coming in and out of the house dragging their snowy slushy boots and selves all over the entryway and our hardwood floors needed some help.

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     Ash said he didn't want to be part of my photoshoot until I whipped out this mop and then he was all over it. We always call Asher our, "little helper" because he truly loves to clean and help out. It's pretty adorable, and convenient!

   

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     To tackle cleaning my hardwood floors; I used the Bona Floor Mop with their PowerPlus Microfiber Deep Clean Pad + PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner. I love that Bona offers these microfiber deep clean pads. They stick onto the velcro of the floor mop really easily and then you can just toss them in the wash when you're finished! I'm all about reusable and earth friendly cleaning products!

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     The PowerPlus line from Bona is created to get into the grooves and creases of your hardwood floors. Our entryway and kitchen look so much better now. I am hooked on these products and it's especially nice that both of my kids seem so into this new mop. I have a feeling they will be getting quite a few mopping duties assigned before winter is over; which in Colorado could be a while...

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How do you cope with the messiness of winter? Share your tips with me below + be sure to grab a

$3 off coupon so that you can get a great deal on your first Bona purchase

the next time you're at the store!

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