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28 Comments

  1. After reading your article on caring for colored hair, would I follow all these steps if I use a demipermanent hair color? I go darker with no highlights…or can I just use the Joico 4 system?
    I love your hair! I’m going to try to follow all your steps.
    Thank you!

    1. Gabriella says:

      Hey! You can still use the Joico 4 step system, but you don’t need the Olaplex unless you’re bleaching/highlighting. x

  2. Hi Gabriella! I just dyed my hair for the first time and this is the post I needed! I bought the K-PAK reconstructor from LookFantastic after reading your post but it looks a bit weird. Is it supposed to look like a smooth cream? I’m asking because mine looks separated.

    1. Gabriella says:

      Hi Kay, yes it does look a bit like that. A hairdresser friend of mine checked directly with Joico and they confirmed that’s normal and okay to use. x

      1. Fantastic! Thank you so much for getting back to me!

  3. Hi Gabriella! Just revisiting this post, along with others: do I need the 4 step products if I don’t colour my hair?! Is this now a replacement of the rice water rinse/aphogee treatments for you? Just wondering which to purchase.

  4. Thank you !! For the Boucleme toner drops it says add 1-2 drops to shampoo- is that on using it or to add to bottle ? And if per use would it be every use ? Thanks so much this blog has been super helpful !

    1. Gabriella says:

      Hi Maeve, oh that’s 1-2 drops per application/single use, not per bottle xx

  5. This was so informative, thank you! I have a few questions about colouring/highlighting your hair
    1. How did you go about finding a colourist who is familiar with highlighting curls in a way that’s flattering and enhancing?
    2. Other than pictures, were there any other instructions you provided (eg: I want my highlights extremely thin etc)
    3. Did you have your hair coloured and highlighted or is it still your natural colour, enhanced with highlights and balayage?

    Sorry for all the questions, I have been wanting to achieve exactly this look for years and don’t know how to take the leap to faith!

    1. Gabriella says:

      Hey Kayla! I think the best thing is to do your research when it comes to finding a good colourist, you want someone who knows colour inside out, as opposed to someone who knows curls and then tries to colour – if that makes sense. Instructions given were sunkissed, subtle and face framing.I didn’t ask for thin highlights, but I didn’t want chunky ones either – otherwise it can look stripy. The rest of my hair is my natural dark brown colour, just some soft subtle mostly face framing highlights, baby lights and balayage.

  6. Hi Cailin! Thanks so much for all of this great guidance.
    Do you wash out the joico reconstructor in step 3 before applying the hydrator in step 4?

    Or should I layer it over the top.

    Thank you!!!

    Rebecca

    1. Hi Rebecca, yes I wash out each step before moving onto the next one. If your hair is feeling particularly dry, you can leave a little of the step 4 in your hair, but rinse everything else. Hope that helps, Gabriella x

  7. Jacqui Holder says:

    Hello Cailin
    Hope you had a lovely Christmas

    I have just applied my Olaplex 0 before seeing this post and the bottle says apply to dry hair and saturate from root to tip. Hence I’ve used half a bottle!
    This totally contradicts what you have written. It also says to apply Olaplex 3 over the top but for only 10 minutes.

    So not sure what to do.
    Jacqui

    1. I’d use half a bottle too if I were to apply it to dry hair until saturated. I often take the instructions on the bottle as guidelines, and adjust them to work best for my hair, without using half the bottle in one use, and therefore having to spend more money buying more product. Don’t forget these companies are all out to sell more product to make more money. So do what works for you. For me, I find it best to cleanse my hair first, squeeze out excess water from my hair, then apply No. 0 and then wait 10 mins before applying No. 3 as detailed in the post. Try both ways and see what works best for your hair, and for your wallet. x

  8. Christina says:

    Thank you for this great post! I would like to ask for your opinion regarding colouring curly gray hair using henna and indigo. Does it really loosen the curl pattern?

    1. I’ve never heard of that!

  9. Thanks so much for this blog posted- I should’ve read it before bleaching and dying my hair pink haha.
    However, on your recommendation on Instagram I purchased Olaplex 0 & 3 and done my first treatment last night. It already felt & looked better while air drying last night so will see how this morning goes when I scrunch out the crunch.

  10. I just noticed the BbSunday Shampoo you recommend states you shouldn’t use with color treated hair. What clarifying shampoo would you suggest for color treated hair? Thanks!

  11. Hannah Grove says:

    This is so helpful, thanks Gabriella! I’m in my first few months of CGM and your blog is absolutely invaluable. Just wondering – so if you’re getting your hair coloured, you’d need to go to the salon having just clarified (and deep conditioned) but would you also need to be product free or does that not matter?

    1. So glad you found this helpful Hannah! Some stylists say they want your hair product free, other’s don’t mind. So it’s completely up to the salon/stylist you’re booked in with. Personally, I have a little styling product in my hair when I go in. x

  12. Hi Gabriella! Thanks so much for this post, it is so helpful. My question is about clarifying before coloring, do you recommend clarifying at the salon directly before applying color? ( step 1 of the Joico) Or would I clarify, deep condition, and style as usual the wash day before I go into the salon for color? Thanks!

    1. it totally depends, if you’re getting the Joico 4 step treatment in the salon, like you said, step one is clarifying so you can let them do it. But if you’re not getting that Joico, then yes, I’d say clarify and deep condition the washday before your appointment.

  13. Amazing post, thank you. I’m definitely getting the Oplex before my next colour. Can I ask whether you will continue using the Bumble & Bumble Sunday shampoo now that your hair is coloured? The website says it’s not suitable for coloured hair, so I wondered what you were thinking.

    1. Yes I have continued to use the Bumble Sunday Shampoo since I got my hair coloured. It’s not suitable for coloured hair, if you were to use it regularly, eg: once a week. But I still only use it once a month. Sulfates are always going to fade colour, but they don’t strip it. I actually still prefer the Bumble Sunday Shampoo to clarify with, as opposed to the Joice Step One Clarifying Shampoo in their 4 step system. Hope all that helps and makes sense.

    2. I still continue to clarify my hair with the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo once a month. It’s not going to strip or fade my hair using it monthly like that.

  14. Luíza Santos says:

    Hi!!! First of all, I just love your blog! I’m reading again and again for the past week just to make sure I understand everything before I start on my own crusade with the CGM. I’ve been giving a look on it for the past years but I found it so hard that I just gave up before trying. But now I’m living in a new country and the products I find here for curls (and the hard water) is just destroying my hair at the point I just wanted to cut or straighten it. I’m spending tons of money and my hair just becomes more and more damaged. Anyway, is time for a revolution.
    So… my question here is: I only dye my hair at home, by myself. So, I don’t know how to proceed here. I saw your post saying the Olaplex No 3 is similar to the rice-water (which I tried yesterday and I’m just in-love with my hair right now, so thank you for that), but is there something like the No. 0 I could use?
    Thank you!!!!!!

    1. Hi Luiza, Look Fantastic offer FREE worldwide shipping, and you can get 20% off using my discount code, CURLYCAILINLF. Rice water isn’t the same as Olaplex No. 3. Although it has a lot of amazing benefits. I’m not aware of any products like Olaplex No. 0 – especially as Olaplex is a patented formula.

  15. Cat Scott says:

    Love this thank you! Have purchased a few products ahead of getting some highlights next week.