My thirtieth birthday heralded some pretty big life changes. Like, I met my kitty soulmate (hey, that’s a huge deal, OK?), took the plunge to pursue my lifelong dream of freelance writing (this was shortly before I started the blog), and I finally got hitched to El Hub (we’d been dating a while).
Big things also started happening in my beauty-related life. For instance, my skin underwent some crazy-@ss changes. After years of oily skin, my epidermis turned combination oily-dry, and then there was that awful period of hormonal acne along my jawline and chin.
Oh, and my hair didn’t make it through unscathed. Two words: the grays.
They’d been around since I was a teenager — a few occasional gray hairs tucked away, usually on the back of my head (everyone in my family goes gray early) — but around the time I turned 30, all hell broke loose. I started seeing gray hairs where I’d never seen them before, like around my bangs and on the top of my head. Suddenly, going to the salon for a touch of color stopped being something I did just for fun when I got restless or felt like a change. It became part of regular maintenance, like going to the dentist.
And that’s not all. I also started noticing changes in the texture of my hair. “What are these random wiry Chinese noodle-like strands coming out of my head?”
Oh, that’s my hurr!
Turns out I wasn’t alone in this. Many women (and dudes) experience changes in their hair around the age of 30. It’s something that the products in Living Proof’s new Timeless collection are designed to address. They’re made to help hair cope with the age-related changes that often happen to your hair in your 30s and up, protecting it from breakage, while keeping hair looking voluminous, shiny, smooth and rich in color.
The new four-piece Living Proof Timeless line is available now exclusively at Ulta Beauty and includes the Timeless Pre-Shampoo Treatment ($26), Timeless Shampoo ($28), Timeless Conditioner ($28) and Timeless Plumping Mousse ($28).
All of them are sulfate-free, silicone-free and color safe, and they also contain UV protectors to extend the life of your hair color and protect your hair against damage from heat styling and the sun.
They’re all designed to work together as part of the system…but, of course, you can cherry pick and just use your faves. I’ve been using the whole kit and caboodle for maximum effect, and it’s been about about two weeks. So far, my long, color-treated hair is feelin’ it.
My favorite member of the Timeless fam has to be the Pre-Shampoo Treatment. I was a little wary of it at first because I’d never used a pre-shampoo treatment before and didn’t know what to expect. Mostly, I thought it would be an unnecessary step, but yeah, now that I’ve used this one, I see the point.
Have you ever used a pre-shampoo before? Basically, they’re moisturizing treatments, like hair masks, oils and butters, that you apply to your hair while it’s wet or dry before you hop into the bath or shower to shampoo and/or condition. The extra step adds shine, and it’s also supposed to make the Timeless shampoo and conditioner work better.
I apply it to my hair while it’s dry, from the roots to the ends, and let it sit and absorb for five minutes (or longer, if I want). Then I follow that up with the Timeless Shampoo and Conditioner.
I definitely notice my hair feeling softer and smoother when I use the Pre-Shampoo. It’s easier to run my fingers through my hair without running into knots, so I think it’s also reducing breakage.
And my hair color friggin’ loves the Timeless Shampoo and Conditioner.
I recently got my color re-done (ah…fresh, dark chocolatey brown roots!), and ya know how it is when you first get your hair colored? — how after that first shampoo and conditioning at home, most of the color ends up going down the drain after you rinse?
Very little of that happens when I use Timeless Shampoo and Conditioner. I also totally appreciate that the products contain heat protection and UV filters, too, because I got a stern lecture from my stylist not long ago about incorporating products into my routine that do those both of those things.
And then there’s the Timeless Plumping Mousse…
It specializes in hair density, which, I just learned from the Interwebz, is the number of hairs you have within a square inch of your scalp. As we age, the number of hairs per square inch usually declines, so to make up for that loss, the Plumping Mousse volumizes the hairs you currently have.
First time I used it, it was “Helloooooo, lovely lift!” The difference was immediately noticeable. I got more volume in places where I don’t usually have much, like around my roots and the mid-shaft of my hair.
I use the Plumping Mousse on wet hair, right after I get out of the shower and towel dry. I apply it from the roots to the ends, concentrating most of the product on my roots and the mid-shaft, and then I blow dry my hair until it’s about halfway dry, before letting it air dry the rest of the way. Then I use a large-barrel curling iron to curl the ends.
And that’s that.
Yup, my hair and I are digging this collection!
If you’re interested, you can find the Living Proof Timeless line now exclusively at Ulta Beauty.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. I actually prepped this post the week before Connor Claire’s arrival, so right now? Yeah…my hair does not look like this right now, haha. Right now it’s…to put it mildly, not this good.
Your hair looks so good!
I’m technically still under 30 for a little over a year, but oh man, your hair looks so shiny and healthy!
*Raises hand* I totes use a pre-poo before shampooing my hair. In fact, since I started it about three years ago, it’s a step that I NEVER skip. Because my hair is natural, i.e. I don’t have a relaxer, it gets dry constantly. Pre-pooing before I shampoo, which I usually do overnight, helps to detangle my strands & make them stronger & less prone to breakage. I use virgin, organic coconut oil from TJ’s & my hair lurves it. I’ll use a heat cap if I’m in a hurry & can’t wait overnight. Life saver for my strands. 🙂
Oh my gosh, I hate grey hair! It is so terribly troublesome! I’ll have to try the Timeless Shampoo and conditioner. I usually use sls free shampoo, but my color doesn’t last very long. (BTW you look much younger.)
Nice! I’ll have to check this out! Not quite the big 3-0 yet, but oh so close. Haha 😉
If you’re 30 and rich….hahahaha
28 dollars per product, that shampoo better suck me and fu….well you get it.
I like the look it’s giving you. I’ve never used a pre-poo other than oil treatments. My hair manages to be baby fine even at 37. My grey hairs are luckily white as white an be. They are still fine though they are very slightly thicker than my colored hair. This is actually a godsend since I’ve lost a decent amount of hair to autoimmune disease. I haven’t decided when I’ll let the grey take over if ever. Right now it’s confined to my temples and a few random strands. My husband insisted it was blonde highlights at first but it really isn’t! I’d love to try the mousse but I’m 100% air dry! I can count the number of times I’ve blow-dried my hair in the last few years on two hands. It’s only been when it’s sub zero and I’ve had to walk in it at 5 am!
I have recently started using the Living Proof line and love it as well. My hair is so damaged from 20 years of using haircolor, so it needs all the help it can get! I have given their dry shampoo holy grail status! Yes, it’s expensive, but let’s face it our hair is priceless. (My cat just agreed.)
I do pre-shampoo treatments quite often. I like to use oils, or deep conditioners/masks. I rarely keep them overnight (it’s kind of messy) but I keep them for a few hours before shampooing! They really help with dry, damaged ends and shine.
The worst part about grey hairs is the texture, gosh its awful! I will often do a DIY pre-shampoo treatment with argan oil, olive oil, or coconut oil mixed with honey. I figure since its just going to get rinsed out anyway why spend a ton?
coool need this one
I didn’t start getting gray hairs till I was almost 40 (I’m 46 now), and luckily they aren’t wiry textured at all. However, every time my roots grow out, I see more of them! I bet I’m about 10-15% gray now. 🙁
Well fack. Now I’m worried about hair aging, lol.
I love me some Living Proof products. Even though I don’t color my hair (love those silver hairs — the few wiry ones, not so much), it needs all the help it can get since I keep it waist-to-hip length, so I avoid sulfates, and find that silicones act like dust magnets in my hair, causing me to have to wash it more often. LP products are really great at reducing frizz without using silicones. Washing actually causes a lot of wear and tear to your hair, and pre-poos really help with preventing that — your hair doesn’t swell up as rapidly when the water hits it, so there’s less damage to the cuticle from all that rubbing. I always pre-poo if I’m going to be washing with any kind of suds; usually coconut oil, but LP Night Cap once a month. Most cleansing conditioners/balms leave too much of the pre-poo in my hair, so that’s when I skip it.
I have enough Night Cap and LP Perfect Hair Day shampoo and Restore conditioner to last me for several more months, but I’m definitely going to have to try that mousse! If you lose hair in your 30s, you lose a lot more after menopause, believe me! Around my hairline especially is so thin… actually, my silver spots really help disguise that, lol, if I colored them you’d realize that you can see right through my hair to my scalp in a couple of spots, but the silver hairs just reflect the light, so you don’t notice!
It’s funny how it can be a really bold move, fashion-wise, to leave your hair in its natural color or texture. I’m lucky with my greys, though, most of them are silver and there aren’t even that many. I told my stylist that, when I go just over 50% grey, I’m going to consider going all silver and chopping it back to a super-short pixie. But it looks like I’ll be 70 or more likely 80 before that happens. And who knows if I’ll want to deal with roots at that point?
I love your little giff – you’re just adorable. 🙂 I’m glad you had the disclaimer at the end because I was like “dude, if you just did all this while Connor was napping, you’re like super human”. HAHA!
I’ve used a couple of Living Proof products before and liked them. Have never tried the pre-shampoo but, of this collection, the mousse is most attractive to me. I can always use root volume!
I hope you’re having a great day!