An Update + Introduction

It's been a while since I've posted here on Substack – 9 months to be exact! I've been busy creating something new that I'm genuinely excited to share with you.

Hey Beautiful,

I'm officially moving away from Substack and have launched my premium newsletter Rinse + Repeat on Flodesk. Why the switch? Simply put, Flodesk offers everything I love about newsletter creation – stunning design, better functionality, and most importantly, they don't take a percentage of subscription fees. This means I can focus entirely on creating valuable content for you without worrying about platform cuts + all the admin involved.

Rinse + Repeat is my bi-weekly, magazine-style premium newsletter that goes way beyond basic haircare tips. You'll get my honest take on products (cutting through all the PR hype), behind-the-scenes business insights, book recommendations, wellness practices I'm actually trying, and real talk about what's working in my life and routine.

Rinse + Repeat has two different formats each month. The 1st of the month features personal stories and introduces new themes (like the issue below), while mid-month we dive deeper with practical applications and I rate a reader's routine. I'll send you one more email with Issue 2 so you can see the complete format and experience both styles before deciding to subscribe.

Below is Issue 1 – your free preview of what subscribers receive every two weeks. If you love what you see, I'd be thrilled to have you join me on this new platform. The content is more authentic, the design is beautiful, and the community is growing with readers who value honest, unfiltered advice over trending topics.

Letter from the Editor

I'm writing this early in the morning, sipping a cup of matcha, fresh out the shower with my curls in root clips - which feels kind of perfect for our first issue together.

You know that feeling when you find a product, routine or workflow that actually works? Not the one someone on Instagram or TikTok tells you to try, or the one your friend swears by, but the one that fits your life, your hair, your goals, and your reality? That's what I want Rinse + Repeat to be for you - but for everything!

I’ve wanted to do a bi-weekly, magazine style, premium newsletter for a while now, and live out all my magazine editor dreams. Because I’m tired of meaningless content and ever changing algorithms on platforms that we constantly need to digitally detox from.

I’m tired of PR campaigns and "game-changing" products that already exist and work perfectly well. I'm tired of wellness advice from people who clearly have nothing else to do in their day other than “be well” or have a team of people who perform the daily tasks the rest of us still have to juggle.

Here's what you'll get from me instead:

The messy, authentic and unfiltered truth about what's actually working in my routine, my business and my life. As I try to run a successful business and navigate a happy, fulfilling, meaningful life that brings me joy and gives me purpose.

As a single mum managing my own mental health and wellbeing with AuDHD and PMDD. Along with hypothroidism, hashimotos and anxiety, which has affected my hair, self image, confidence and curl pattern more than I ever could have imagined!

When something's overhyped, I'll tell you. When I discover something genuinely game-changing, you'll be the first to know. This isn't just another newsletter clogging your inbox.

This is your reality check (in) every other week, your permission to try something new or maybe return to something old, that you used to love and worked well. Before someone made you feel like you needed to buy the newest product or latest launch. And it’s your reminder that authentic living doesn't have to be perfect - it just has to be real, and it has to work for you.

Summer Haircare Tips for this Heat + Humidity

I’ve been in California and home in Ireland this Summer, and it’s been hot and humid in both places. So I wanted to share sustainable haircare routines that work in this heat and humidity.

I’ve got fine hair but a lot of it, which is typical European hair. The further south you go down into Africa, the thicker the hair texture and tighter the curl pattern gets. The further north (into Scandinavia) or east (into Russia and Asia), the finer the hair texture (often density too) and looser the curl pattern, which is often straight.

Summer heat and humidity often leads to itchy, irritated, sweaty scalps and loose, undefined waves + curls, with minimal hold. So you may benefit from washing your hair more often - I’m washing mine every other day at the moment.

I’m always a fan of weekly scalp treatments. And in this heat I’m loving the salicylic acid ones like Act + Acre’s Salicylic Acid Scalp Exfoliator or for something more lightweight, try Alpha H Healthy Scalp Exfoliating Treatment, which I also love.

Then for the humidity, you don’t need a whole new washday + styling routine. For most people, you just need to switch out your gel to one that’s humectant-free and hard hold. My favourites are Jessicurl Spiralicious Gel and Giovanni LA Hold Gel, which is really affordable and super hard hold.

The other trick to Summer Styling is making sure you’re squeezing out all of the excess water out of your hair, until it’s just damp. I find this makes the biggest difference for me, as the gel is able to form a harder crispy, crunchy cast - which is a good thing! It prevents frizz and protects the curl, making it last longer. If it’s really humid, don’t scrunch out that crunch. Let the humidity in the air, or sleeping at night, gradually break the cast. Read this article for more Summer Haircare Tips.

Why This Works:

The science behind why these gels work better in humidity comes down to humectants. Humectants like glycerin and honey are ingredients that draw moisture from the environment into your hair - which sounds great in theory. But when it's humid (over 60% humidity), there's so much moisture in the air this causes your curl pattern to swell, lose definition, expand and become frizzy.

Humectant-free gels like Jessicurl Spiralicious and Giovanni LA Hold create a protective (humectant free) barrier around each curl, keeping your definition and hold intact, creating long-lasting curl definition and hold. Read this article for more info on glycerin, humidity and dew points.

Rate my Routine

One of my favourite parts of Rinse + Repeat will be getting to dive deep into a real person's routine and give them the kind of honest, personalized feedback that actually makes a difference. While I'm not featuring anyone's routine in this first issue, I'm excited to start this series in our next email.

Want your routine rated? Reply to this email with "Rate My Routine" in the subject line. Include your current products and routine, what you’re frustrated or struggling with and what you're hoping to achieve, along with a photo of your hair (it can be from the front or the back, whatever you want or feel most comfortable with sharing).

I'll choose one routine to feature, and while my advice will be tailored specifically to you, everyone can learn something from them and maybe apply it to their own routine, especially if they’re experiencing the same issue.

Working On It

As many of you know, I've taken a break from Curl Clinic consultations while I work on creating an even better experience for my clients. I'm planning to reopen bookings next month with some exciting upgrades:

• extended consultation time (lots of you asked for this!)

• an expanded guide with monthly haircare calendar

• exclusive washday tutorial videos

• and more behind-the-scenes improvements I can't wait to share!

If you've had a Curl Clinic with me before, please check your inbox - I sent a feedback survey a few weeks ago and would really appreciate your input as I refine the experience.

Want Early Access?!

Click the button below to join the waitlist for early access to my booking calendar before I announce it publicly to my 14K subscribers and 75K followers across social media.

Don’t Quote Me

I read, a lot! Usually around 2 - 4 books per month and I’m always recommending books and highlighting quotes or bits of advice that resonate with me or I can apply to my life, relationships and business. So I thought I’d share some of them here, and for this first issue, it's from Kirsty Gallagher’s latest book, Your Cosmic Purpose.

I’ve loved all her previous books, but I’m actually struggling with this one if I’m honest. I found the first page of Chapter 3, “The Journey of Your Soul” really difficult to read and accept. I've always had strong feelings about the idea that our soul chooses the challenges, hardships and experiences we encounter in life.

Because I think no one that has ever been abused as a child, or endured what’s happening in Palestine right now (for example), would ever choose that for themselves or see it as a lesson their soul needed to learn or experience.

I was raised as a born again Christian and repeatedly told by numerous pastors and ministers that the reason I had experienced so much trauma in my past was so I could “have a good testimony” and help others.

And I remember thinking how unfair and unnecessary that was. Now I just think, fuck that toxic bullshit! That being said, I still want to share this quote from Kirsty’s book because it really resonated with me and maybe it will resonate with you too.

Through struggles you find your strength; through darkness you find your light; through fear you find your faith; through despair you find your hope and through it all you find yourself.” — Kirsty Gallagher.

Subscribe to Rinse + Repeat

If you enjoyed this first issue and would like this level of honest, unfiltered content delivered to your inbox every two weeks. Sign up to a monthly or quarterly subscription of Rinse & Repeat, using the button below.

Rinse + Repeat subscribers get:

• Honest product reviews that cut through the PR + marketing hype

• Behind-the-scenes business insights you won't find anywhere else

• Personal routine tips and actionable advice everyone can learn from

• Book recommendations + wellness practices that I'm trying out

• Real talk about what's actually working in my life and business

In the next issue, I'll be rating one reader's haircare routine, doing a PR check so you know if the latest launches are worth your money. What's on the horizon, and more summer haircare tips before we transition into autumn.

Thanks for taking the time to read Issue 1 of Rinse & Repeat, I really hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful in some way. I can't wait to share more with you over the coming issues, I've got so much planned. I haven't been this excited about writing and creating content in a really long time.

Gabriella xo