Ouai Haircare: Is the Kardashian-Jenner's No.1 hairstylists' brand really all that?

In one word, YES! Ever heard of Jen Atkin? If you're a Kardashian-Jenner, or Chrissy Teigen fan, then you probably have. Jen Atkin is a hairstylist, who has worked with the likes of the Kardashians and the Jenners, the Hadid sisters and Chrissy Teigen, to name a few. According to the New York Times, she is considered to be one of the most influential hairstylists in the world.

In 2016 she founded haircare company Ouai, a brand bringing luxury and aesthetically pleasing, yet affordable products to the market. Starting with just the basics, Ouai has expanded into fragrance and body products, and also now has a range of different shampoos, conditioners and treatment masques, based on hair type. This is one thing I love about Ouai. They have formulated three different shampoos and conditioners for fine, medium and thick hair. All you have to do is complete the hair quiz on their website, and it will tell you which shampoo and conditioner is right for your hair type. They have recently released two new hair treatment masques, one formulated for fine to medium hair and one formulated for thick hair, replacing their old treatment masque. Ouai is a cruelty-free brand, and free of parabens, phthalates and sulfates.

I took the quick and simple hair quiz, and found that the thick shampoo and conditioner were the right products for my hair type. I have been using some of the products for a while now, and I feel I am ready to give a fully informed review.

Thick hair shampoo ~ $28/£22:

The thick hair shampoo is formulated with so many ingredients, including four key ingredients: marshmallow root (to detangle), shea butter (to moisturise), avocado oil (to calm frizz), and hydrolysed keratin.

The shampoo has an amazing smell. They have formulated it using one of their old fragrances: Mercer Street. It is a sweet, but not overpowering scent (containing orange, peony, magnolia, jasmine, musk and orris), which lasts. It lathers very well, so you know you're getting a great clean and that you're removing any oil and residue, however, if you want something specifically formulated to cleanse your hair and remove impurities, dirt and oil, try the detox shampoo ($30/£24).

It may seem expensive, but you get 300ml in a bottle which can be refilled. The refills retail at $56/£44, and comes with 946ml (over 3 refills worth). The fact that they are refillable, makes them so much more eco-friendly. The bottles and caps are also recyclable, so if you decide not to repurchase, you can still help the environment by recycling your bottles, rather than throwing them in the normal bin.

Overall, I love this shampoo, and I will definitely be repurchasing it. It leaves my hair clean and refreshed and smelling amazing. I love that it is refillable and so eco-friendly. I also love that the packaging is so simple, yet so chic. Who knew a plain bottle could be so aesthetically pleasing! My hair is very thick and frizzy, and this is one of the only shampoos I have found which helps reduce the frizz. However, this is definitely my favourite, as it is cruelty-free. I don't see myself switching to another brand anytime soon. I highly recommend this shampoo for anyone with thick hair.

Thick hair conditioner ~ $28/£22:

The thick hair conditioner is formulated with similar ingredients to the thick hair shampoo, and contains the same four key ingredients: marshmallow root, shea butter, avocado oil and hydrolysed keratin.

The conditioner has the same amazing smell as the shampoo, formulated using the Mercer Street scent. Not only does it have an amazing smell, it leave my hair feeling soft and smooth, and definitely helps to tame my thick, frizzy hair.

As with the shampoo, this conditioner contains 300ml of product in a bottle which can be refilled, making them eco-friendly. The bottles are also recyclable. The refill bag, again, retails at $56/£44, and comes with 946ml (over 3 refills worth). The refill pouches are also made with approximately 60% less plastic than the 300ml bottles.

Overall, I love the conditioner and will 100% be repurchasing. It is a great product. I have never experienced a shampoo or conditioners' scent to be so long lasting, especially after using hot styling tools, but these two products leave my hair smelling amazing for days. For me, the scent from shampoos and conditioners doesn't even last before I use a hairdryer, so I am super impressed that I can still smell the scent a couple days after I have washed my hair and used styling tools. It leaves my hair feeling so smooth and soft, and definitely reduces the frizz. This is honestly one of the most luxurious conditioners I have ever used.

Hair treatment masque (original) ~ £25:

The hair treatment masque instantly restores hydration, calms frizz and strengthens hair, and is formulated with ingredients including shea butter, panthenol and hydrolysed keratin.

The masque has an amazing smell, formulated using their Melrose Place scent. Like the shampoo and conditioner, it is a sweet, long-lasting, but not overpowering scent (containing rose, bergamot, lychee, cedarwood and white musk).

It may seem expensive for 100ml of product, but a little goes a long way. However, unlike the shampoos and conditioners, the treatment masque is not refillable, so you have to buy new bottles each time, meaning it's not as eco-friendly as other Ouai products.

Overall, I love the treatment masque, and it is a great product. Instantly after rinsing it out, my hair feels so soft, smooth and less thick. It also massively reduces my frizz. It is the best hair masque I have used in a long time, and I highly recommend it. Recently, two new treatment masques were released, one formulated for fine to medium hair, the other formulated for thick hair. These replace the original masque. These have not been released in the UK yet, but are due to launch in March. Considering how much I love the original hair treatment masque, I will definitely be purchasing the thick hair treatment masque when it drops in the UK in a few weeks!

Heat protection spray ~ $28/£25:

The heat protection spray protects the hair up to temperatures of 450°F (232°C), to keep your hair safe from heat damage caused by hot styling tools. It is formulated with thermal polymers and prickly pear extract. This heat protection spray has won awards for Best Heat Protectant (Nylon's Beauty Hit List).

As with the other products, the spray has an amazing smell. It is formulated using one of their old fragrances: Rue St. Honoré. It is a subtle scent, containing violent, gardenia, ylang ylang and white musk. My hair feels softer when I use it with hot styling tools, compared to no heat protection spray. My hair is also shinier when I use it. It works very well.

You get 126ml of product. It comes in an aerosol container so it is not refillable, like most of the other products, and I'm not sure if it is recyclable. The only other issue with it being an aerosol, is that it is hard to judge how much you have used, and how much you have left. However, this is just a minor detail, and is pretty insignificant. It may seem expensive, but as it comes out as a mist, you really don't use a lot each time, and it lasts a while.

Overall, I really like the heat protection spray. It works really well at protecting my hair from heat damage. I have insanely frizzy and thick hair, so my hair doesn't air dry at all, and I need to use a hairdryer every time I wash my hair. I also need to straighten it most times, to keep it manageable, so this heat protection spray is great to combat all the heat I am using on my hair. It helps keep my hair soft, smooth and looking very shiny. I will definitely repurchase this once I run out.

Body creme ~ $38/£32:

I bought the Ouai X Asos box last year, and among the mini products included was the body creme. This body creme deeply nourishes and hydrates dry skin, and quickly soaks into the skin. It is formulated with squalane (antioxidant/moisturiser), cupuaçu butter and coconut oil).

It has an amazing warm, floral smell, formulated using a new scent: Shibuya (containing Mediterranean citrus, warm spices, rose, violet and white musk). The scent of this body creme is very strong, so I was worried I would be allergic, as I have very sensitive skin, however, I patch tested it, and I was completely fine. My skin feels so soft when I use it, and I smell incredible! I don't need to wear perfume, because the scent of the body creme lasts.

It may seem excessive to pay £32 for a body creme, but with the full size product you get 212g/ml. A little goes a long way, as it is quite thick, so one jar of this will last you a while, making it worth the price tag. I'm not 100% sure, but the jar looks like glass, so it is more than likely you can recycle the jar once you have finished the creme (as it is not refillable), making it eco-friendly.

Overall, I love the body creme, and I will definitely be purchasing the full size once I have finished the mini, and my other body lotions. It really hydrates my skin and has an amazing scent which I love! The packaging for the full size creme looks so chic, and aesthetically pleasing, so I can't wait to purchase it!

Scalp and body scrub ~ $38/£32:

The mini scalp and body scrub was also included in the Ouai X Asos box. This scrub is deep-cleansing and foams up. It is formulated with sugar crystals (to gently exfoliate, cleanse and soften skin), coconut oil, and a probiotic blend. It has won awards, such as Allure's Best of Beauty for scalp scrub.

It has an amazing smell, formulated using their Melrose Place scent, the same scent as the treatment masque. It is a sweet, yet not overpowering scent which I absolutely love (containing rose, bergamot, lychee, cedarwood and white musk). I haven't yet used it on my skin, as I am allergic to most body scrubs, and I don't want to tempt fate with this one, but I have used it on my scalp and I really like it. It does the job well of buffing away any dead skin on my scalp, and really feels like I'm giving my hair a full deep-cleanse.

It may seem a lot to pay for a scrub, but with the full size product you get 250g. A little goes a long way, as it foams up once you start to massage it in, so a jar of this will last a while, making it worth the price. Plus, it is a 2-in-1, a scalp and body scrub, so you are basically getting two products in one, which also makes the higher price tag seem more acceptable. I'm not 100% sure, but the jar looks like glass, like the body creme, so it is more than likely you can recycle the jar when you're finished with it (as it is not refillable), making it eco-friendly, like most of Ouai's other products.

Overall, I really like the scalp and body scrub, and I will probably purchase the full size at some point. I'm not rushing to buy the full size, as I have plenty of other body scrubs, which I know I am not allergic to, and I don't religiously use a scalp scrub, but at some point I will purchase the full size, as it is a really good product. I will also try this as a body scrub, and see whether I have a reaction or not.

Ouai X BYREDO dry shampoo ~ $24/20:

This limited edition dry shampoo is formulated with rice starch, volcanic minerals and rhodiola rosea extract, which soak up oil.

This dry shampoo smells amazing, and is formulated using the Mojave Ghost scent from BYREDO (containing ambrette, magnolia, sandalwood, violet, cedarwood, Chantilly musk and crisp amber). It works really well, and keeps my hair looking fresh for days. Recently while I was ill and unable to wash my hair, I used this dry shampoo and my hair looked and felt clean the whole time.

You get 127g/ml of product in an aerosol container similar to the heat protection spray. It is not refillable and I am unsure about whether it is recyclable. As with the heat protection spray, it is difficult to determine how much you have used, and how much you have left, because it is an aerosol, but a little goes a very long way.

Overall, I love this dry shampoo. It smells incredible and keeps hair looking and feeling clean and fresh. As with most other dry shampoos, the product comes out white, but it is very easily massaged in, and no white residue gets left behind. My only issue with this product is the cruelty-free status. BYREDO is not a cruelty-free brand, so the fact that their fragrance is used in this product makes me question how this product could be cruelty-free. Had it not been limited edition, and the cruelty-free status of the product was confirmed, I definitely would have repurchased it, purely based on the scent! If BYREDO were a cruelty-free company, I definitely would be purchasing more products from them. Based on the performance of this dry shampoo, I will definitely purchase one of Ouai's normal dry shampoos once I run out of this one.

Final thoughts

Overall, Jen Atkin got this haircare brand perfect, right down to a T. I have never used such a luxurious brand, which is also super affordable. Everything from the packaging to the scents, makes this brand and their products luxurious, chic and aesthetically pleasing. They are also super Instagrammable! Ouai's shampoo and conditioner are the only products I've ever used where the scent has lasted, even after drying and straightening my hair. I am super impressed by that. I am also very impressed that they have formulated shampoos, conditioners and hair masques for different hair types. The fact that they have taken the time to specifically formulate products for fine hair, medium hair and thick hair, really feels like they care about their customers needs and wants. As someone who, over the past year, has become 100% cruelty-free, I love that Ouai is against animal testing, does not get third parties to test on their behalf, and does not sell their products where animal testing is required. Ouai is the best haircare brand I have used in a long time, and I can't Ouai-t(!) to try more products and see what else they have in store for us.