It may have debuted just this year, but hair-care line the Ouai has a better social-media presence than you do. Created by the Kardashians’ favorite hairstylist, Jen Atkin, the Ouai (pronounced way) has made its way into the bathroom cabinets of everyone from Jessica Alba to Chrissy Teigen, and the line has gained enough Instagram followers to be considered an influencer in its own right.
Ouai Wave Spray, $26 — I haven’t tried all the wave sprays in the world yet, but I’ve tried a lot, and I can confidently say that this is the best one. There are a lot of sea-salt sprays on the market that add texture to your hair, but not necessarily waves. This can do both. I spray it liberally on damp hair when I get out of the shower, twist it into two loose Princess Leia buns (like this), and then undo them once dried. The effect is actual wavy hair, with volume, that doesn’t feel sticky, get oily, or look matted. You can keep adding product if you like more beachy texture. If you prefer a more smooth, uniform wave, you can also use this before curling with a curling iron. — Kathleen Hou
Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray, $26 — Jen Atkin calls this the result of what would happen if dry shampoo and hairspray had a baby. Who knew what a great product that blessed union would create? Spray the white-floral-scented product onto textureless or just-washed hair and you’ll get enviable second-day blowout hair that doesn’t feel oily. My only gripe is that I need to use a lot of product to get texture for my whole head, and the bottle is a tad on the small side. My favorite dry texture sprays are still the Oribe Dry Texture and Sachajuan Volume Powder, but this is a good one to keep on hand. — Kathleen Hou
Ouai Clean Shampoo, $28 — From watching Jen Atkin’s Snapchat, I know that she and I have similar hair texture. We both have the unglamorous problems of greasy roots and dry, color-treated ends. So in a way, she made this shampoo just for me. (It’s like I’m practically a Kardashian.) Other clarifying shampoos thoroughly clean your hair, but leave it lank and listless like prairie straw. This shampoo does the same deep clean, but leaves my hair looking fluffy and not parched. It even helped solve a gross dandruff situation I had going on for a few days due to all the New York City once-hot-now-cold weather changes. — Kathleen Hou
Ouai Hair Oil, $28 — I squirt a tiny amount of this on my ends before flat-ironing to smooth away errant strands. Jen recommends saturating your hair in the stuff for an overnight-mask treatment, and while I haven’t tried that method yet (and I can’t say for sure that doing so would end well for my pillowcases), I like the idea of a product that errs toward versatility. It certainly makes my ends look shiny, but, truth be told, I would stock up on the blend of African galanga, ama, and Asian borage oils if it didn’t do a thing, just because it smells so good. — Ashley Weatherford
Ouai Repair Conditioner, $26 — Given my dry, battered hair, I tend to lean toward aggressive conditioning treatments. Ouai’s Repair conditioner is actually light, but it’s an injection of moisture that leaves my hair soft, smooth, and hydrated, yet never weighed down. Other than Olaplex, few conditioners make good on their “repair” claims. I’m not entirely sure that Ouai’s Smart Technology Complex is capable of completely fixing my hair’s cuticle, but it sure it feels less like straw – which is a start. — Ashley Weatherford
