Yes, Ouai! Jen Atkin Launches Hair Care Line
Hairstylsit Jen Atkin has launched her first product collection. (Photo: Courtesy of Ouai)
There’s no denying that the Kardashian-Jenner clan has been blessed with gorgeous hair, but their trend-setting cuts and styles are all the handiwork of one woman: Jen Atkin. The hairstylist and founder of Mane Addicts has been working with Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie for years — she even has her own avatar in the game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. And now February 1 marks the launch of her first line of hair care and styling products, Ouai Haircare.
Ouai (based off the French slang for yes, and pronounced “way”) has been nine years in the making. For Atkin, it wasn’t just about getting a line of products out there, she wanted to create something that worked for real women. “I wanted to give consumers the opportunity to solve a problem, which is time,” Atkin told editors at her launch event back in December. “We are all busy and we are never going to look like Kate Moss.” Along with the products, Atkin and her team have created a website that provides tutorials for using the products and perfecting different styles. “I want everyone to feel like a Kendall or a Gigi [Hadid]. I want everyone to have effortless hair.”
One big thing that sets Ouai apart from other hair care brands on the market today is the inclusion of supplements. This addition supports Atkin’s belief that effortless hair really begins on the inside. “I was really excited about getting supplements into the regime,” says Atkin. “I feel like we are all the girls that do juice cleanses and Soul Cycle, everyone is all about being healthy. You have to start from the inside, so creating a supplement was really a no-brainer.” Ouai will offer three different supplements (launching summer 2016) that target three major concerns: thinning hair, dry hair, and oily scalp.
A look at the launch collection from Ouai which includes shampoo, conditioner and a range of styling products. (Photo: Mike Rosenthal)
Atkin has incorporated a number of powerful ingredients into the product range, from tamarind seed extract, a natural equivalent to hyaluronic acid (which if you missed the memo, works wonders on your skin) that keeps hair hydrated and Ama oil, which shields hair from humidity and works to repair damage.
Packaging was another big part of Atkin’s vision for her line — she wanted products that looked pretty sitting in your bathroom. The simple and clean design of Ouai’s bottles and sprays makes them more than worthy of an Instagram post, but Atkin was also smart in developing the shape and size of her containers. Ouai’s shampoo and conditioner bottles are different sizes with different shaped caps to help eliminate any of that mid-shower eyes closed, struggling to make out the right bottle problem that we’ve all faced. “I wanted a selfie-worthy line,” she says. “I wanted it to feel like you can have it in your bathroom and get excited to take a picture of it.”
A total of 14 products, which ranges from $24 to $32, will be available at launch through TheOuai.com, with the option to auto-replenish your products every 30 or 60 days. The full collection, which also includes a mask, oil, texturizing spray, dry shampoo, hair spray, and wave spray, will launch at Sephora in March and more products are slated to debut this spring and summer. “I want hair care to look cool, smell good, and help simplify your life,” says Atkin. Hey, we couldn’t agree more.
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