Tag Archives: The Review

Yes Ouai

Ouai Review

One of the best beauty launches this year has definitely been Ouai – pronounced ‘way’ so there are just SO.MANY.FUN. puns.  Ouai too many in fact. If you need further evidence of how much I love it, look no further than these less than half full bottles. I suspect Ouai will clean house in the ‘Best of Beauty’ accolades for 2016 because it is nothing short of incredible. It became a cult fav before it even launched I suspect. In part because it was developed by celeb stylist Jen Atkin – you know her even if you don’t because she is the woman behind the Kardashians, Hadids and Chrissy Teigen’s manes – and also because every product is inspired to help you get Atkin’s signature ‘undone chic’ look.  Effortless is defining the time right now.  I thought I’d weigh (OUAI!) in with my opinions on the line and my favorites.

Ouai Haircare

“OUAI MEANS YES, IN THAT CASUAL, PARISIAN WAY. IT’S ABOUT SAYING YES TO REAL HAIR FOR REAL LIFE. AND TO LOOKING CHIC, NO MATTER HOW MANY FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE.”

Ouai is to hair the same way that Glossier is to makeup. It’s accessible and modern – no one way (OUAI!) to use but adaptable to your style.

It has a made for Instagram vibe with a minimal aesthetic I can’t get enough of. And it just gets better from there. The Ouai scent is like a really luxurious (read: expensive) perfume, inspired by Atkin’s childhood in Hawaii and love of “soft, expensive-smelling things.” The obvious question: will this be a perfume eventually? Answer: yes.

ouai

For now, the Hair Oil can double as a perfume. This is my favorite product in the line and the one that carries the Ouai scent the strongest. As someone with straight hair I struggle to find oils made for my hair texture. This is the solution. It’s so lightweight and makes my hair glossy and shiny. I use it mostly on damp hair and let it air dry. I find it is also a great reviver to ends after multiple days without washing. This is the antidote to thirsty hair. It’s the best hair oil I’ve ever used.

It took me a bit to get in my groove with the Wave Spray but now I can’t imagine doing my hair without. I was trying (and failing) to do a scrunch-and-go air dry with this but it wasn’t working. Now, I use it every morning on my dry bedhead and I comb it out and let it air dry. Then I have touchable texture that makes styling my hair so much easier.

The Texturizing Hair Spray is probably the most popular in the line and it’s a no-brainer. It’s the lovechild of Dry Shampoo and Hair Spray so it revives hair, absorbs oil and is the key to Atkin’s undone styles. I’ve gone through several bottles of this already so it’s becoming a pricey habit!

I never realized how much I needed a lotion for my hair until I tried the Finishing Crème. Most other hair smoothers I’ve used have made my hair greasy or heavy. This is made for fine to medium hair (thank you, Ouai!) and gives hair a shiny lived-in look. I use it to smooth flyaways and massage out my wand curls. It’s also great to use before heat styling.

ouai finishing creme

ouai matte pomade

The Matte Pomade is one of Ouai’s newer products and one I use daily now that I have chin length hair again. It’s a medium control paste to help you shape and separate hair for that piecey look. I usually take a small amount, massage it in my fingers and rub about one inch from the ends of my hair. Then I massage it out some more to really shape how I want my hair to be. The hold is flexible but lasting.

I’ve tried samples of the Shampoo and Conditioner and really liked them as well. I guess I’m saving my pennies to feed my addiction to the Texturizing Hair Spray, though. Have you tried the line at all?

I Tried a Full Coverage Foundation and I Liked It

Hourglass Vanish Foundation

The gravitational pull of a new complexion product is strong. I have my favs but I find that formulas always improve. How can I not investigate? I obliged that feeling to give this triangular tube by Hourglass a try. Goes by the name Vanish and is probably the most concentrated foundation I’ve ever worn. A little scary to go from my Glossier Skin Tint to a formula with double the amount of pigment than a traditional foundation. But, fear not, this is Hourglass. I trust in the makers of the Ambient Light. Somehow Vanish disappears on your skin, living up to the promise of invisible full coverage. There isn’t a dark circle, blemish, redness or spot that this cannot handle with ease. I found a perfect match in the shade Linen. Dare I say this feels lighter than even my tinted moisturizer? I noticed that throughout the day it doesn’t wear off but I don’t get any oil or residue or redness creeping. My skin looks the same all day: no extra concealing or layering needed.

There was a learning curve, however. I opted not to get the Vanish Foundation Brush (same price as the foundation itself!) in favor of using one of the many brushes I already have.  There’s no doubt this brush is probably the perfect match but I couldn’t quite justify that when I have so many brushes already. My results varied but the stars eventually aligned. If at first you don’t succeed, pick up another brush and try again.

Foundation Brush

I started every morning by dabbing about 4-6 triangular spots directly from the tube to the center of my face.

First, I tried my fingers. Nope. While the creamy formula adjusts to your body temperature almost immediately, fingers just don’t spread it around enough. Too much work.

Next, I tried the bareMinerals Smoothing Face Brush. This was made to be used with the Complexion Rescue and I use it for that and to apply liquid highlighter. I’m going to stick with that strategy – this one wasn’t quite right with the Hourglass.

I was certain this was a job for my Sigma Beauty 3DHD Kabuki Brush. GUYS, this brush is incredible. It is super dense and has ridges and curves to navigate tricky to reach spots. While it diffused the foundation around pretty seamlessly, I still felt like I could tell I was wearing makeup.

I use the Real Techniques Triangle Foundation Brush mostly for liquid highlighters or bronzers. It has a flat edge and tapered edges so moves around the contours of your face well. I found it blended out the Vanish really well around my nose and lips but I didn’t feel like the coverage was as even on the sides of my face.

RMS Skin2Skin Foundation Brush most closely resembles fingertips. If you look at the top of this brush you see a swirl of fibers at all different lengths, this helps you get just the right amount of product on the skin. With Vanish, it blends and physically picks up the triangular dabs and moves them around the face for even coverage.

There isn’t much the Beautyblender can’t do. Admittedly, I’m a little lazy with mine. I like it for blending concealer or diffusing highlighter but get fatigued with a full face of foundation. It’s me, not you, Beautyblender.

Final verdict? RMS is where it’s at. It makes sense given that the RMS “Un” Cover Up and Vanish are similar creamy, concentrated bases. I highly recommend both, especially if full coverage foundations are your jam.