BEAUTY TEST DRIVE
Jen Atkin's new brand tested on different hair types
By Anna Heaton, 27 May 2017
Ouai to go
Smooth criminal
My verdict: I've got fine hair but a shed load of it, and boy is it curly (read: frizzy). With this in mind, you can bet I was v interested in a 'smooth' shampoo. It didn't disappoint. Like all the Ouai products, it smells divine and although it takes some muscle work to get the lather going the end results are v clean, super soft and totally fresh. Tell a friend.
Foam party
Junior editor Liz's verdict: being brunette, I tend to avoid many dry shampoos due to the dust they leave (and instantly age me by 15+ years...). This one comes in the form of a mousse, which I felt very uneasy about when rubbing into my third-day hair, but after 15 odd seconds of massaging into my roots, like magic, the residue seemed to evaporate and take all my oil with it. I don't know how it works, but it works.
The zhuzh effect
Junior editor Maybelle's verdict: you know those heavenly Gisele Bündchen I-just-came-out-of-the-ocean goddess waves? Yeah, this hair spray won’t give you that, but it does come pretty close. Think of it as a dry shampoo/hair spray hybrid, but without the chalky residue of the former, nor the sticky tackiness of the latter. Expect grease-be-gone roots and natural (not helmet) hold. A winner for my thick and unruly mane.
Strength and condition
My verdict: due to years (make that nine) of highlights, a repair conditioner is right up my street. Luckily this one isn't full of empty promises, leaving my locks feeling less dry and fuller (which I arguably didn't need). One thing to note is that my 'do has so much volume that it takes a fair amount of product to get all up in there, which at £20 a pop makes this a difficult addiction to maintain - a weekly treat versus a day-to-day necessity.
Pictures: Miles Drury
Clean as a whistle
Senior editor Caroline's verdict: don't be weirded out by the lack of lather here, your hair will feel super clean, trust. The smell is intoxicating, not like the sickly sweet shampoo smells I'm used to, a gorgeous really luxey scent. You might spend £22 but you'll feel a million bucks. Caution: double rinse hair, as without much lathering, it's very easy to miss bits of shampoo that haven't been washed out.
