I upgraded my haircare routine with this brand – and the shine is unrivalled

One of Ouai’s most popular products, the detox shampoo is a cleansing and clarifying formula designed to slough away dirt, oil, flakes and impurities. As its name suggests, it is a detox for your hair, removing build-up from hair styling products and hard water deposits (great for city dwellers). It lathers up quickly and easily, with a little going a long way (a palette cleanser considering the price).

The brand recommends applying it as close to the scalp as possible. When massaging it in, it really does feel like it’s cleansing the surface for a deep clean. Simply leave it on for up to three minutes and rinse. Compared to other shampoos I’ve tried, Ouai’s formula doesn’t strip the hair of moisture. Plus, it’s enriched with keratin for a glossy and sleek look. The scent is lovely too, with spa-like notes of rose, bergamot, lychee and musk.

Ouai has three different conditioner formulations, one for thin hair, thick hair and medium hair. I tried the latter in tandem with the detox shampoo, applying the formula from the middle of my hair to the ends. Again, a little goes a long way with just two squeezes being enough to cover my strands. The formula is designed to strengthen and add shine to hair thanks to a fusion of keratin, nourishing babassu and coconut oils.

Hair feels immediately softened, shiny and smoothed after rinsing with the apperance of split ends and flyaway hairs masked. Using the conditioner alongside the shampoo gave my hair a new lease of life and it lasted longer between washes. The scent is equally good, with a blend of orange, peony, magnolia, jasmine, musk and orris lightly lingering in your hair for hours after washing.

The scents of Ouai’s haircare are so popular that the brand has ventured into fragrances with an eau de parfum line starting from £56. Bridging the divide between its fragrances and haircare, the newly launched St Barts hair and body mist is riding the body mist revival (thank you Sol De Janeiro) – and is relatively more affordable than its parfums at £26.

Deliciously summery, the mist features notes of dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose and musk. Fresh and tropical, it’s not overly sweet like some fruity body mists can be. The light scent lingered most of the day on my hair but had less impressive staying power on the body. The generously sized bottle (97ml) helps justify the price and it’s the perfect pick-me-up throughout the day or to take you into the evening. Sorry Sol De Janeiro, I’ve got a new favourite body mist.

My ends are prone to dryness, flyaways and split ends, so hair oil is an essential tool in my arsenal. Ouai’s formula is infused with African galanga, ama and Asian borage oils to soften and tame hair while controlling frizz. Applying just two pumps of the oil on my ends prior to heat styling helps ensure super soft and shiny ends while it’s just as good on dry hair to smooth out frizz in between washes.

Some oils can leave my hair feeling greasy but Ouia’s is perfectly lightweight. Notes of violet, gardenia, ylang ylang and white musk combine in an understated, floral fragrance that lasts long into the day too.

This is a hero buy for frizz-prone hair (fans of Color Wow’s dream coat treatment spray might well be converted). The leave-in conditioner is enriched with nourishing tamarind seed extract, panthenol and vitamin E to hydrate and reduce the appearance of frizz and dryness. The multi-purpose formula also works as a heat protectant, with amino acid blend and hydrolysed proteins helping to reinforce the hair’s structure and protect against styling.

Application is a breeze – simply mist the formula from the roots to the tip before combing through (it helps with post-shower detangling, too). After heat styling, my hair looks and feels silky smooth and mostly frizz-free, with the sleek locks lasting well into the next day. Plus, it can be used on dry hair to hydrate and keep flyaways at bay, though this method works best on thicker, coarser and curlier hair.

Promising salon-grade shine at home, Ouai’s hair gloss carries big claims. Designed to apply after shampooing your hair, simply section your strands and apply from the root to the tip (use a comb to get even coverage), before rinsing off. The brand suggests washing off with cold water to really lock in the gloss and applying conditioner after for extra moisture if your hair is quite dry (skip this step if it’s not).

Infused with hyaluronic acid and rice water, it makes hair look instantly shiny while also hydrating and nourishing hair. Styling with heat afterwards creates the best results – I experienced high-shine and glass-like looks after use. My lighter highlights were similarly enhanced and the shiny look lasted well into the next day. Plus, hair feels super soft and silky. Make sure to use it sparingly though, as hair can feel a little heavy and greasy with too much of the product (I made this mistake the first time I used it).