I’ve been meaning to try Ouai haircare for a while simply because everyone seems to rave about it! The one particular item that piqued my curiosity the most is the Matte Pomade. I know very little about hair styling products but most finishing pastes I know usually tend to leave a glossy finish. So yes, I’m naturally curious if this one is going to leave my hair with a cool matte look!

I’ll be reviewing 3 products from Ouai today: Matte Pomade, Hair Oil, and Treatment Masque. The Matte Pomade shown in the picture below is full-sized while the other two are sample-sized.

Ouai Matte Pomade

Ouai Matte Pomade can be used post shampoo as well as on dry hair. I’ve tried both and prefer it as a finishing paste after styling better. In the jar, the texture appears a thick, creamy paste (due to the kaolin clay) but will melt slightly upon warming it in your hands. I have a crazy amount of baby hairs and sometimes they stick out like crazy! This pomade totally takes care of it. Then I take another small amount and apply it to the ends to give my hair a slight piecey look.

It offers a flexible, medium hold that can easily be brushed off. I can’t stand hair products that make my hair stiff or crunchy! Thankfully this one does not. Having Asian hair that is flat and slippery, I just have to remember to use sparingly to prevent it from weighing my hair down. The hold doesn’t last more than a work day which is alright for me. There’s a slight clean scent to it that dissipates quickly.

Now the real question: does it leave a matte finish like the name suggests? Well, I’ll have to say not 100%. I could still see a hint of shine but my hair appears pretty and happy matte for the most part!

Full ingredients

Petrolatum, Kaolin, Beeswax, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Mineral Oil, Fragrance, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Geraniol

Ouai Hair Oil

The first thing I noticed with the hair oil was the scent! It’s pretty strong and smells sort of like gardenias. It does linger and depending on the amount you put on, you’ll catch a sniff of it throughout the day. The oil can be used on wet or dry hair, or as an overnight treatment. My preferred method is right after I towel-dry my hair and before blow dry. It leaves my strands so unbelievably soft and smooth and silky!

When used on completely dry hair, it doesn’t seem to manage flyaways as well probably due to the uber light (and runny!) texture. I love how it leaves my hair with such a perfect amount of shine and bounce. Most hair oils out there are so heavy and tend to weigh down my limp hair. This one doesn’t! The plus bonus is it doubles as a heat protectant, too!

Full ingredients

Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Isododecane, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Dimethiconol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Kaempferia Galanga Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Parfum (Fragrance), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polysilicone-15, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Beta-Carotene, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Methyl 2- Octynoate, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hydroxycitronellal, Geraniol

Ouai Treatment Masque

At first I thought this was the overnight treatment masque type but good thing I read the instruction first! You’re supposed to leave it in for only 5-10 minutes to deep condition your hair then rinse off so I’ve been testing this right after I shampoo my hair. It has a clean, natural scent that is very light. I barely smell it in the shower.

The masque consistency is not what I imagined; it’s not creamy or thick but rather light and thin. I found myself using quite a lot each time so I’m not surprised people are complaining about the price/amount ratio. The full-size comes in individual foil packets and I can only imagine how tricky it would be to try to open it in the shower with your hands all slippery!

Anyway, I feel that the results of the Treatment Masque are less noticeable than those of the other 2 products. It doesn’t do much in terms of smooth and shine. The texture is light to begin with and you have to rinse it off after. I doubt how much gets absorbed into the hair. I finally ended up using it between shampoo and conditioner and it worked slightly better.

Full ingredients

Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Amodimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Panthenol, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Laureth-9, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract, Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Aspartic Acid, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isododecane, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Fragrance, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, C11-15 Pareth-7, Polysilicone-15, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Cystine Bis-PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Sodium PCA, PCA, Diisostearyl Malate, Polysorbate 60, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Lactate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, BHT, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool

Swatches

L-R: Ouai Matte Pomade, Hair Oil, and Treatment Masque

Out of 3 products, I wouldn’t mind repurchasing the Matte Pomade and Hair Oil. They worked wonders for my hair. Another bonus is none of these caused irritation/breakouts to my sensitive skin and I’m really, really, thankful for that!