Ouai x Byredo’s New Collab Gave Me Zoom-Perfect Hair

Brand collabs are becoming more and more commonplace these days: Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami, Vetements x DHL, Target x literally any big-name designer, and the list goes on. But, sometimes the shopping stars align in such a way where two powerhouse brands come together and the results are anything but ordinary. Get ready for a full-on collab constellation — because Ouai, the brainchild of celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, has teamed up with Byredo, the fan-favourite fragrance atelier, to create what we can only imagine is the most luxurious dry shampoo in the galaxy (and that's the last star joke). "I think dry shampoo has become everyone’s go-to in lockdown," Atkin told Refinery29 via Zoom. "It’s funny, because everyone’s been doing their hair at home, but also not washing it as often." (I feel seen!) This is where the new UK Space NK exclusive Super Dry Shampoo comes into play — it's oil-absorbing, texture-enhancing, and crafted with Byredo's bestselling Mojave Ghost scent reimagined into a sensual-woodsy blend of sandalwood, magnolia, and cedar.

Whether it's the OG wave spray or the rosy multi-use oil, Ouai products are known for their intoxicating scents — in 2019, the brand rolled out a limited-edition range of five fragrances with two eventually joining Ouai's permanent lineup. So, why Byredo? "It would’ve been easy to just throw one of our scents on the dry shampoo, but I've always been so inspired by Byredo," Atkin says. After experimenting with a handful of the fragrance brand's Eaux (according to Atkin, the fan-favourite Gypsy Water was also a top contender), Mojave Ghost reigned supreme and made its way into the mineral-infused dry shampoo that dropped this week.

"A couple of my friends were saying 'Are you worried about launching something [during the pandemic]?'" Atkin tells us. "But I fully feel like right now, as a consumer, I get so excited over a new product — a lip gloss coming in the mail, or a new gym outfit." And she's right: When my dry shampoo arrived, I took all of 0.5 seconds to spray the stuff into my roots and give my waves a quick zsuzh before hopping on my morning Zoom meeting. And, the jury is in, my locks looked and smelled definitively luxe for the rest of the day. Plus, compared to other dry shampoos, this stuff works wonders to add some piece-y movement in addition to refreshing greasy roots. While £20 isn't exactly inexpensive, consider that Byredo fragrances start at £115 per bottle — making this dry shampoo an excellent way to test-drive an investment scent before fully committing to it. Plus, something tells us that the limited-edition collab won't last long!

If you want in on a little slice of cool beauty-collab history, then you'll need to fire up that Sephora cart ASAP. "Fragrance makes or breaks an experience," Atkin told us. "This is going to forever be such a proud moment for me and the brand."