A catch-up with the hairstylist and entrepreneur as the company approaches its two-year mark

At a time when beauty corporations are struggling to get Gen-Zers and millennials excited about buying hair products, Ouai — hairstylist Jen Atkin's nearly two-year-old brand — is thriving. For its initial 2016 launch, it was stocked in a small selection of Sephora stores and online. Fast forward to 2017, and Ouai's shampoos, stylers and supplements are carried in 351 U.S. Sephora doors, as well as in a variety of other retailers across the country. Its global footprint now extends to Canada, the UK, Australia, France, the UAE, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Though the brand has not disclosed specific sales figures, experts estimated $15 million in net sales for the year. Then there's the social clout: Ouai has racked up 316,000 fans on Instagram, and Atkin herself boasts 2.1 million followers on the platform. Ouai took home the award for Best Beauty Brand at Revolve's inaugural influencer awards. And that's all been achieved organically, without paying influencers to post — they just happen to love it (and its chic packaging, no doubt).

The brand has focused on building its community, investing in tools to help shoppers feel even more connected to the product. In November of 2016, Ouai launched an on-site consultation service in which users can take a quiz that leads them to product recommendations. To date, the quiz has been taken approximately 70,000 times, enabling the brand to collect first-person data and feedback from customers while moving product. Purchases from those who take the quiz now account for approximately 20 percent of the site's total sales.

Source: fashionista.com