It’s always exciting to meet the people that are behind the brands we admire. We recently caught up with Hannah Beals, VP of Brand Marketing, for the it-girl beauty brand OUAI. In addition to completely loving OUAI’s product line, we are also inspired by the brand that they’ve built and the loyal customer-base they’ve garnered. In our convo, Hannah shared her philosophy on brand building, what she’s loving about living in Los Angeles, and what’s next for her. 


You started in the fashion industry and have transitioned into beauty. Tell us about how a brand’s mission makes an impact. 

I’ve always believed that a beloved brand transcends the function of a product or “hacking” marketing tactics. People have millions of options for shirts or shampoos. Yes, they want them to work, but they buy them over and over again because of the brand. Not enough companies are willing to invest in “brand” in the right ways and it’s always been my mission to prioritize this wherever I’ve worked. It’s the key to longevity. I’m drawn to brands that have relatable marketing with a sense of humor and really simple and approachable solutions to problems.

Your role takes you from coast-to-coast, so we imagine coming home is so joyous and restorative. What brings you comfort at home? 

I’ve always believed that a beloved brand transcends the function of a product or “hacking” marketing tactics. People have millions of options for shirts or shampoos. Yes, they want them to work, but they buy them over and over again because of the brand. Not enough companies are willing to invest in “brand” in the right ways and it’s always been my mission to prioritize this wherever I’ve worked. It’s the key to longevity. I’m drawn to brands that have relatable marketing with a sense of humor and really simple and approachable solutions to problems.
















Hannah's Gifting Picks 

Your role takes you from coast-to-coast, so we imagine coming home is so joyous and restorative. What brings you comfort at home?

I’ve prioritized comfort in all the design choices in my home. We have an (incredibly large) sectional that can seat (or lay) ten tall adults comfortably for Lakers games or movie nights. We mixed a lot of textiles and antiques in for a lived in, homey feel. I’m a voracious reader so every room in our house has books tucked into some corner. I live in the Hollywood Hills so we get a ton of wildlife- I will never not be delighted by seeing a deer outside my kitchen window.

We love a brand with a clear brand ethos. Tell us about the meaning behind OUAI, and describe the brand's overall mission. 

Our mission is “to give you the confidence to win life your OUAI”. We’ve always dreamed about inspiring not just physical confidence from our products, but the confidence to live life as your most authentic self. We want every individual to feel seen & celebrated when they’re in our community and interact with our brand. 

How does living in Los Angeles inform how you see the world and inspire your work?

LA has magical energy. If NYC has the hustlers, LA has the dreamers and it’s inspiring to be surrounded by so many creatives who are brave enough to go after something bigger than most people would dream of. The culture of wellness here makes you appreciate your health and your happiness > your work. I wouldn’t work anywhere that didn’t have that kind of balance. 

With the holidays fast approaching, any tips for us on how to prep our bathrooms for guests? 

My bathrooms are all filled with OUAI Hand Wash & Hand Lotion, as you can imagine. I’m always burning candles in each room – something woody or smoky is my favorite vibe for this time of year. My house is a traditional Spanish style, so I like towels that have a Mediterranean vibe. 

What is one thing you want all of your customers to know about your products? 

They smell f*cking amazing. Fragrance is part of our brand DNA- we wanted to create hair products that smelled like expensive perfumes so we worked with some of the best fragrance houses in the world. Now our scents are so popular we offer them in body products and perfumes as well.

The OUAI makes a great holiday gift for a loved one! What are your go-to’s this year? Anything new we should be looking out for?

I would suggest our Scalp & Body Scrub as a gift for anyone. It comes in two incredible scents and can be used to exfoliate both your scalp and your bod. It has sugar crystals to exfoliate so it’s not drying and they dissolve and rinse out of hair easily. It also has a lux lather that I’ve never seen with a scrub- it turns any shower into a spa experience.

‘Tis the season! What holiday tradition are you looking forward to the most this season?

This is my first year hosting my family and my husband’s family in our home for Hanukkah & Christmas. We usually travel back to the Midwest / East Coast so we’re excited to see what the holidays feel like in Hollywood and start some new traditions. Latkes will be made. It’s A Wonderful Life will be watched. 

What’s next for you and OUAI?

I have been at OUAI for 6.5 years and I truly still feel like the best is yet to come. We love doing collabs and we have some really unexpected things with incredible brands coming in the next couple of years. We love our community and there are still so many people that we interact with that don’t have OUAI in their region yet- we want to go worldwide! But really what I look forward to most is the future people we will add to our growing team. We have the most talented team of marketing & creative geniuses working with us and getting to make magic with them never feels like work.

 

Photography provided by OUAI