About Envy

1996 was where it all started, it was the day that broke the proverbial camel's back for salon owner and Envy creator Paul Bryan. The moment that should have been a standard visit from the national sales manager of the product company his team were loyal to ended in the start of an incredible journey, one that would involve a learning curve so intense that only a fool or a stubborn hairdresser would dare to tread alone. Why could being told your favourite product had been discontinued invoke such incredible reaction as to launch your own product range? The reason is simple: trust and loyalty. When asked why the product was being discontinued the shrug of the shoulder really said "because we can" and "you're not important". Well, what about the hundreds of loyal clients who know and depend on this because their trusted hairdresser has recommended it. Why should they be the victims of yet another corporate axing of a perfectly good product that a year ago was the best thing since sliced bread?

I knew it was going to be a long road, what I didn't realise at the time was quite how many of my fellow professionals felt the same and every day is a reminder of that which is a great feeling. It was fate that lent a hand as is often the case when faced with a seemingly impossible journey, a chance conversation with a client led to an introduction to an incredibly talented chemist who totally got my idea of one product for all hair types. We began formulating and once we thought the formula was right we put them to the ultimate test - salon clients. Wow are clients brutally honest when they are given a licence! "I don't like the smell", "That's rubbish" and "Not as good as what I normally use" were all part of daily rejection and still are, as contrary to what we would love, perfection is the dream destination not the journey.

Why don't we call the product 'Paul Bryan'? I think it is a dream come true to have your own name on a product but it can't be at the expense of all you believe in and that's what happened in the early stages. Local salons which surprised and delighted me took to the new Paul Bryan products, they loved the formulas and the results they were getting and not surprising since they had all passed the dreaded client boot camp tests. But there are defining moments, and as the brand started to grow it became more about the name on the bottle than the great formulas and results. This came to a crescendo after multiple sell-out shows on the shopping channels, the brand ethos was being diluted and Paul Bryan was becoming the focus, excuse the cliché but he had to get the chop! Change was needed, so in 2010 a new star was born, a star that can shine bright with results and quality not ego, a star that can encompass all of the original passion of its predecessor but benefit from the lessons learnt on the way. Everyone now asks "Why the name Envy?" and quite simply the answer is beautiful sexy hair is to be envied.