WEN

[World Traveler]

I was recently at Chaz's salon and a couple of friends of mine who watched Periscope of the visit thought you might be interested in the questions I asked. I usually have around 20 questions, just a variety of things that pop into my head the weeks before I see him. But this time I told him I had 42 questions and mentioned that we didn't need to go over all of them, but he is always "game" for any question I ask him. I ended up with 45 questions by the time we finished.

But first, if you watched Periscope you saw how he and two other guys were checking out the top of my head. It was the area that two years ago was VERY thin, to the point where you could easily see my scalp, but had now filled in so thick. He was telling the other two how I had followed his advice of using Tea Tree oil on that area and how nicely it was now. One of the guys mentioned you couldn't see my scalp at all on top! It was fun to watch them in the mirror, as it looked like three guys trying to find bugs in my hair! LOL!

I mentioned to Chaz, as I do every single time I visit him, that before WEN I had to use a "rat tail" comb each week to clean out the hair that was always left in my brush. But now I rarely see any hair in my brush from week to week. Maybe a single strand once in a while. So that speaks volumes for how well WEN had changed my hair since June 2015.

Also before the haircut, I asked about my three favorite scents: Ginger Pumpkin, Vanilla Mint, and Mango Coconut. Will I really not be able to get them anymore? He said they will be available on his website, but QVC will not have them. I was glad to hear that I will be able to still purchase them, although it will cost more by not getting it at QVC.

So, here are the questions I asked while he was cutting my hair. It is long, but maybe there are one or two questions/answers that you may have wondered about. I learned a lot and have already started my list of questions for my next visit.

You once told me to use the oil AND and remoist at the same time. I tried it, first the remoist, because you said it works better if your hair is wet, then the oil, and it was messy with the dropper. What was I doing wrong? "Put the oil on the scalp first and then put the remoist on the ends. The oil is to help with the growth of the hair and the remoist is to help thicken the hair, make it more dense. You get more benefit if you use the remoist on wet hair rather than dry hair. Better to put remoist on dry hair than not at all, but best way is when hair is wet." For me, he would like me to use both the Tea Tree oil and the re-moist. I had been putting the TT on clean dry hair and the remoist while my hair was still wet from a shower.

Have you ever had Dan Hughes or Rick as a host? I would think they would not be able to relate. Alberti does a great job with you. He doesn’t rush or interrupt you. He said he has not worked with Dan Hughes, but the “irony is that he uses WEN. When I first started with QVC, you had to do an on-air test, and Rick was the person I was assigned to for the test." Sharon Fache (sp?) was also a test host with him. Chaz said that Alberti is so infused in the beauty world and knows a lot. "The other guys know enough to ask the right questions. But QVC doesn’t normally want to use the guys with beauty items, except for Alberti. Alberti lets me teach and educate. He knows the answers to the questions he is asking, but Alberti is just asking those questions so I can educate people. Jill Bauer too. She has used WEN for a long time, but she asks questions she already knows the answers to so I can educate the viewers. Jill has used WEN for around 11 years and asks the questions for the viewers to learn."

How about the oils for eyebrows? Would Tea Tree work to help fill in eyebrows like it has the top of my head? "I would say yes, but I can’t say that it will happen. Hair is hair, and follicle is follicle, so I would try it. Just put some oil on your fingertips and rub it in the eyebrow and see what happens. Now, you wouldn’t want to put the oil on your eyelashes, but if you use Tea Tree to cleanse with, do I think it will help the lashes? I think so, so I would do that too."

What is your favorite ancillary product? Styling cream, hairspray, treatment mist, etc. He thinks you can’t be without the styling cream and oils for treatment.

Prior to the seasonal remoist products, you said that all your remoist products have the same ingredients, except for the scent, so just use the one with the scent you like most. Is that true of your other ancillary products, like the styling creams, the treatment mists, the volumizing mist; are they all the same except for the scent? "In the classics, they are all the same ingredients, except for the scent. That is the only variant (except for Pomegranate which has soy). Then there is the rice category, which has different ingredients. Seasonals are basically the same too, except for scent."

Why styling cream AND mousse; don’t they do the same thing? "Styling cream is anti-frizz, heat protectant from the hairdryer, gives you control and body, whereas the mousse plumps up your hair and makes it like a slinky; your hair falls back into place."

Last time I asked you what you would name your son, if you had one. You said Cameron, which is your birth name. Don’t recall asking you what you would name your daughter, if you had one. What would you name her? He paused for a very long time; he couldn’t come up with an answer. I suggested JoAnne, his sister. He said he was thinking of his mother, grandmother, etc., but couldn’t land on a definite female name. I may come back to that on my next visit.

If you could do it all over again, your life, what would you change, if anything? After a lot of thought, he said, “I would completely trust the universe. Just put out your heart and trust for the rest. I didn’t become successful to the point where I didn’t worry about bills and such until around ten years ago. Just keep doing the right thing and it will all balance out."

Just dawned on me that with your new sample of fragrance, Love, that it is the second list of your prayer; and does that mean you will do ALL of those listed in the prayer? He said yes, and that the next one is Hope. He let me sample it, put it on my wrist. There are 15 things he lists in his prayer, so he will be doing all 15 as a fragrance at some point, probably take around seven years by putting out maybe three a year.

Have you thought about making a bar of soap or deodorant, all in seasonal or classic scents? “Hell, no!” to the bar of soap because he hates bars of soap, makes his skin itch. As to the deodorant, he has thought about it, but “have not jumped into it yet.”

You are a perfectionist, but not perfect. Is there anything you have attempted to do, to create, that you just ended up having to say, “Well, I guess I will have to stop working on that.” "No, not really. There are some things I want to do but haven’t found the right way or person to help me achieve it. Things I have thought of but haven't attempted them yet because I haven't figured out the right 'vessel' to get me to the point of accomplishing what I want to do."

I saw you use the Dyson hairdryer on QVC; what did you think of it? Why aren’t you using it in the salon since it speeds up the drying process? He had it in the salon for a while and felt it was more like a toy for him, so does not use it in the salon. He feels it would be good for people to have at home, but not for his salon. Not heavy-duty enough for the salon. "It is good for hair because it does not heat up to the point where it would burn your hair." He did love the diffuser on the Dyson.

Surprised you haven’t created your own hairdryer, since you have gone into other things like combs and brushes. "Well, that is one of the things I was talking about, needing someone to help me figure out how to do or get me to use the right 'vessel' to accomplish that."

Explain the paddle brush and when/why you would use it as opposed to your other brushes. "That is easy...you would use the paddle brush when you apply your oils and just like Marsha Brady said, do 100 strokes thru your hair. Even if you don’t use the oils, use the paddle brush to do the strokes thru your hair to increase the blood circulation. Or use it if you want your hair straight. The sculpting brush is for texturizing and body, and root lift; the paddle brush is great for smooth or straight hair, and stimulates the scalp with or without the oils."

“Honor your spirit” is on the back of the 613 products; I just noticed that the end of October. That has to do with the lady, Spirit, who lived on your property, right? "Yes, it is about Spirit, the message of a homeless person."

How many gallons of WEN does your salon go thru in a typical month? After a lot of thought and collaboration with workers in his salon, he said 200, which includes all buildings on his property.

At your home, do you only use the products for that season or do you, say, perhaps use a fall scent in the spring and a summer scent in the winter, just because you like that particular scent? "I try to stay in the season, and I give gifts in the season, but since I am always working on different seasons, I am testing different seasons at home."

Which product (CC, styling cream, scent, etc.) has taken the longest to come to fruition, to finish? And why? Why did it take so long to create? "The hairspray because I wanted it to be environmentally friendly. There were a lot of factors that went into making it. Same with the dry cleanser," which is taking him a long time now to get it to work as he wants it to, and how it will deliver for the customer.

I once told you that I wanted you to do a fragrance of one of my favorites, Vanilla Mint, and you said some CC scents do not translate well into a fragrance. What other CC scent do you feel you would never do as a fragrance because of not translating well into a fragrance? And WHY don’t they translate into a good fragrance? "Things can smell good, but do you really want it to be a fragrance? It can be a beautiful smell as a cleanser, but not necessarily a fragrance. Sometimes it is because of the ingredients that it can’t be a fragrance."

How is Hunter doing? "He is doing better."

Describe each Angel with one word. When he got the dogs, someone told him to name them after Hollywood stars, He wanted to call two of them Heaven and Earth. But he decided to name Hunter after Tab Hunter, Spencer was named after Spencer Tracy, and Ella was for Ella Fitzgerald. He did talk a little about the personalities, in that this dog, if they were a person, would be good at this or that. But it was general in nature.

Why are they called angels? "I feel they are my guardian angels, always have been. I also call them Ladybugs." 

What is the first thing you look for/at when a new client comes in? Split ends, fullness of hair at the base compared to the end? Scalp? What their routine is? "I look at everything, scan everything, and assess everything."

I see you come into the salon with a Lug puddle jumper. You talk about using a Clarisonic. What other things do you like to purchase from QVC? "Mrs. Prindables apples, crab cakes, Grandma’s coffee cake, etc. Right now there are nine boxes from QVC that were delivered." He doesn’t remember what he ordered, he just tells his assistant to order this, that, and whatever he sees he wants or needs.

List your products in the order that you created them, what their primary purpose was and some of the other things they are able to do. For instance, your first product was the CC, and it was created to cleanse and condition, but you can use it as a de-tangler, in the laundry, as a bath elixir, etc. What was the next product you created, what was its primary purpose, and what have you found other people use it for? We got sidetracked and never did go thru each product type. I may revisit this question at the next visit.

Have you thought of the body treatments in trial sizes, like the fragrances? This is something he would have to look into, since it is a short season to have those out there to purchase.

If someone wrote a book about you, what would you want the title to be? "Living His Dream."

What brings the biggest smile to your face? "My Angels."

What is your fondest memory of your mother? "Spending time with her, being together one-on-one. We got along so well." I asked about his father, and he said that they too get along but their interests are different. "I am emotional and he is not."

What are some unique uses for your products? Like using Lavender in the bath or washing sheets, etc. I use it for cleaning my makeup brushes; leaves them soft. "I use the Tea Tree for keeping the mosquitoes away when outside." He is finding it works well on bruises too. Other people have commented on getting a bruise somewhere on their body and using TT on it.

Is there a magic number that sells your product? Under $100, under $50, etc.? Have you at your salon, or online, or QVC, found that if a combination of things can be sold for X amount of money, it will sell no matter what? And if so, what is that number for your type of product? He has found that items under $60 are at a good price point, especially if there is no easy pay. Anything over that amount is easier to sell if there is easy pay at QVC.

This may be a little too personal as to your finances with the QVC sales. When they offer no shipping costs, does that come out of your profits or QVC’s, or do you split the cost with QVC?  "Free shipping comes out of my profits when it is on the day I am there. We recently had 140 different products that day when there was free shipping."

You handpick your models, who are on contract with QVC, right? Does your sister have to be contracted to be on air with you, or because she is your sister, she does not have to sign a modeling contract just to be on with you? "No, she is a guest. I have to pay for the others to be my models, not QVC. QVC may pay for one model in a one-hour show or pay for two in a two-hour show, but basically I pay for the models and for their prep time, time to get their hair ready. Sometimes that is five hours."

My June 2017 purchase of a gallon of Mango Coconut shows it was manufactured in April 2016. Even though it is good for two years before opening, I am already one year behind. Should I be concerned about the dates? He said it could be that the product didn’t all sell out at the time, or perhaps too much was ordered by QVC. "What throws them off is if someone wants to change the second shipment scent of an auto-delivery, because we had production based upon the original order." He said sometimes when hosts say you can change the second shipment to something else, he corrects them. "No, you can’t do that because it throws off the order number of how many they manufacture." QVC decides how much to order and they give him the order. The ordering is done thru him, not QVC going straight to the manufacturer.

          “It is not a black and white thing. Even food manufacturers have to put dates on food. It doesn’t mean the food is bad yet if the date has passed. They just need to put a date on it." He joked about how Marisol (his housekeeper) wants to throw food out of his house because it is beyond the expiration date. He tells her that doesn't mean it is bad yet. Evidently, one of the things she wanted to throw out was croutons and that was kind of funny, when you think about it.

          I asked how I would know if the product is not good, like perhaps change in the scent or the liquid separates in the bottle. He said: “Yes, you will know when it is not good.” He has the original Sweet Almond Mint from 17 years ago. “It’s in the vault.”  

          I mentioned that I knew of someone whose product was four years old, they just recently opened up the bottle, and that the scent and the performance was just as good as any of the current bottles she has. He said that the salon is in the same position as the rest of us, that they get their product from the same source, and they have never had any problem with items that they have used, and they would know, because they go thru so many gallons of it each month. 

          He talked about the lead time on manufacturing and that QVC is supposed to give him three months prior notice on orders, but it has gotten to be that right now he was only given one month notice. So sometimes items are sold out and you have to wait a while to get them back in.

          As for the dry oil, it was a new product and QVC didn’t really know how much to have manufactured, how well it would sell. More sold than they thought would. That is why there were backorders. They didn’t want to make too many if it didn’t sell well on its inaugural launch.

Texture balm, give some uses for it. I don't see you use it on presentations. What was the original use for it when you created it; and what other uses are there for it now? It can be used on your heels, feet, and also eyebrows to keep them in place. It has beeswax, so it is good for your whole body. He mentioned the Tancho stick, which was very popular sometime back; not sure if it still is. He said you couldn’t get the stuff out of your hair, so he was trying to create something that would replace what was already out on the market.

What has Marisol been up to lately? She flooded part of your house sometime back. Is she still taking care of you? "She has been up to too much! She is still crazy, but good. Yes, she is taking care of me."

How many products do you have, types of products: CC, styling cream, mousse, hairspray, volumizing treatment, treatment mist, etc. Probably 20+.

Have you thought about making travel packets of other CC’s besides 613, Mandarin Fig, Green Tea, Classics, for weekend or longer travel? You do not have the seasonals in packets.  He did not say no, but I got the impression that the seasonals would not be coming out in packets.

What is the last thing you try to think about before you go to bed? Is it business, the next scent, the next product, or the number of sales for the month or day; or do you turn that all off and just meditate on something totally different? I do meditation. I say “Let go, let God” 13 times. God is my light, my source, my love; sometimes I say the Lord’s Prayer. I am not in a yoga position when I do that, just when I am lying in bed and when I wake up.

Do you sleep well? No. My mind is always going.

Do you have any surprises for February 2018? He talked about the lip balm and showed it to me…the box and the actual product. He gave me some on a stick to try. It is a new line of products called Bella. He planned to have it on the website in about one week from 12/2/17. It has beeswax, shea butter, arnica, Vitamin K; it is creamy and buttery. I will certainly purchase it.

Since the line is called Bella, which is the name of one of the Angels, does that mean there will be other lines named for the rest of the dogs? No. Bella means Beautiful Spirit.

You have a new fall scent coming out. Last time I was here you indicated it would be apple, but lighter than Fall Apple Spice was. What can you tell me about it? He then had me smell the new Fall apple scent samples, five of them, from which he is deciding on the final one he will go with. I found all five to be quite light and crisp, quite a bit different from what I remember of the Fall Apple Spice. Two of the new scent samples seem to be more popular with the salon visitors.

What can you tell me about Christmas 2018? What will be the new scent? He said he is working on it, but he would not divulge anything to me about what it will be. 

Is there any chance you will have a body treatment for Mango Coconut, even though that cleanser is going away from QVC? "No."

After that, photos of my hair were taken again (was done prior to him cutting also).

I have already shown photos from my visits on prior posts, so I will just include a few this time, including the product wall for the winter items.

[SXMGirl]

@World Traveler, thank you for taking the time to post all of the q&a's.  So informative and I will be changing some of my routine starting today.  Pictures are beautiful.  Thanks again!

Could you let us know where his studio is (I think that I do know, but not sure), how long it takes to get an appointment, if he meets with every client or if you had to ask for him, and ultimately, how much should someone plan on spending, including tip.  Were you pleased with the outcome?  Thanks.

[World Traveler]

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@SXMGirl wrote:

@World Traveler, thank you for taking the time to post all of the q&a's.  So informative and I will be changing some of my routine starting today.  Pictures are beautiful.  Thanks again!

Could you let us know where his studio is (I think that I do know, but not sure), how long it takes to get an appointment, if he meets with every client or if you had to ask for him, and ultimately, how much should someone plan on spending, including tip.  Were you pleased with the outcome?  Thanks.

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@SXMGirl Well, you have quite a few questions of your own! LOL!!

His studio is in Hollywood.

As to how long to get an appointment, for me it takes quite a while. I work during the week, so Saturday is the only day I can travel to his salon. If you are willing to go other days, you can probably get in quicker than me. Saturdays are always a busy day. My hair grows very fast, so every six weeks it is time to get it cut, but it turns out that his and my schedule don't always coincide. I usually have to book three months in advance, unless there is a cancellation, and have someone else closer to my home cut it in between times with him.

As to him meeting each client, when I am there, I see that he is friendly to everyone, talking to them as he walks by. I have seen people having their hair done by one of his other stylist come up to him afterward and say how much they enjoy coming to his salon or how much they enjoy spending time with his dogs while they are there. So I feel others are not intimidated by him. He is very open to everyone and answers any questions they may have. Sometimes I see him go up and advise another stylist when they are doing hair color or glossing, but mostly people come up to him to chat on their way in or out. We were interrupted many times while I was sitting in his chair last weekend. Not a problem for me.

I ask for him each time I go. That is the only reason I go, to see him and have him assess my hair situation. If I am doing something wrong, then I want him to tell me as soon as possible. I see it as a visit to my doctor......my hair doctor. It takes me around four hours one way to get to Hollywood, going thru mountain passes, etc. So I am not going to go for anyone else but him, even though I am sure his other stylists are good.

My appointments are frequently changed due to his last-minute schedule for photo shoots, QVC appearance, etc. That is the only thing that I wish would not happen, but you are told that up front, the first time you have an appointment with him, that it is possible you will be rescheduled. I was rescheduled three times in a row from April 2017 thru August 2017. It happens.

His website gives the prices for him doing the work and also the prices for his stylist. My haircut has always been $300.

After you leave, you go to another bungalow (he has four) to pay. Since I pay by using a debit card, they have options on the screen where you can choose to tip if you want, and what percentage you may want, or none at all. They never make you feel like you should tip.The gals in the reception area never encourage you one way or another. The first time I went, I asked them about tipping, and they both said that some don't because he is the salon owner, and other do because they appreciate all he has done for them and their hair problems/situations. They said they never suggest what to do in the way of tipping; it is a personal thing, and whatever anyone decides to do is fine with them and Chaz.

I remember before they restructured the receptionist area, they had little envelopes for your use to put in your tip, if you wanted to. Maybe you want to tip Chaz, maybe not; maybe you want to tip the people who wash your hair, maybe not. I liked the envelopes because I could divvy up the money between the various people who had anything to do with me. 

And yes, I was pleased with the outcome. I have one side of my head where the hair grows the opposite of how I can style it easily. I was always fighting it. About three appointments ago, Chaz asked why I was fighting it, why I just didn't have it styled the way it grows? Well, duh, why didn't I? So, I told him to do what he wanted with it, and he calls it the Audrey Hepburn cut on me. It is very short and one side combs back and the other side combs forward. Looks like one big swirl. So much easier to keep up when you aren't fighting the way your hair naturally grows!

Hope I answered your questions!

[geezerette]

@World Traveler

Thank you for posting once again about your salon experience.  I always enjoy reading them.  You ask interesting questions, many of the same I have.  I’m glad he addressed the product manufacture date; his explanation was much the same as I had figured.  I also found the model on-air situation very interesting.  And the fact that when we get free shipping from him when he’s on, he’s the one that’s paying for it—thank you Chaz, I’m afraid I cost you quite a bit during your last visit!😄😉

Chaz seems to be very open and tolerant in “real” life, pretty much the same as he appears on QVC.  And willing to answer quite personal questions.  I had a sneaking suspicion that he doesn’t sleep much!

Thank you once again for taking the time to share with us.

[77yangya]

Hi World Traveler!!!!

Thank you so very much for posting all that!!!!!!!!!!  WOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

That was wonderful, reading that!!!!  I had a feeling Chaz was like that before I saw the answers on how he feels, e.g. his mind is always going.  It's a bit rough, I know, I'm like that too.  My husband, I feel, his mind is alot in neutral!   LOL!!!  Anyway, that was really great!  Chaz truly is a success story but he did it all himself, I mean no one handed it to him.  It was honest, hard work.  I remember him saying he was living in a place that was awful and that he had only 3,000.  Simply amazing.  I know he created products for other companies before he created Wen.  Oh, and like I posted, I had some old Tea Tree kicking around and I kept thinking, Chaz says problem/solution (my scalp is very oily) so I tried it.  I must have had it around seven or so years.  I opened it and it smelled fine and WOW what results!  Since QVC is running easy pay, I got another 32 oz.  I got one of the lip things from his site but won't get it until next week since I just ordered it.  I always wondered why my hair would just bounce right back in position!  I remembered he would say on the shows, like a slinky!!!  I will read your post more than a few times!  Wow, so nice of you to ask him all that and share it with us.  God bless, World Taveler!  Thank you! XXXOOO

[SXMGirl]

@World Traveler, thank you for your kindness is answering all of my questions so thoroughly.  I am on the east coast and not a fan of flying, but this is something that I would like to do.  After seeing what some NYC stylists charge, $300 for him is much less than I thought.  Thanks again for your response.

[World Traveler]

@geezerette You're welcome! And you are right, he is very open, and in my opinion he is exactly the same whether he is on QVC or talking with you one-on-one. I thought at the salon I would see another side of him, but he is the same, kind-hearted, gentle soul you see on TV.

And his staff is always very kind to me and everyone else who coms to the salon. Several of them will come up and offer me some of his special tea or other drinks they have available. They all want to ensure you are having a good time. They seem happy to be working there.

I always enjoy my time spent at his salon. 

BTW...they had not received their winter vanilla candle either. I talked with the gal who put up the winter product display and she said they were waiting for it too. I ordered it on waitlist.

[World Traveler]

@77yangya Hello, my friend; how are you? Long time, no talk.  Good to see your post.

A couple of visits ago, Chaz was talking to me about his men's product and I told him how a poster by the name of yangya is heads-over-heels in love with that line. He instantly recalled your name from one of his social media pages. You must post there frequently. He is very aware of your obsession with the men's line and smiled when we were talking about you.  

So glad you popped open that old Tea Tree you had stashed away. The stuff is crazy good. I always use it for the first cleanse and then for the second cleanse I use a different scent (mostly seasonal) each day. So I have seven in smaller containers in my shower (ginger pumpkin, vanilla mint, mango coconut, white citrus, Tuscan pear, 613, and strawberry/banana). Since the Spring Orange Blossom is part of the September TSV, I will have that one coming soon and it will replace the strawberry/banana. 

Be sure to notify me when you give a review of the lip product, as I don't normally come on this forum anymore. I want to read what you have to say about it. I definitely felt the effects of the lip balm for the rest of the day. Very nice!

[x Hedge]

@World Traveler, thank you so much for that wonderful, informative post. I always enjoy reading your contributions and seeing your pictures.

[geezerette]

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@World Traveler wrote:

@geezerette You're welcome! And you are right, he is very open, and in my opinion he is exactly the same whether he is on QVC or talking with you one-on-one. I thought at the salon I would see another side of him, but he is the same, kind-hearted, gentle soul you see on TV.

And his staff is always very kind to me and everyone else who coms to the salon. Several of them will come up and offer me some of his special tea or other drinks they have available. They all want to ensure you are having a good time. They seem happy to be working there.

I always enjoy my time spent at his salon. 

BTW...they had not received their winter vanilla candle either. I talked with the gal who put up the winter product display and she said they were waiting for it too. I ordered it on waitlist.

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@World Traveler

I did too!!