bhave™ was established in 2011, an Australian-owned family business with a brand that smells divine, delivers on promise and won’t cost the earth. Initially developed by hairdresser Neil Cleminson and tested on the two frizzy-haired mops of co-owners Sheryl & Michelle, the ethos of the brand is that when your hair is healthy, styling is easy, your colour lasts longer, it feels better, it grows faster, is more manageable, stronger and more resistant to damage, frizz and flyaways. “First and foremost we are hairdressers, formulators, designers, artists, parents and above all, a family,” says Neil. “Our entire company is family oriented and many of our staff have been with us since the inception of the brand.” bhave™ started with Neil, Michelle and Sheryl working from Michelle’s house, slowly moving stock from a bedroom to the garage, and then to their own office/warehouse within 2 years. Neil educated salons and worked with formulators and the team started with a keratin smoothing treatment, two shampoos/conditioners and an argan oil.
THE TEAM
Having worked in the hairdressing industry for 31 years in 3 different continents, Neil Cleminson, the hairdresser/formulator, worked, trained and mentored under Akin Konizi, four-time winner of British Hairdresser of the Year, in the UK for 9 years. His strengths are in precision cutting and an in-depth ability and understanding of ingredients and actives to help him work together with formulators to bring these award-winning products to market. Michelle Noriskin, one of Neil’s best friends and guinea pigs, met Neil when he arrived in Australia in 2006. Michelle realised that she was on to a winning streak when she had her first blow-dry with Neil. “If anyone can handle my hair, they’re a magician!,” she says. Michelle is the numbers lady and book keeper in the business, also looking after international distributors. Sheryl Cleminson, Neil’s wife, another guinea pig and BFF of Michelle, works together with the companies designer, social media and marketing. Sheryl and Michelle also work together to source packaging etc. “We know what frizzy feels like.” says Sheryl about herself and Michelle. “We are intimate with that frizzy feeling from the tips of our follicles to the hollows of our ventricles. So, it’s only natural that we would double as Neil’s guinea pigs.
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Hair Biz Year 15 Issue 6
Neil Cleminson
Sheryl Cleminson & Michelle Noriskin
We test all our own products to give us insights from the perspectives of both hairstylist and consumer. It gives us complete control over what goes into our products. Because we’d never put anything in your hair that we wouldn’t happily put in ours.” And then there is Chad Noriskin, Michelle’s son, who looks after logistics in Australia and internationally and thankfully someone with a calm demeanour which has certianly helped in dealing with the COVID challenges! “We are all on the same page in terms of our vision for the brand,” says Michelle. “We all carry our own strengths that don’t cross over. We have a mutual respect for one another and our abilities and are also human and have our differences, but we love and care for each other and move on very quickly. We’ve faced many challenges over the time we’ve worked together, and we can honestly say our relationship is stronger for it.”
