Mariam

First let talk about Mariam's hair, which can be credited to Tony Pham, Styling in the photo where my face is not shown to Ramzi Mahmoud at Lac + Co. in Toronto.

Hi Mariam, who are you ?

I’m the founder of a Canadian niche beauty distributor, wife and mother to two children.

My career began as a makeup artist over 20 years ago, but I discovered the power of great skin care and introduced brands like Biologique Recherche, James Read Tan, Magicstripes and of course Shaeri to Canada.

Why and How did you create Living Beauty Inc. ?

After working in the medical skin care industry for over 10 years, I found brands that challenged the status quo and knew that Canadian consumers would respond well to their message. Too many distributors focused solely on logistics and existing retail channels, but we knew that professional beauty and lifestyle concepts were an untapped opportunity.

What do you think is the future of Beauty?

A lot of brands speak about self care, but we believe that the future of beauty is about human connection, truly personalized treatment plans and sustainable ingredients that deliver results. Nothing can replace the expertise of a beauty professional so their role will become more prominent as consumers seek out diagnosis and advice. Brands must answer the “why” and “how” for their brands.

In this magazine, we talk about hair, how would you describe your hair?

My hair is healthy and probably my best feature. :)

It is neither too dry or too oily, so I can wash it once a week, which I think has kept it even healthier over time.

What is your relationship with it?

My hair has supernatural powers over me! It makes me feel beautiful and I will do anything for it, so it’s become this spoiled monster that controls my life. The pandemic relieved me of a lot of this stress because I was forced to do my own hair and deal with rain and humidity. It’s a funny love/hate relationship, but I feel my best when my hair looks amazing.

Tell us about your worst Hair experience ? And Your best one?

My parents used to live in New Hampshire and I made an appointment to get a blow dry at a local salon. The stylist was lovely but when she blew out my hair, her round brush kept bonking me on the head like a “whack a mole” carnival game. She didn’t stop no matter what I said, and the Canadian in me kept me quiet and too polite. It was so painful.

Toronto has some of the best hair talent in the world, so I have incredible experiences every time I go to the salon. My colourist, Tony Pham, is a genius at creating dimension with highlights and maintenance is so easy. If you are in our city, treat yourself to a blow dry with Ramzi or Thuy from Tony’s team at Lac + Co.