VIVE

#RaiseYourProfile with a Vive makeover and complimentary headshot

Join Vive Thursday evenings starting July 7th at some of our favorite partner salons for an amazing evening of blowouts, makeup, professional headshots. 

Dates and Information:

July 7th – Salon Ziba Downtown, 485 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

July 14th – Mark Garrison, 108 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Additional locations to be announced, stay tuned!

Ticket Pricing

Blowout, Makeup, & Headshot............. $100

 Blowout, Eye Makeup, & Headshot.......$80

Makeup & Headshot...............................$60

Blowout & Headshot...............................$45

Each package includes one professional headshot. 

#RaiseYourProfile with a Vive makeover and complimentary headshot

Join Vive Thursday evenings starting July 7th at some of our favorite partner salons for an amazing evening of blowouts, makeup, professional headshots. 

Dates and Information:

July 7th – Salon Ziba Downtown, 485 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

July 14th – Mark Garrison, 108 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Additional locations to be announced, stay tuned!

Ticket Pricing

Blowout, Makeup, & Headshot............. $100

 Blowout, Eye Makeup, & Headshot.......$80

Makeup & Headshot...............................$60

Blowout & Headshot...............................$45

Each package includes one professional headshot. 

#RaiseYourProfile with a Vive makeover and complimentary headshot

Join Vive Thursday evenings starting July 7th at some of our favorite partner salons for an amazing evening of blowouts, makeup, professional headshots. 

Dates and Information:

July 7th – Salon Ziba Downtown, 485 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

July 14th – Mark Garrison, 108 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Additional locations to be announced, stay tuned!

Ticket Pricing

Blowout, Makeup, & Headshot............. $100

 Blowout, Eye Makeup, & Headshot.......$80

Makeup & Headshot...............................$60

Blowout & Headshot...............................$45

Each package includes one professional headshot. 

#RaiseYourProfile with a Vive makeover and complimentary headshot

Join Vive Thursday evenings starting July 7th at some of our favorite partner salons for an amazing evening of blowouts, makeup, professional headshots. 

Dates and Information:

July 7th – Salon Ziba Downtown, 485 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

July 14th – Mark Garrison, 108 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

 Ticket Pricing

Blowout, Makeup, & Headshot............. $100

 Blowout, Eye Makeup, & Headshot.......$80

Makeup & Headshot...............................$60

Blowout & Headshot...............................$45

Each package includes one professional headshot. 

#RaiseYourProfile with a Vive makeover and complimentary headshot

Join Vive Thursday evenings starting July 7th at some of our favorite partner salons for an amazing evening of blowouts, makeup, professional headshots. 

Dates and Information:

July 7th – Salon Ziba Downtown, 485 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

July 14th – Mark Garrison, 108 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

 Ticket Pricing

Blowout, Makeup, & Headshot............. $100

 Blowout, Eye Makeup, & Headshot.......$80

Makeup & Headshot...............................$60

Blowout & Headshot...............................$45

Each package includes one professional headshot. 

#RaiseYourProfile with a Vive makeover and complimentary headshot

Join Vive Thursday evenings starting July 7th at some of our favorite partner salons for an amazing evening of blowouts, makeup, professional headshots. 

Dates and Information:

July 7th – Salon Ziba Downtown, 485 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10011

July 14th – Mark Garrison, 108 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Ticket Pricing

Blowout, Makeup, & Headshot............. $100

 Blowout, Eye Makeup, & Headshot.......$80

Makeup & Headshot...............................$60

Blowout & Headshot...............................$45

Each package includes one professional headshot. 

A little over a year ago, I sent an email out to a handful of friends and family about unlimited blowouts for a flat monthly fee. It was designed as a test; I’d been experimenting with a number of models for about a year at that point. Within 24 hours, we had 30 paying subscribers. Fast forward six months, and Vive grew to a waitlist of over 6,000 women; we’d become a Y Combinator company; and all that has happened since has surpassed my wildest expectations.

I launched Vive because I believe that women can do amazing things when the right conditions are created. One of these conditions is confidence, yet it is the ingredient that so many women often lack. As a research analyst on Wall Street, I became acutely aware of my own confidence and its effect on my level of success. I also realized that looking good and feeling good are one in the same.

Throughout the experiments at Vive, the mission has remained the same: to empower women to look and feel their best each and every day, on their own terms. Through increased access, reliability and convenience, Vive is now integrated into the modern woman’s beauty routine. You – our dear Vivers – have shown us that a Vive package is an investment in yourself.  Booking a blowout is commonplace after your daily workout, before work, before a hot date, or before a girl’s night out. We want to build upon that, and take things to the next level.

We have raised a round of funding.

To date, we’ve processed over 34,000 bookings. Now, we’re focused on growth.  Growing our user base and our core product offering. We will be focusing on improving the Vive user experience. We’re doing this with the help of a $2.3 million Seed financing led by Deep Fork Capital and supported by Y Combinator, Crunchfund, Ludlow Ventures, Vayner RSE, Maveron, Expansion Venture Capital, T5 Capital, Kosinski Ventures, Haystack Fund, and angel investors Pascal Levy-Garboua, Paul Buchheit and Scooter Braun’s SB Projects. We could not be more excited.

We’ve released a killer app

Vive was built for the on-the-go woman. You barely have enough time to book a blowout let alone open your desktop computer. Vive started out as a mobile web app and now, we’re finally available on your homescreen: the Vive iPhone app has arrived. With new features such as in-app tipping through Apple Pay (available at participating salons), your booking experience is more seamless than ever.

More big news

We’re also thrilled to announced that David Babaii, one of the world’s top hairstylists has joined Vive as Global Brand Ambassador. Previously, David served as the Creative Director for Blo Blow Dry Bar. For more info on how it all went down, click here (link).

What’s next?

Vive isn’t just about booking a blowout, it’s about living a confident life. To do this, Vive will become the beauty button on every woman’s homescreen. Blowouts are just the start, and the gateway. But first, we’re making it easier than ever to book a last-minute blowout appointment. We’re introducing single blowouts and packages of up to five blowouts at a time. No subscription needed.

We want to say thanks.

I am beyond thrilled to announce that David Babaii, one of the world’s most celebrated stylists and my dear friend, has joined Vive as Global Brand Ambassador.  David has served as the Creative Director for Blo Blow Dry Bar, and is also a Global Brand Ambassador for the premier hair tool company, GHD.

David is the magical hairstylist behind Kate Hudson’s beach waves; Jennifer Lawrence’s hair versatility and Gwyneth Paltrow’s sleek and shiny locks to name a few. David is quite simply, a hair legend. While David’s talent is unparalleled, he’s also a phenomenal human being. Over the course of the past few months, it became clear that we had to work together.

As Vive’s Brand Ambassador, David will be creating signature blowout styles, bookable on the Vive app exclusively at Vive salons. Vive salons and stylists in turn will receive training and insights on the latest trends from David.

David shares that he is most excited “to bring the art and beauty of hairstyling back into the salon, by professional stylists”. He sees Vive as “the next evolution in beauty and hairstyling”. He also confessed to me that he was “drawn to the Vive brand”, and “to the idea of working together to build something amazing.” (well gee, we’re blushing, thanks David!”)

At Vive we’re creating a network of vetted, trusted salons, a network that any salon is proud to be a part of. Vive salons display their Vive membership with pride, as a badge of honor. In creating this network, we are also setting a new standard of service. Our members are already familiar with this level of professional, salon-quality service and David’s participation will allow us build upon the momentum we’ve already created and take things to the next level.

What does this mean for Vive members?

I think we can all agree that the beach has insanely magical beauty benefits. All of its elements so effortlessly sooth our skin and our spirits, making the seaside experience like a trip to a heavenly spa. Perhaps the most obvious way the ocean gives us a beauty boost is through its impact on our hair—how just one dip in the salty water makes our tresses fresh, textured, and voluminous.

But of course, like any luxurious spa, hanging seaside comes with a high price. Unless you were born lucky and are a full-time coastal dweller, beach getaways are something most have to use precious vacation time for (or sick days if you’re really rebellious).  Plus, there's the whole coughing up cash for a plane ticket thing. 

Fortunately for those stuck in the rut of a landlocked lifestyle where work trumps great hair, there are a few beauty tricks at your disposal to help you fake a weekend at the beach. This set of miracle-working, sea-inspired products is sure to give your hair a total vacation, adding moisture and that effortless by-the-beach summer coolness.

John Masters Organics Sea Mist Sea Salt Spray with Lavender – If you’ve got naturally wavy locks and are in need of something quick, easy, and effective, look no further than this sea salt spray. Formulated with sea salt for texture and lavender for moisture, this leave-in spray is the secret to air-dried beach waves. Apply after shampoo and conditioner, skip the blow dryer, and let your hair soak in this simple summery concoction. 

Original & Mineral Rootalicious Root Lift Spray – If body is something that doesn’t come naturally, try giving your hair a boost with O&M’s Root Lift Spray packed with hardworking natural ingredients like Lilly Pilly and Quandong. This Australia-based line knows it all when it comes to beachy hair. After styling, spray this baby straight onto your roots for some good ol’ Aussie oomph.   

ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand – Praised for its versatility and long-lasting hold, this curling wand should be your go-to for creating sea salty beach waves. Divide your hair into small sections, coil each around the wand, hold for 10 seconds, and brush through for that lived-in look and voila! Sometimes a spray is not enough to create waves for those with thicker hair.  

Bumble and bumble Prêt-à-Powder – The best part about the beachy hair trend is its glorification of second day hair. Hair that’s been slept on can be easily masked as sea salt touched locks with the use of Bumble and bumble’s ultra popular Prêt-à-Powder. Apple a touch of powder to your roots and you’ll notice instant volume and texture. The powder is also great for all day hold. 

There’s no better feeling than jumping into bed after a long day. It’s quiet and still, and you can finally catch your breath after completing that long to-do list. This is the best time to relax, to prepare your body for a good night’s sleep. But, as we all know, relaxing isn’t always that easy. After a long day, your mind is most likely racing, going over everything that happened during the day or even worrying about all the work the next day brings. Let’s face it - sometimes the act of sleeping is quite stressful.

Luckily, you can change this through the development of a nighttime beauty routine that includes calming and soothing products that prepare your body for restful sleep. Focusing on the pulse points, hands, neck, face, and even your pillow, sleepy time beauty products help create a serene atmosphere. Keep these products on your bedside table for before bed application to de-stress and feel glamorous before you fall into a perfectly induced beauty sleep. 

Tata Harper Aromatic Bedtime Therapy – Packed with 10 all-natural active ingredients, this aromatherapy treatment is perfect for mental and spiritual cleansing. It comes in an easy to use rollerball form, so you can apply it to your pulse points and on the sides of your neck like you would roll-on perfume. Tata also recommends that you roll a liberal amount onto the palms of your hands, cup your nose, and take 7-8 deep breaths, inhaling all of the calming properties like clary sage and lavender. It’s also all-natural and non-toxic, so you can feel good about using it every night. 

Butter London Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil – This oil is good for even the driest of hands, cuticles, and nail beds. Swipe a little oil over your cuticles, letting it slightly bleed onto your nail beds as it soaks in. The product is also great for post-manicure drying. In this case, apply the oil over your nail polish and it will be dry once it has absorbed. 

Aveda Hand Relief Night Renewal Serum – Just like the serums for your face, this hand serum tightens, moisturizes, and rehabilitates the skin, leaving it smooth and supple. After just one night you’ll notice a difference in the texture of your skin. The orange and lavender scent will also get you in the mood for sleepy time. 

Grown Alchemist Watermelon & Vanilla Lip Balm – This organic lip balm is luxurious and effective. It is so good it has gained somewhat of a cult following within the beauty world. Blended with sweet almond, rose hip oils, shea butter, and jojoba, this balm is sure to healthily moisturize lips as you sleep. You simply must try.

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask - Sometimes all you need to relax is a mask that gives you the feeling of being at the spa. Made from Amazonian white clay, this mask cleans and brightens your kin in just 10 minutes. It's always good to deeply and thoroughly cleanse before bed, getting rid of makeup and other impurities, so your skin can properly rehabilitate overnight. 

This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray – If you can believe it, laying your head on the pillow for the night just got better. This pillow spray was designed to give you a good night’s sleep, formulated with lavender and wild chamomile essential oils meant to facilitate a relaxed state. Spray a few spritzes on your pillow and inhale to quiet your mind after a busy day. Try alternating this every other day with the Tata Harper aromatherapy treatment. 

 Iluminage Skin Rejuvenating Pillowcase - On the subject of pillows, you must get your hands on this copper-infused pillowcase. Copper is a mineral that helps with skin rehabilitation, so as you sleep, the pillowcase works to undo the damage of your stressful day on your skin.

What VIVE loves most is that the smooth pillow will also protect your hair from breakage!  

Eric Villency is the CEO of Villency Design Group, a company founded by his grandfather. Villency however is not one to coast on his family’s laurels; in fact he has successfully turned a family-run furniture business into one of the most internationally influential product design and interior firms. Not only has he overseen the transformation of lounges for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and Citi Field, but he has worked with brands like Peloton, Organic Avenue, Equinox, and SoulCycle, helping them develop some of their signature products and apparel. Now, despite having countless projects in the works, Villency has launched his own line of fitness apparel, which has already been picked up by Bloomingdale’s. We chatted with the design maven to find out more about his impressive career.

Did you always have an interest in design and think you would follow in your grandfather's footsteps?

I grew up in a very creative family with painters, sculptors, and craftsman.   I was exposed to artistic expression from an early age and my parents always encouraged me to follow my passions.  While I wasn't always sure what path I would take, being involved in design was something that was inevitable. 

What's the first thing you notice when you walk into a new space?

It depends on the space.  Some have dramatic features that are impossible not to notice.  In general, people interact with a room without even thinking about it.  Temperature, lighting, and comfortable seating elements come together and create a sensory impression in us all, and if it is done well, that experience will be positive.

How would you describe your aesthetic?

I would say that I am a constructionist in that I really care about how things are fabricated.  Materials and details are extremely important to me and even the most simplistic designs can be beautiful if they are expertly executed.  Despite the diversity of projects I work on I think a common thread runs through every project, and for me, it is an uncluttered sensibility realized with great attention to detail.   

Can you highlight some of your most memorable design projects?

Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, because sports stadiums are built so infrequently, The Delta Crown lounge in Miami involved working on the construction of a brand new terminal, and the post 9-11 St. Vincent's urgent care unit dedicated to Rudy Giuliani had great meaning for me as native New Yorker along with the innovative sustainability and wellness concepts we introduced into an emergency room environment; sadly the hospital closed and was demolished last year.

How did you get into product design and can you tell us about some of your most memorable projects?

Traditionally we were a furniture and design company, but as our company evolved and we became involved with large-scale commercial projects our scope of work expanding to product design and it's an area that has exploded for us in the last five years.  Every project is unique and special in it's own way.  For a diverse sampling I would say the Peloton interactive streaming bike because it involved creating a bike platform for groundbreaking technology and video streaming.  Our performance apparel brand Feats of Strength was one of our first internally created brands and recently debuted in Bloomingdales, and on a more fundamental level the Rockstar LED signs had many technical and budgetary parameters that had to be met while producing huge quantities in large-scale mass production. 

What are some of the most challenging parts about your job?

Designing and producing things is difficult and each part of the process has it's own challenges.  Creating appealing products while meeting budgetary and timeline constraints is a constant balancing act.  After all... A "good" design that is beautiful but isn't durable or is prohibitively expensive to produce is not a "good" design at all.  We never know what we will work on in a given week.  However, it is the challenges and the process of overcoming them that are the most fun and rewarding part of what I do.  I'm fortunate to work with an incredible team of talented and dedicated people that make me feel like we can collectively accomplish almost anything.  

How do you handle stress? 

I do my best to maintain perspective while staying calm and weathering the storm.  For me exercise and being active, especially being outside and around nature, is something that is incredibly soothing for me and appreciative of life's gifts.  

Have you always been into wellness? Fashion?  

Wellness is a term that really popped up in in the last 10 years and over time it has had different incarnations as far as exercise, nutrition, and finally, mental wellbeing is concerned- in the 80s eating non-fat frozen yogurt was probably the tip of the spear of healthy living trends.  I've always loved sports and the outdoors and been interested in the various aspects that make up wellness.  As for fashion, my grandfather was a huge design influence for me and he had an amazing personal style that was effortless and made a big impression on me.  Fashion is a very personal form of self-expression and something we all do everyday.    

With so many performance apparel brands already out there what made you decide to start your own and how are working to set it apart?

Making private label performance apparel for so many of today's most influential fitness brands gave us a lot of insight into the category and we saw an opportunity to create our own brand.  Quality, utility, and versatility along with great fit are characteristics we've worked hard on refining.  We've developed our own unique technical fabrics and styles and that has helped us create our own identity.   

You've worked with a ton of fitness studios and wellness brands - any brands you'd love to work with that you haven't yet?

Perfume is now a $28 billion dollar global industry, dominated by the mass-produced and mass-marketed designer and celebrity scents. Recently however, a movement championing the usage of unique and bespoke perfumes, tailored to individual personalities and body scents is rapidly gaining momentum. After all, as Christian Dior once said, “A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.” Inspired by these wise words of Dior, we decided to dig deeper into one of New York’s best-kept secrets: its boutique perfumeries. Here are some of our favorites:

For the chemistry buff: Le Labo, 233 Elizabeth St

Le Labo literally means “the lab” in French and indeed, the science behind perfume creation is stripped down to its most elemental form at this charming French lab in the heart of SoHo. Unlike the blends of synthetic chemicals found in most commercial perfumes, all of Le Labo’s products are based around a single natural ingredient sourced from Grasse, the “perfume capital” of France. When you purchase a bottle of Le Labo perfume, their experts will mix the ingredients of your perfume right there on the spot and design a custom label just for you. 

For the alternative hipster: CB I Hate Perfume, 318 Maujer St. (3rd Floor), Brooklyn, NY

The name of this perfumery screams “alternative,” and their manifesto is certainly that, describing conventional perfume as an “ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape.” Founder Christopher Brosius found fame in the early 2000s for his uncanny ability to capture the scent of commonly overlooked olfactory experiences in perfumes such as Snow, Dirt and Crust of Bread. A great scent for summer, and one of his most famous creations, is “At the Beach 1966,” which evokes the smell of wet sand, seashell, driftwood and a hint of boardwalk. Visit his Brooklyn-based headquarters to see Christopher and his team in action, meticulously crafting each perfume. 

For the storied historian: Santa Maria Novella inside LAFCO, 285 Lafayette St

To our surprise, one of the most enchanting stores in Florence, Italy, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, can also be found in New York City. Since 1221, Dominican Friars have carefully passed down their ancient herbal remedies to create the all-natural products found on the shelves of Santa Maria Novella today. The herbs and flowers used in their perfumes and aromatic oils are grown locally in the hills of Florence, and each perfume is carefully created according to traditional expertise. One thing you must try when you visit is their signature fragrance – the Aqua di Colonia – created especially for Catherine De Medici, the 16th century Queen of France.

For the olfactory adventurer: MiN New York, 117 Crosby St.

A majestic palace; botanical garden; art museum, and high-end jewelry store all at once is the only way one could possibly describe La Biennale des Antiquaries in Paris. Arguably one of the most important jewelry shows in the world, La Biennale is a jewelry exhibition of both antique and haute pieces that occurs once every two years. If you know what Art Basel is, think of La Biennale as its swanky, sophisticated, French cousin.

Held in Paris’s Grand Palais - itself a work of art - La Biennale consists of a series of easily navigable exhibition rooms, each inspiring and awe-worthy.  The show featured pieces from notable jewelers such as Cartier, Chanel, Dior, and Piaget; modern art from the Jacques de la Béraudaire Gallery, and classic and impressionist paintings from the Stoppenbach and Delestre Gallery, amongst others.

Perhaps most exciting about La Biennale is the show’s marriage of jewelry and art, even within the small exhibition rooms. This marriage is long-standing, and one that has been recently celebrated in the media by personalities such as Pari Ehsan. The union was clear in the Chaumet Paris showroom, where a blue and white Chihuly chandelier elevated the room’s beauty, and accentuated the blue-lit velvet mannequin jewelry busts.  

Outside the rooms, too, the architecture and design reminds us that this exhibition is a complete sensory experience. Upon entrance, you are greeted by a lively fountain in a giant hall, lit by natural sunlight through the domed glass ceiling. Meticulously shaped shrubs line the corridors between the rooms and the leaf-designed wallpaper evokes the feeling of being outdoors, perhaps in the gardens of Versailles.

The centerpiece of the show is the Cartier exhibit, and all paths seem to lead here. Set apart by a luxurious light grey carpet with gold trimmings, and wide white columns, it is the only exhibition not separated in an enclosed room. Yet, its surroundings instill the sense of being in a grand palais, made of marble, and proved the perfect setting for its centerpiece, a tiara with a “royale perle.”

Should you find yourself in Paris, La Biennale is a unique oasis of culture that is definitely worth a visit. There’s something for everyone to appreciate, even the kid in you who just wants to run around the gardens. Its combination of art, jewelry, and antiques is awe inspiring and shows how the highest forms of beauty can be found in diverse places.

As the weather starts to get drier and more static clings to your hair- we here at Joie de VIVE want to keep you up to date on some new soft electronic songs: light beats mixed with lyric vocals for catchy tunes that will help define your fall.

This hour-long playlist features a diverse range of artists like Lemaitre, with their funky "High Tide." Lemaitre is a Norwegian indie electronic band in the vein of Foster the People, Daft Punk and Mayer Hawthorne. Named after a priest who proposed the Big Bang Theory, their music is pretty spacey, too. Also on thisplaylist is FKJ's new song "Open the Door", off their newly-released EP titled, "Take Off." Think Kaytranada beats and distorted sound bites for French DJ self-titled "French Kiwi Juice."

Rock the 15-song playlist when you're getting ready in the morning to kick start your day, or when you're out and about looking for your next fall fashion staple.