Gerald Wells, local professional hairstylist and businessman, has recently launched his own brand of Eau de Parfum.
“It took three years and many long nights of sniffing coffee beans (to prevent olfactory fatigue) in between scent testing to perfect it,” said Wells.
With his name printed elegantly onto the product, Wells said he had the final say. “It came down to myself. What you see in stores was my final say. It has my name on it so ultimately I chose what I liked.”
Unable to put his new scents into words, Wells said, “It’s indescribable – how do you describe a sunset?”
April 6 marks the launch event of the Gerald Wells Eau de Parfum, however the scents are already available in Wells’ stores nationwide. “The People who’ve bought it have absolutely loved it. It’s certainly building momentum on the market. ”
Presently, Wells said the manufacturing process for his products take place overseas. “We haven’t yet found the quality we are looking for in SA. However, it is not out of the question for the future.”
The father of three, surfer and beach bum, said, “I’m your regular bloke, running a multi million rand company, but I will never forget where I started as an apprentice, sweeping floors and serving tea.”
Today, Wells’ 40 year long career has resulted in the opening of 26 stores (as of July 1, 2017) and his brand becoming the largest hair group in South Africa. “It’s been a long road. I started in this business when I was 17 and built my company off my own bat. There’s been a lot of heartache and hard work, but it has all been worth it,” he said.
Plans for two new brands of hair care products are in the works. “One of the products will be under Splush and the other, Gerald Wells.”
“A Hair Raising Experience” or “Blood, Sweat and Shears” make for pretty evocative book titles – but they’re not out of the question. “A book is on the horizon, it’ll be about my journey in hair and hair care and what it’s done for me,” said Wells.