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point of view Marleen Wens what's in a name? OYA is an acronym for Own Your Art, but it's also a superior new color line. We asked Marleen Wens to tell us what makes OYA so different from anything else on the market. Marleen Wens welcomes ➺at mwens@helias.com. your feedback, questions or concerns. You can contact her 46 The Colorist | JULY/AUGUST 2013 | thecoloristmag.com PHOTOGRAPHY: JEFF WOJTOWICZ Marleen Wens is a beauty industry veteran who brings her years of experience with Schwarzkopf Worldwide to her new role as VP at Helias, parent company of a brand-new line of superior color called OYA. "Unlike publicly traded companies, at OYA we are not focused on quarterly results that have nothing to do with supporting the craftsmanship that comes with hairdressing," Wens says. In fact, part of OYA's agreement with its boutique distributors is that the company will never go retail and that diversion is out of the question. What's more, by offering each distributor a 10-year contract, OYA is giving back to a system that supports small entrepreneurs. OYA's promise: consistency in product availability, product quality and education. "Being a small company that has no desire to be bought by a larger company makes us the ideal partner for both the distributor and the hairdresser," Wens says. "In fact, I invite colorists to call me personally with their feedback because we want to keep our fingers on the pulse of what's happening in our industry." A little backstory might be helpful here. Wens came to the United States in 1995 to work for Schwarzkopf USA and was with the company until December 2010, when the licensing agreement with Schwarzkopf Professional came to an end and parent company Henkel took over. Both Wens and Heinz Bieler, who had been the general manager of Schwarzkopf USA, were asked to stay on for six months, which they did. Ten in January 2012, Wens and Bieler became partner-managers of OYA, a private and independent new venture funded and supported by the Schwarzkopf family, whose dedication to the professional beauty industry has been consistent for four generations. Apart from the pigment, OYA contains two important ingredients: green tea leaf extract and sea kelp. According to Wens, green tea leaf extract, which has been demonstrated to be a more powerful antioxidant than vitamin E, prevents color fading, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideal for anyone with a sensitive scalp. Sea kelp, on the other hand, contains 15 amino acids and minerals, which revitalize and restore hair plus fatty acids, which increase or maintain elasticity. Another plus: vitamins A, C, E, D and K, which provide superior internal nourishment. "We source our pigments in Europe, and they are of the highest quality," Wens says, "but OYA is manufactured in the United States so we can guarantee the quality and consistency of our product, which performs simply and beautifully." And because each tube of color is 90 ml, not the traditional 60 ml, you can do three applications with one tube. So go ahead, own your art. It's about time, isn't it?