Cuban born Peter Lamas immigrated to New York City in 1961 at the age of 17. His parents had arrived in the Big Apple only a few months earlier, having fled Fidel Castro's repressive regime.

Peter, making the best of his situation, decided to continue his studies of commercial art, photography and art in the United States. At the suggestion of a friend who was a hair stylist, he decided to finance his education by doing hair and makeup part-time. As a result, he discovered he not only had a flair for doing hair and makeup, but truly enjoyed helping each client look her/his best.

After he earned his license in cosmetology, Peter interviewed with the two most important and influential names in the beauty industry: Vidal Sassoon, who revolutionized the way women's hair was cut and styled at that time; and Kenneth (one of the first "single name" celebrities), whose renowned talents attracted the celebrities of the day to his extremely elegant townhouse salon.

Although both houses offered him a position, he chose Vidal Sassoon for its reputation for intensive, hands-on training. And, this training was under the direction of Paul Mitchell - a name now behind its own collection of hair care products.

Peter worked for three years at Sassoon and when Kenneth made him an offer, he accepted. This was his chance to broaden his horizons, building on the training he already had.

The legendary Kenneth Salon Townhouse in mid-Manhattan drew not only Hollywood celebrities, but many of the leading figures in the recording industry, society and the arts. During these very happy years with Kenneth, Peter's clients included Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross, Jacqueline Kennedy, Gloria Vanderbilt and Faye Dunaway…to name just a few.

While Kenneth Salon also sold a makeup collection under its own name, Peter soon gained a reputation for makeup wizardry by combining his talents for art and color to create perfect beauty images for his clients. He would design make-overs for celebrities, or completely "re-do" a woman with a new hairstyle and make-up that made the most of her natural beauty assets, for everyday life

Paul Mitchell eventually re-entered Peter's life, when he asked him to become his right hand man at the Henri Bendel Salon on 57th Street in Manhattan. Bendel's was the most exciting and innovative of the fashion specialty stores in New York and had pioneered many new retail concepts, such as small boutiques, an Avenue of Shops, and an extrememly fashionable Beauty Salon…all under one, very chic roof. The association with Paul Mitchell brought Peter invaluable experience in supervising, promoting, and managing a beauty business.

The alliance also gave him the opportunity to work with great names in the fashion/beauty photography: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Francesco Scavullo (best known for his Cosmopolitan magazine covers and celebrity portraits). Peter was in demand to do hair/makeup for editorial photo shoots at Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour and Mademoiselle, as well as magazine cover work and national print advertising.

As his experience working with supermodels grew, Peter began doing runway work for well known fashion houses both in the United States and Europe. The hair and makeup he created for the models became the finishing touches to their spring and fall collections, and it wasn't long before "Peter Lamas" became a recognized name in the industry.

In the mid 70's, with several years of experience under his belt, Peter decided it was time to branch out on his own. He put all of his beauty and business expertise to good use in the launching of his own salon: "The Reapers." This shop was truly a unique creation, and attracted a very young, upscale clientele of fashion conscious women and men.

"The Reapers" was on the cutting edge of fashion and beauty…and was known for stylish cuts that were not only flattering for each individual client, but easy to maintain. "The Reapers" became so popular, it was extended to three locations in Manhattan: the Upper East Side, the West Side, and the Wall Street area.

With a strong commitment to his clients' complete beauty needs, Peter embarked on the launch of cosmetics, skin and hair care products that would be sold exclusively in his salons under "The Reapers" name. Creating this collection gave him the experience he needed to develop formulations, colors and application techniques in beauty and skin care. It also gave him the opportunity to work closely with his laboratories and chemists to create formulas for beauty products that perform as promised.

As a result of personal experiences relating to family, close friends and clients, Peter became acutely aware of the scary reality that many common beauty products - including and especially health and beauty products which we apply to our hair, skin, teeth and bodies - contain known carcinogens or potential carcinogens, and can have devastating consequences for our long-term health.

With a drive to research all he could about health, beauty and ingredients, Peter founded Peter Lamas Products, with the overriding mission to deliver high-performance beauty products that contain healthy, natural ingredients, free of harmful chemicals. Peter is very passionate about education consumers regarding the myths and facts of the beauty industry, having written books on the subject and often a featured guest speaker.

Peter is proud of his growing company, which is recognized as an innovative leader within the beauty industry. Peter Lamas Products are available at specialty beauty boutiques and natural health stores throughout the United States. For more information visit www.peterlamas.com.