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Kimberly McGrath Robert LaRiviere

Robert Donald LaRiviere born December 15, 1989 is an international beauty expert, television personality, and brand ambassador. He grew up in Massachusetts and caught the eye of the public in 2010 when he starred on Tabatha’s Salon Take Over. This debut allowed for many other opportunities. He starred in the 2013 reality show Panic Button, and the teen makeover show Make Me Over. Most recently, LaRiviere was a suitor on Logo TV’s Finding Prince Charming.  Early Life and Education Robert Donald LaRiviere was born in Haverhil, Massachusetts, to Donald Paul LaRiviere and Nancy Patricia Rogers. His father owned a company called Bradford Movers. His mother was a speech pathologist working in an elementary education. He grew up with his younger sister Holly Jane LaRiviere who he has described as his “childhood best friend”. The siblings are only fourteen months apart and shared many commonalities. Robert was raised in a Roman Catholic family, but at the age of eighteen began practicing to Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism. LaRiviere has described his childhood as “loving and supportive”. He has shared that his parents always filled his childhood with beautiful memories, which he holds close to his heart. As a young boy, his parents always made sure he and his sister were creating memories. Winter weekends were spent skiing at the family home in North Conway, New Hampshire, and summer weekends were spent on the beach in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts. This time was time spent with family creating traditions his parents grew up doing and passed on to him as well as his sister Holly. By the time Robby was five years old, he perfected both skiing and sailing. Throughout LaRiviere’s education he attended Catholic schools. He began school at Sacred Heart Elementary in Bradford, Massachusetts, and later attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In high school, LaRiviere excelled in all academic subjects. He was an honor roll student and took advanced placement classes as a sophomore. Being involved in school activities was something he took very seriously; He was the class vice president his freshman and sophomore year. Robert enjoyed leading his classmates and planning activities. Along with being class vice president, he was a member of the football team at the position of center. Although LaRiviere never performed poorly in school, at the young age of seventeen he left high school to pursue other opportunities. He made this decision against his parents’ wishes. To this day, he has been quoted as saying, “it was the biggest risk I ever took and I do not regret it one bit.”  He then went on to attend Regis Beauty Academy in Boston, Massachusetts. After a one-year program, Robby graduated and before he turned eighteen years old he was a licensed cosmetologist. After graduating he moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts where he worked at the prestigious West End Salon. At the salon, he perfected his skills in hair, makeup, tanning, nails, and facials. When LaRiviere is back in Massachusetts visiting family and friends he often does a celebrity appearance at this very hair salon where he will often cut and color hair. After spending one summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, LaRiviere moved to Buzios, Brazil. In Brazil, Robert once again worked in all facets of the beauty industry. After deciding to leave Brazil, he found the place he now calls home, sunny Los Angeles, California. When first moving to the west coast at the age of twenty he found a cut and color seminar called Vidal Sassoon Academy. This was a six-week intense course were he learned new beauty techniques and perfected others. Career With a love for beauty and the spotlight, it came as no surprise that Robert LaRivire had caught the attention of many viewers. His out-going personality, positive voice, enthusiastic energy, and smile that can brighten up any room he enters, are many key attributes that have helped him become successful and allowed him to start his career at the young age of seventeen. In 2007, Robby attended beauty school and became a licensed hairdresser. In the summers of 2008, 2009, and 2011 LaRiviere worked in West End Salon in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In 2010, with a few years of experience in the beauty business and already establishing a strong clientele, LaRiviere decided it was time to take things one step further, by opening up his own traveling beauty concierge called “ Masterminds Beauty Design’s”, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. During this time, Robby got to perform all things beauty on many celebrities such as Lana Del Rey, Molly Sims, and Edie Falco. While still traveling and doing freelance beauty Robby also worked at the Lea Journo Salon at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel located in Beverly Hills, California. Beauty is not all LaRviere does. He is also involved in the Television world, starring on Tabitha’s Salon Takeover season three aired on Bravo TV. Make Me Over, aired on AwesomenessTV, was also lucky enough to have Robby on their show for season two and three. The Hallmark channel has also seen LaRiviere plenty of times, and he still is on some beauty experts shows on the Hallmark channel, were he gives beauty tips such as DIY hair tricks, holiday makeup and much more.  Finding Prince Charming Finding Prince Charming premiered on cable network Logo TV in September 2016 with pop-singer Lance Bass as the host. The suitor, who was casted, for the first season was Robert Sepulveda Jr., an interior designer from Atlanta, Georgia. The concept of the show is similar to The Bachelor, but instead of having a rose ceremony it has a black tie ceremony. It was one of the first dating shows featuring non-heterosexual male contestants. In week four Robert LaRiviere was in the bottom two. Robby was eliminated from Prince Charming at a black tie ceremony in week five. Robert did the show to take a chance; although he did not find love he enjoyed doing the show. You could tell from the few episodes he was on how he interacted with others and how his personality brought life to the house.  Philosophy/Religion Throughout childhood laRiviere was raised Roman Catholic. When he was 18 he discovered Buddhism while living in Brazil for a short period of time. He officially became Buddhist at the age of 20. LaRiviere claims that the Buddhism that he practices was the key to his success. As he began practicing Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism he found a strong connection that “reunited with me on a very deep level.”  Now, as part of his daily routine, he chants Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. LaRiviere and states, “It is the best way to start the day.”  This is something that is very important to him and he loves sharing with friends and family.

Hobbies With not much free time because of his busy schedule LaRiviere takes advantage of his leisure time. Spending time with family and friends is always something he makes time for. Traveling and seeing new places and opportunities is also one of his favorite things to do. Ever since he was a kid LaRiviere loved to sail and ski. He perfected both sports by the age of five. When he goes back to Massachusetts to visit with family he enjoys going back to his youth and sailing and skiing. Robert recently is trying to learn how to surf. He loves to spend time on the west coast beaches and surfing was always something he wanted to try.