EXHIBIT 10.14
                          EMPLOYEE SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

     This  Agreement is entered into and  delivered  and effective as of July 1,
1997.

     WHEREAS,  the Board of  Directors  and the  Compensation  Committee  of The
Lamaur Corporation,  a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),  have determined it
to be in the best  interests  of the  Company  and its  stockholders  to provide
certain key employees (the "Designated  Employees") with certain protection from
events that could occur in  connection  with  certain  changes of control of the
Company, and

     WHEREAS,   to  accomplish  this  objective  and  encourage  the  Designated
Employees to continue employment with the Company,  the Company desires to enter
into this Agreement.

     NOW, THEREFORE,  for good and valuable  consideration,  the Company and the
undersigned employee (the "Employee") hereby agree as follows:

     1. Change of Control.  "Change of Control"  means the  occurrence of any of
the following events:

     (i) Any "person"  (as such term is used in Sections  13(d) and 14(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as amended)  is or becomes  the  "beneficial
owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act),  directly  or  indirectly,  of
securities  of the Company  representing  35% or more of the total  voting power
represented by the Company's then outstanding  voting securities (other than any
person  who owns in  excess  of 20% of such  total  voting  power as of the date
hereof or other than any person who  acquires  35% or more of such total  voting
power with the  approval  of the  Board),  or any  "person"  is or  becomes  the
"beneficial  owner",  directly  or  indirectly,  of  securities  of the  Company
representing 50% or more of the total voting power  represented by the Company's
then outstanding  voting securities (other than any person who owns in excess of
20% of such total voting power as of the date hereof); or

     (ii) A change in the  composition  of the Board of Directors of the Company
as a result of which  fewer  than a majority  of the  directors  are  "Incumbent
Directors."  "Incumbent  Directors"  shall  mean  directors  who  either (A) are
directors of the Company as of the date hereof, or (B) are elected, or nominated
for election,  to the Board of Directors with the affirmative votes (either by a
specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such
person is named as a nominee for  election as a director  without  objection  to
such nominations) of at least  three-quarters of the Incumbent  Directors at the
time of such election or nomination  (but shall not include an individual  whose
election or  nomination  is in  connection  with an actual or  threatened  proxy
contest relating to the election of directors of the Company); or

     (iii) The  stockholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of
the Company  with any other  corporation,  other than a merger or  consolidation
which  would  result  in  the  voting  securities  of  the  Company  outstanding
immediately   prior  thereto   continuing  to  represent  (either  by  remaining
outstanding  or by being  converted  into  voting  securities  of the  surviving
entity) at least fifty  percent (50%) of the total voting power  represented  by
the voting  securities  of the  Company  or such  surviving  entity  outstanding
immediately  after such  merger or  consolidation,  or the  stockholders  of the
Company  approve a plan of complete  liquidation  of the Company or an agreement
for the sale or  disposition by the Company of all or  substantially  all of the
Company's assets.

     2. Involuntary Termination.

     (i) "Involuntary Termination" shall mean:

     (a) a  termination  by the Company of the  Employee's  employment  with the
Company other than for Cause; or

     (b) a material reduction of or material variation in the Employee's duties,
authority or responsibilities,  relative to the Employee's duties,  authority or
responsibilities  as in effect immediately prior to such reduction or variation,
and the Employee  resigns from  employment  with the Company in accordance  with
Paragraph 2(ii) below; or

     (c) a reduction  by the  Company in the base  salary of the  Employee as in
effect  immediately  prior to such  reduction,  and the  Employee  resigns  from
employment with the Company in accordance with Paragraph 2(ii) below; or

     (d) a reduction  by the Company in the kind or level of employee  benefits,
including bonuses, to which the Employee was entitled  immediately prior to such
reduction  with the  result  that the  Employee's  overall  benefits  package is
reduced, and the Employee resigns from employment with the Company in accordance
with Paragraph 2(ii) below; or

     (e) the proposed relocation or the relocation of the Employee to a facility
or a location other than the Employee's then present location,  and the Employee
resigns from  employment  with the Company in accordance  with  Paragraph  2(ii)
below.

     (ii) For purposes of this  paragraph,  the  Employee's  resignation  letter
shall set forth a final day of employment  which shall be not less than one week
nor more than one month from the date the resignation letter is delivered to the
Company.  The Company  shall  inform the  Employee in writing no later than five
days from the delivery of the  resignation  letter if the Company does not agree
that an  Involuntary  Termination  will  occur on the  resignation  date and the
reasons for the Company's position. If the Company and the Employee do not agree
that an Involuntary Termination will occur on the resignation date:

     (a) the burden of proving that an  Involuntary  Termination  will not occur
shall be on the Company;

     (b) the Employee may withdraw the resignation  letter until a determination
is made that an Involuntary  Termination  will occur,  and the Employee shall be
entitled  to  continue  his  employment  as in effect  at the time the  Employee
delivered the resignation letter to the Company until a determination  regarding
Involuntary Termination is made under Paragraphs 2(ii) and 10 hereof (subject to
the Company's  right to terminate  the  Employee's  employment  with the Company
under Paragraph 2(i)(a)); and

     (c) the determination whether an Involuntary Termination has occurred shall
be made  based  upon the  facts  and  circumstances  at the  time  the  Employee
delivered the resignation  letter to the Company and shall be made in accordance
with Paragraph 10 hereof.

A pending  dispute or  arbitration  under this  Paragraph  shall not  prevent an
Involuntary Termination occurring as a result of other action or inaction by the
Company.

     3. Cash Severance  Payment and Other Benefits.  In the event of a Change of
Control and an Involuntary  Termination of the Employee within 24 months of such
Change of Control, then as of the date of such Involuntary Termination:

     (i)  the  Company  shall  pay in cash to the  Employee  on the  date of the
Involuntary Termination an amount equal to one and one-half times the Employee's
most recent annual full-time base compensation in effect prior to such Change of
Control; and

     (ii) the Company shall provide at the Company's expense medical, dental and
basic life insurance (one times base annual compensation) no less favorable than
such insurance in effect for the Employee and dependents  during his or her most
recent full time  period of  employment  prior to the Change of  Control,  for a
period  equal to the shorter of  eighteen  months from end of the month in which
the  Involuntary  Termination  occurs or the date such Employee  becomes covered
under another  insurance plan as a result of obtaining new  employment.  For the
purposes  of  Title  X of the  Consolidated  Budget  Reconciliation  Act of 1985
("COBRA"),  the date of the  qualifying  event for the  Employee  and his or her
covered  dependents  shall be the date upon  which  this  Company-paid  coverage
terminates; and.

     (iii) the Company  shall pay in cash to the Employee an amount equal to 25%
the Employee's most recent annual full-time base compensation in effect prior to
such  Change  of  Control  provided  that  such  Employee's  principal  place of
residence at any time within twenty-four months from the Involuntary Termination
changes from the principal place of residence in effect immediately prior to the
Involuntary  Termination  and  further  provided  that the  payment  under  this
paragraph  shall be reduced by the amount of any moving  expenses  paid by a new
employer of Employee; and.

     (iv) at the option of the Employee  within six months from the  Involuntary
Termination, borrow from the Company the principal sum equal to one and one-half
times the Employee's  most recent annual  full-time base  compensation in effect
immediately  prior to such  Change of  Control at the  lowest  rate of  interest
permitted by Internal  Revenue  Service Rules to avoid the imputation of income.
The loan  shall be  unsecured,  be full  recourse  to the  Employee,  be due and
payable  two years  from the date of the  Involuntary  Termination,  and be made
pursuant to the form of Promissory Note attached hereto as Exhibit A.

If a dispute arises under  Paragraph 2 whether an Involuntary  Termination  will
occur,  then the payments and benefits under this Paragraph  shall be payable to
the  Employee  upon  an  Involuntary   Termination   even  if  that  Involuntary
Termination occurs more than 24 months from the date of the Change of Control.

     4. Cause. "Cause" shall mean:

     (i) any  willful  act of personal  dishonesty,  fraud or  misrepresentation
taken by the  Employee  in  connection  with his or her  responsibilities  as an
employee which was intended to result in substantial gain or personal enrichment
of the Employee; or

     (ii)  Employee's  conviction  of a felony on  account  of any act which was
materially and demonstrably injurious to the Company; or

     (iii) the Employee's willful and continued failure to substantially perform
his or her principal  duties and obligations of employment  (other than any such
failure  resulting  from  incapacity due to physical or mental  illness),  which
failure is not remedied in a reasonable  period of time after receipt of written
notice from the Company.  For the purposes of this Section, no act or failure to
act shall be considered "willful" unless done or omitted to be done in bad faith
and without  reasonable belief that the act or omission was in or not opposed to
the  best  interests  of the  Company.  Any act or  failure  to act  based  upon
authority  given pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Board of Directors
of the  Company or based upon the advice of  counsel  for the  Company  shall be
conclusively  presumed to be done or omitted to be done in good faith and in the
best interests of the Company.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
the Employee  shall not be deemed to have been  terminated  for Cause unless and
until there shall have been  delivered  to the  Employee a copy of a  resolution
duly  adopted by the  affirmative  vote of not less than  three-quarters  of the
entire  membership  of the Board of Directors of the Company at a meeting of the
Board called and held for the purpose (after  reasonable  notice to the Employee
and an opportunity for the Employee with  Employee's  counsel to be heard before
the Board)  finding that in the good faith opinion of the Board the Employee was
properly terminated for Cause.

     5.  Voluntary  Resignation;   Termination  for  Cause.  If  the  Employee's
continuous  status as an  employee of the  Company  terminates  by reason of the
Employee's  voluntary  resignation  (and not Involuntary  Termination) or if the
Employee's  continuous  status as an employee of the Company is  terminated  for
Cause,  in  either  case  prior  to a  Change  of  Control  and  an  Involuntary
Termination,  then the Employee  shall not be entitled to receive the  severance
payment and other benefits.

     6. Company's  Successors.  Any successor to the Company  (whether direct or
indirect  and whether by  purchase,  merger or  consolidation)  shall assume the
obligations  under this Agreement and agree expressly to perform the obligations
in the absence of a succession.

     7.  Successors.  The terms of this Agreement and all rights of the Employee
hereunder  shall inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable  by, the Employee's
personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs,
distributees, devisees and legatees.

     8. Modification Waiver. No provision of this Agreement shall be modified or
waived unless the  modification  or waiver is agreed to in writing and signed by
the  Employee  and by an  authorized  officer  of the  Company  (other  than the
Employee).

     9. Entire Agreement.  This Agreement represents the entire agreement of the
parties hereto with respect to the subject matter thereof.

     10. Choice of Law, Arbitration. The validity, interpretation,  construction
and  performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
{Minnesota/California}.   Any  dispute  or  controversy   arising  under  or  in
connection  with this Agreement  shall be settled  exclusively by arbitration in
the County of {Hennepin,  Minnesota/Marin,  California}, by three arbitrators in
accordance  with  the  rules of the  American  Arbitration  Association  then in
effect.  Judgment may be entered on the  arbitrator's  award in any court having
jurisdiction. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses arising out of or in
connection with any arbitration pursuant to this Section 10, including,  without
limitation,  attorneys' fees and costs of counsel to Employee. The Company shall
not be entitled to recover any costs or expenses arising out of or in connection
with any arbitration  pursuant to this Section 10 from the Employee,  including,
without  limitation,  attorneys' fees and costs of counsel,  even if the Company
prevails in the arbitration.

     11.  No  Employment  Agreement.  This  Agreement  shall not  constitute  an
employment   agreement.   The  Employee's  employment  with  the  Company  shall
constitute employment "at will," unless otherwise provided in some other written
agreement between the Company and Employee.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement, in the
case of the Company by its duly authorized  officer,  as of the day and year set
forth above.

THE LAMAUR CORPORATION                       EMPLOYEE


By____________________________               ______________________________
Don G. Hoff
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer


<PAGE>

                    EXHIBIT A TO EMPLOYEE SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

                                PROMISSORY NOTE


$________                       {Friley, Minnesota/Mill Valley, California}
                                ____________, 19__

For value received, the undersigned promises to pay to The Lamaur Corporation, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), the principal sum of $__________, together
with interest on the unpaid principal hereof from the date hereof at the rate of
___%, compounded annually.

Principal and interest  shall be due and payable on (the date two years from the
date of the Involuntary Termination).  Payments shall be made in lawful money of
the United States of America.

The  undersigned  may at any time prepay all or any portion of the  principal or
interest owing hereunder.

The holder of this Note shall have full recourse against the undersigned.

Should any action be instituted  for the collection of this Note, the reasonable
costs  and  attorneys'  fees  therein  of  the  holder  shall  be  paid  by  the
undersigned.

The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this Note shall be
governed by the laws of the State of {Minnesota/California}.




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