Course Selector
Leila Hanford from Coleg Gwent receives the Red Carpet Make-up award from Nic Robinson from VTCT
Alex Williams in action
Two students from Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys Campus have clinched first and second places at a Wales-wide hairdressing and beauty competition.
Leila Handford, a theatrical and media make-up student and Alex Williams, who studies make-up and hairdressing, received the top accolades at the Salon Cymru awards, which is organised by ISA training.
The awards, held at the Swalec Stadium, recognise and discover fresh talent among hairdressing and beauty learners from schools, colleges and training providers across Wales.
Leila, 25, and Alex, 19, won first and second places respectively, competing in the ‘red carpet’ and ‘gleek chic’ categories, the latter taking its inspiration from the styles depicted in hit US show, Glee.
This is the first time students at Coleg Gwent have entered the Salon Cymru competition, which is now in its third year and attracts more than 500 participants annually. The Crosskeys students took home a bespoke trophy, with Leila also winning a £200 cash prize.
Speaking of her win, Leila Handford from Rogerstone said: “It was extremely encouraging to win an award of this calibre and have the opportunity to showcase my skills in front of influential people in the hairdressing and beauty industry. The awards were extremely professional and gave me a taste of what it must be like to work backstage at a busy catwalk show.
“The brief for the competition was red carpet glamour and to create a complete look that was suited to a formal evening event. On my model, Kelly Bains, I demonstrated dramatic, smoky eyes using emerald green eye shadow and opted for neutral lips. I love the make-up that actress, Megan Fox wears; I tried to emulate the 1950’s Hollywood glamour that she is famous for.”
Crosskeys Campus offers City & Guilds accredited qualifications in courses including beauty therapy, hairdressing, nail technology and theatrical & media make-up. Students have the opportunity to practice their skills in a purpose-built salon at the Campus and participate in work placements.
Rachel Meehan, hair and beauty lecturer at Coleg Gwent said: “This is fantastic achievement for the students and demonstrates that their skills reach the standards of the professional training providers in the competition. Leila and Alex responded well to the brief and worked well under pressure. They should be proud of their successes. This was the first year the college entered the competition and we were very impressed with the professionalism and high standards of the event; we will definitely enter next year.”
Competition judge, Steve Smart, who owns a hairdressing salon in Western-Super-Mare and is the current World Ladies Hairdressing Champion said: “I was pleasantly surprised by the high standards demonstrated at the awards. The participants could easily give some professionals a run for their money. The competition entries reflected the creativity, professionalism and talent that exist in Wales and the industry will be stronger as a result.”
For more information about courses at Coleg Gwent, contact 01495 333333, or email info@coleggwent.ac.uk.
 |
|
Coleg Gwent, The Rhadyr, Usk NP15 1XJ | Tel: +44 (0)1495 333333 | Email: info@coleggwent.ac.uk Coleg Gwent is committed to equal opportunities for all. College Policy | Data Protection | Welsh Language Scheme | Feedback| Accessibility |