Bath College hosted its annual Hair and Beauty competition and this year it was bigger and better than any other previous year. The running theme this year was a fantasy avant-garde look, and students had complete free reign to come up with their looks, which included hair, makeup and clothing.
The students have been preparing for a while, creating mood boards to help inspire their look. They also had to source their own models and complete their look under time constraints. Special judges from within the industry were brought in to assess the students working, as well as their final looks. These included Natalie Yates from Melanie Giles; professional makeup artists, Kellie Moody and Liv Day; Rebecca Catton and Chelsea Gregory from Babington House Cowshed and Abi Greenslade from The Pig Hotel and Spa.
The hairdressing students had an hour to complete their styles, and the makeup artistry students had two hours, after which the judging commenced. The students all worked incredibly hard and the results were incredible. The judges were astounded at the level in which the students were working, and the level of professionalism they showed when at work in the studio. The judges decided on a first, second and third place winner from each group, aside from the Level 1 Festival look, where only a first and second place were awarded.
The winners were given prizes sponsored by Ellisons Hair and Beauty, Bath Academy of Media Makeup, Liv Day MUA, Lucknam Park Spa, Cowshed and The Priory Hotel. Each prize package included an array of beauty tools and products, with one lucky winner getting a £150 voucher for a Special Effects Makeup course at Bath Academy of Media Makeup.
Lisa Nelson, Bath College Hospitality, Spa and Landbased lecturer was absolutely thrilled with the work the students put it, stating, “Students were from full-time and industry-based learning, they were given a free hand to complete a Fantasy Avant Garde total look to include hair make-up and clothing. The students invested a great deal of time creating these amazing looks, they really let their imaginations run wild. We couldn’t be more proud of the effort made.”
At the same time as the Hair and Makeup Challenges, Bath College Spa and Complementary therapy students were taking part in a competition of their own. For the complementary therapy students these included a 45-minute aromatherapy back, neck, shoulder and face massage, with each student blending their own essential oils tailored to their client’s needs; a 45-minute reflexology treatment, using pressure points on the soles of the feet to induce a feeling of relaxation and well-being. The Spa students performed a deep tissue Swedish massage on their clients.
Aside from being a competition, this was a great opportunity for students to showcase their talent and skills to local industry professionals, and discuss work opportunities and employment. One student even left the competition day having secured employment in a top establishment! The prizes included a Spa Day for two at local spas such as Lucknam Park, The Bath Priory and No. 15 Great Pulteney Street.
The winners List:
Level 2 Hairdressing Fantasy total look
1st Jade Nicholls
2nd Chloe Hooper
3rd Eloise Phelan
Level 3 Avant-Grade total look
1st Ellie James
2nd Ruby Gapper
3rd Alicia Kosminska
Hair and Make-up Artistry Avant- Garde total look
1st Beth Ingham
2nd Hannah Bottomley
3rd Megan Nash
Level 2 Barbers Commercial Cut and Finish
1st Harry Meredith
2nd Aaron Barrett
3rd Colby Cottle
Level 1 Festival total look
1st Ellie Mae Mundin
2nd Yazmin Gray-wood
Complementary level 3 Aromaflex Therapy
1st Jade Pocock
2nd Agata Rokicka
3rd Beth Albury
Spa Level 3 Swedish Deep Tissue Massage
1st Emily Hormon
2nd Charlotte Smith
3rd Bobbie Thomas
Overall competition Complementary Therapy and Spa Star & Winner
1st Ella Adams
The students themselves had a fantastic time, and although there could only be a handful of overall winners, each one should be incredibly proud of their work and creations. Congratulations to all the winners. We’re looking forward to next year!