Two Coleg Gwent students are amongst the UK’s top trainees following success in the finals of a prestigious hair and beauty competition.
The students, from Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys campus, contended with 49 other UK colleges to win second and fourth place in the final of the AHT (Association of Hairdressers and Therapists) competition in Blackpool on Monday March 18.
Theatrical makeup student Charlotte Ballinger, 19, beat 13 competitors to second place for the body painting category ‘Fashion Designers’ under a strict three hour time limit.
Charlotte’s winning body paint entry, which also gained her a silver medal in the regional Welsh heats, was inspired by the idea of women’s ‘power suits’ and featured a painted suit with visible seams, buttons and pockets, as well as highlighting the design and craft processes with a cleverly painted measuring tape and scissors.
Beauty Therapy student Viktorija Skinkyte, 22, proved her finger is firmly on the fashion pulse with a fourth place win against 17 competitors in the strongly contested nail art category ‘Current Trends’.
The Welsh students travelled six hours by coach each way to compete in the competition, and their dedication certainly paid off.
Theatrical makeup lecturer Cerys Tugwell said: “Students did the college and their families proud with their professional attitude and fabulous work. It’s a great experience for them to compete against their contemporaries from all over the UK, and to gain success at this high level is testament to their hard work and commitment.”
Crosskeys Campus Head of School for Services to People, Helen Lawless said: “This is a fantastic achievement and I am thrilled that the hard work and dedication from Charlotte and Viktorija over the past few weeks has paid off. Their professionalism and skill was exemplary during the event and they have proved to be great ambassadors for the department.”
Students from Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys and City of Newport Campuses won places in the Blackpool Winter Gardens final after impressing the judges in the Welsh regional heats with six silver and two bronze medals.