Wonder Woman body art to beautiful bridal hair - UCB wins big at National Make-up Awards

Budding hair and make-up artists from University College Birmingham have scooped a huge haul of awards at a national industry competition.

Current and former students from UCB's Specialist Hair and Media Make-up course claimed honours in an array of categories at the 2019 National Make-up Awards, held at the Beauty UK trade event at NEC Birmingham on 20 May.

First year FdA student Elysia Fisher won 1st prize for both make-up and hair in the 'Natural Brides' Bridal category, as well as winning the award for Overall Best Hair at the competition.

UCB graduate Beth Gauntlett scooped the prize for Overall Best Make-up having topped the field in two categories: The 'X-Men'-themed Fantasy Prosthetics category and the Simulation category, for which the theme was 'Caught on the Edge of a Nuclear Blast'. There was also success in the same categories for fellow graduate Rubeena Islam, placing 3rd and 2nd respectively.

Third year BA student Stephanie Harrison – who starred in BBC make-up talent show Glow Up earlier this year – claimed the award for Overall Best Student at the contest. She also won the 'Captain Marvel or Wonder Woman' Body Art category, with second year FdA student Sorrel Sutton coming in 2nd.

Meanwhile first year FdA student Ying Cheung, who came 3rd in the Bridal Make-up category, bagged the top prize for her hair work in the '1920s or 1950s Dior' Fashion category. Third year BA student Viktoria Stanislavova took 3rd in the same category, as well as 2nd place for Fashion Make-up.

Elsewhere there was also commendation for BA duo Paulina Chruslicka (third year) and Karmen Bezinovic (first year), who received special mention from the contest judges for their performance in the Bridal and Fashion categories.

The winners received a number of trophies as well as hair and make-up products, while their successes also earned UCB an engraved trophy for the Outstanding College Achievement Award.

Judging the team’s work was experienced hair and make-up artist Alyn Waterman, with whom the students had the opportunity to network at the event.

Praising the students' achievements, Specialist Hair and Media Make-up lecturer Kelly Forbes said: "Everyone in the department is overwhelmingly proud of the performance of the competition team this year. We have had many successes but this was by far our greatest team achievement to date.

"The students have shown themselves to be talented, hardworking and professional throughout, and they have been a credit to this university.

"Students who have engaged with competitions this year have had the opportunity to network outside of the University with some of the biggest names in the industry who have been judging – Alyn Waterman, Stuart Bray and Ve Neill to name a few.

"Competitions allow students to work under pressure and scrutiny, similar to real-world working environments in the industry, so to be commended for their performance is an invaluable confidence boost. They have also developed their technical proficiency and their practical portfolios, which will undoubtedly improve their employment prospects in the future."

The National Make-up Awards were the latest in a series of competition successes for UCB's hair and make-up students this year, with two graduates – Beth Gauntlett and Roos James – having been selected for the 'Battle of the Brushes' final at the International Make-up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) in London just two days earlier.

There was also a string of awards for UCB students at the Association of Hair and Therapists (AHT) Hair and Make-up Competition in Blackpool earlier in the spring, as well as the Warpaint Make-up Championships in London back in February.

Find out more about our Specialist Hair and Media Make-up course here, as well as our other courses within UCB's School of Sport and Creative Services here.