STELLARTON – A local hair stylist won the ladies trend category at a competition against stylists from the four Atlantic Provinces in Halifax Saturday.
Meryl Kerr of Stellarton, owner of Meryl's Hair Care on King Street in Stellarton, said she cut a model’s hair on stage in front of about 300 people and her style came out as the winner against 11 others in the Carnival of Beauty’s Maritime Beauty Atlantic Hair Show competition’s ladies trend category.
“It was a very asymmetrical haircut. It was very bright hair colours and obviously very trendy because it won,” she said. “They’re not wearable haircuts. It’s not something that you would see someone just walking down the street with.”
In the ladies trend category, stylists create an elaborate hair colour and cut, outfit and makeup to match the latest trends. They complete the colour before hand, perform the haircut with the other competitors on stage, and then are judged on the whole look.
Kerr said it’s stressful to create a style in front of that many people.
“It’s a lot of work and it’s a lot of preparation – like weeks of planning it all out. Then you actually have to go and colour the hair before hand and make sure it’s perfect and it’s just a crazy hectic day,” she said. “I’ve done it so many times that the nerves aren’t like they used to be, but there’s definitely adrenalin going through you when you’re doing it in front of that many people.”
Kerr said she’s competed in six competitions so far since she started going to school for it at NSCC Pictou Campus in Stellarton.
She’s competed in the NSCC Skills Competition, Nova Scotia Provincial Hair Styling Competition and the Canadian National Competition, at which she placed sixth in her category, and has competed before in the Carnival of Beauty, but this was her first win.
“It was a surreal experience, that’s for sure – to actually win after doing it for so long and finally having it pay off,” she said.
Kerr said although it’s stressful, when she’s in the competition she’s focused on what she’s doing.
“I don’t notice anyone. My friend was taking pictures the whole time and I was like, ‘I didn’t even see you once,” she said. “You’re just in the zone, for sure.”
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