Hundreds of beauty industry pros came along to cheer on 27 hair and nail artist finalists—narrowed down from more than 5,000 pros—from the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. Finalists competed in eight beauty categories ranging from “nail art” to “complete transformation,” creating looks tied to the “Kaleidoscope” theme during the live competition. This year’s theme challenged competitors through a complex pattern of constantly changing colors and shapes to capture the idea that the beauty industry—like life—is ever-evolving.
But finalists weren't left to go it alone. Because COTY believes in education and mentorship, the Beauty Envision Awards incorporated both into the program. Competitors in each category were mentored by industry veterans who guided finalists toward achieving their final looks representing the “Kaleidoscope” theme, while judges looked for high levels of innovation, technique, skill and creative interpretation of the theme. Mentors included Anthony Cole (Editorial Hair), Diane Stevens (Bridal Hair), Caroline Kim (Total Transformation), Brenton Lee (FUTURE Stars), Josh Wagner (Men's Hair) , Marylle Koken (Creative Hair), Suzi Moskal (Nail Art), Dana Lyseng (Canadian Color Artist of the Year) and Sonya Dove (U.S. Color Artist of the Year). Additionally, each category had its own judge who was a specialist in their field, including Dafydd Thomas, Whitney Burkhart, Kim Bruce, Stephen Moody, Mark Bustos, Shay Dempsey, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann and Ryan Weeden.
Congratulations to the 2019 Beauty Envision Awards winners!
Editorial Hair sponsored by ghd: Carly Purdy (CA), Valvano Salon
Bridal Hair sponsored by NIOXIN: Shakhnoza Azimova (US), Affinity Hair Academy
Total Transformation sponsored by Kadus: Daniel Lozada (PR), Saline Salon
FUTURE STAR sponsored by COTY School Program: Bryan Nieves Santana (PR), Modern Hairstyling Institute
Men’s Hair sponsored by SebMan: Adrean de la Parra (US), The Kingly Hair Group Salon
Creative Hair sponsored by Sebastian Professional: Nico Norris (US), Vamp Hair Studio
Nail Art sponsored by OPI: Amy Hwang (CA), Kumi Nail Beauty Bar
Color Artist of the Year sponsored by Wella Professionals-US: Emma Hancock, Moriah Brandon’s Hair Salon
Color Artist of the Year sponsored by Wella Professionals-CA: Elena Bogdanets, Figaro Salon
Mentor of the Year: Dani Zaugg (US), Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design
People’s Choice Award: Nico Norris (US), Vamp Hair Studio
Of course, no hair event is complete without a gorgeous hair presentation. The night included a creative presentation from Wella Professionals Global Ambassador Darren Ambrose, a multi-model experience that nodded to major moments in fashion and pop culture.
Wella Professionals’ “Color Artist of the Year” winners received a $5,000 Visa gift card, $1,000 Wella Studio voucher, 12-month Ongoing Digital education on business and technical teachings, and an invitation to attend and compete in the International TrendVision Creative Retreat in Seville, Spain in March 2020.
All other category winners received a $5,000 Visa gift card, $1,000 Wella Studio voucher, and 12 months of Ongoing Digital education in business and technical teachings.
And remember how we mentioned that COTY Professional Beauty believes in education? Well they put their money where their mouth is with a $100,000 pledge to Make Your Mark, a campaign that aims to transform traditional perceptions about careers in beauty and raise awareness of the career opportunities, possibilities and potential available to licensed beauty professionals.
For more information, and to view the 2019 Beauty Envision Awards replay, visit www.beautyenvisionawards.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Adam Adolphus
