Ball on a dime for ‘sisterhood’ at St Catherine’s
Sixteen-year-old Sapna Vyas sits carefully, eyes closed, on a stool in front of dozens of her schoolmates, as an Elite School of Beauty trainee brushes foundation across her face.
The watching students whisper between themselves while the makeup artist demonstrates the best way to apply eyeshadow.
St Catherine’s College’s ‘‘Ball On A Budget’ afternoon has just begun.
About 70 girls settled in the school hall for makeup lessons, hair tutorials and a dress sale, organised by parent Linda Muollo.
‘‘What we’re hoping you’ll get out of this, it’s about making a ball inclusive and affordable for everyone. You can look like a million bucks when you don’t have a million bucks,’’ Muollo told the year 12 and 13 students.
Ball season can be an expensive time and with St Catherine’s College ball on September 8, a lesson in DIY hairstyles and makeup looks was in hot demand. However, one of the most tempting things at Wednesday’s Ball On A Budget session was the trestle tables overflowing with ballgowns of every colour and size.
The community donated more than 200 dresses to the Wellington school and the girls were able to nab one for a bargain price of $10.
Muollo said any money made from the sale would go back into the ball, to further lower costs. Leftover dresses would be donated to St Vincent de Paul shops.
Some people had even donated spare high heels and other non-ball clothing for the girls.
Three tutors from the Elite School of Beauty donated their time to show students a trick or two with their makeup, and freelance hairdresser Emma Natoli took them through creating soft curls for their ball hairstyle.
A few ‘‘ooos’’ and ‘‘ahs’’ filled the Kilbirine school’s hall as Natoli demonstrated different ways of using hair straighteners on one willing student. Others quizzed the makeup artists on whether to put on eye makeup before or after foundation, and how to get well-defined brows.
‘‘It’s about the sisterhood and really having a good time,’’ Muollo said.
Most of the girls would probably get ready for the ball together, sharing makeup and helping each other with their hair.
‘‘I guess because there’s a real sisterhood within the group, and when you have a group like that, there’s an opportunity to change some of those ideals around what we traditionally do around balls.’’
For example, she said, that could be changing the idea that your hair had to be done at a salon for a ball.