Lanka lifts South Asian cup at global Olympics for hair
Wins in nails and makeup category
The team of makeup artists and hairstylists who represented Sri Lanka at the prestigious Organisation Mondiale Coiffure (OMC) Hair World Championships brought home the South Asian cup as the Best Makeup Team with their high score in the category of aesthetics (nails and makeup).
The winning team that included Kayalvily Jayapragash, Mayuri Thilakawardana and Theekshanee Kariyawasam was supported by the Sri Lanka Association of Hairdressers and Beauticians (SLAHAB) who held a press conference at Talo Urban to announce this rare win for Sri Lanka.
The OMC is the World Federation of Hairdressers and the Hair World Championships is known as the global Olympics of hair and attracts hairdressers, beauticians and those in the industry, with contestants from 70 countries vying for the honours in over 40 categories for hair, aesthetics and nails annually.
This year, the competition took place in France from September 14-16.
“It was because of everyone’s collective efforts that we were able to win the cup. We did not participate just as individuals but we worked together as a team just like we have been practising,” shared Mayuri, adding that it would be great to see more participation from Sri Lankan beauticians as it is quite the experience to be caught up in the excitement of the competition.
Speaking at the press conference SLAHAB President Sumudu Wasantha said, “Even though we are quite a small country, we have a lot of talented people. The three individuals have done a fantastic job in the competition.”
“Every year, something new comes up. It was very difficult because when we went to Paris this year, our heads were full of ideas but everybody is going to present something very different next year,” SLAHAB Founder President Nayana Karunaratne said talking about how competitive the competition gets and their preparation for it.
As it is a costly process to enter and fund the participants for the competition, the press briefing also addressed the issue that there was not enough recognition for the beauty industry in Sri Lanka and suggested ways in which there could be government funding for competitions such as this.
The Championship Paris 2019 included categories from bridal makeup, haircuts and styling men to showcase the range of talent and celebrate the diverse culture and styles each country brought.