Hairstyles are constantly evolving as celebrity trends and new techniques push the boundaries of what beauty can be to the absolute edge. However, a beauty competition in North Carolina may have taken things a little beyond the edge when students competed to design the most elaborate circus themed hairstyle possible in just 10 minutes.
Every year, Hair Prophecy International, an organization based out of nearby Kinston, hosts the hair and fashion show each spring and fall as a way of showcasing the talents of young beauty students. This years spring competition was held at the performing arts center at the local Kinston High School. There are a variety of events including dance routines and fashion displays.
However, the annual hair battle is one of the main attractions, serving as a fundraiser with ticket sales funding a scholarship for a local student to study cosmetology.
There is more than just a scholarship on the line. For Lateachia Dickens of Greenville, it was a matter of pride. She won first place this year, her second consecutive win of the student hair battle. Dickens model, her niece Lakira Dickens, was decked out in makeup and costume that included elements of clowning and tightrope walking. It was finished off with a miniature circus tent that the elder Dickens fastened to her niece’s head.
Her competitors put up a fierce fight, with models that included a bikini clad bearded lady, a toucan outfit including full yellow beak, and a bright and orange hairpiece meant to emulate fire breathing. However, Dicken’s decision to include not just one performer, but the whole big top in her design, helped her to pull ahead of the competition.
“It is a good way to get your name out there,” said Dickens, who with her now 2 wins surely has a promising career ahead of her as a beauty professional.