Four students placed in Cosmetology categories at SkillsUSA district, Feb. 5-6 at TSTC in Waco.

Senior Hallie Schwab won first place in Fantasy, qualifying for state. Fantasy is the cosmetology section of the competition. Competitors take a mannequin and add wig pieces, use paper, hot glue, glitter, etc. There’s no limit to supply use. Using the supplies a character is made.

“I was a little scared about getting points taken off for originality,” Schwab said. “Then it was a little smaller than everybody else’s, but I was really excited when I got there and I saw the blue ribbon and I got first place and I’m moving onto state.”

Schwab made her original take on Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, but it was still a pre-designed character made by Disney. She dyed and sculpted the hair to create the horns, leaving the back flat. Schwab also added false lashes and makeup.

“For state I know I have to take the same piece,” Schwab said. “I have to create the same idea. I can leave it as it is and then take it to state or redo and fine tune it and go over the judge’s comments and change some of the things to better my chances.”

Three other students also placed. Laurel May was third in Men’s Haircutting, Benite Mwiza was third in Cut and Color and Briana Lee placed third in Flat Nail Art.

“I was okay with it,” Lee said. “I knew I didn’t do as well as I could’ve done with it.”

Lee made a poster and painted the background. She then placed the nail design on the background, which was Alice in Wonderland themed. She put the nail design on the caterpillar, then painted over that.

“There is way more depth into the profession as you think it is,” Schwab said. “Just makeup and hair is more complex. We learn the chemical composer of things and the anatomy of the skin and nails and all the parts of each system, like just learning about skin alone takes two months in the textbook. Then learning the diseases and sanitation that goes along with being a cosmetologist. There was a lot more work than I was expecting.”

The state meet is March 31-April 2^nd in Corpus Christi.