The Glowing Melon

A huge thank you to Wella Executive Valerie Bonnett for giving our students at both campuses career guidance and advice as she shared her journey in the hair industry.

Valerie is a cosmetologist and began her journey as a beauty industry professional in 1991. She is currently the New England Regional Sales Manager for the Salon Professional Division of Proctor & Gamble. During Valerie's visits to each campus, she offered students guidance and advice about the field and about setting, managing, and achieving career goals. Some valuable takeaways from the inspiring session: The first step is setting the goal! Valerie also reminded students that the biggest obstacle can be yourself, and to take chances and step outside of the comfort zone to grow.

At IIC, we believe so much can be gained from renowned stylists in the industry and we enjoy taking the opportunities to give Future Stylists these occasions to enrich their education.

Below are cosmetology students at IIC Plainville and IIC Wethersfield with Valerie. We are so grateful that she was able to spend the day with us!

At IIC, we are so proud of the success of our alumni. From salon and spa owners, to makeup artists, estheticians, cosmetology educators and more, International Institute of Cosmetology graduates are accomplishing great things. The best part? They are doing what they love!

Cosmetology alumni Amelia Tessier graduated in late 2014. With the help of IIC's career services, she was placed at a cutting edge contemporary salon, PeterDominic Salon & Spa. She began in the associate's program offered by the salon, and soon graduated to a level one stylist. This spring, she had the opportunity to speak about her training and career as a stylist to local Simsbury students at a career day. Below, she speaks about how much fulfillment she receives from pursing her passion:

"Today I attended my first annual Lunch n' Learn at a school here in Simsbury; basically another approach to 'Career Day.' It's funny how it takes sitting at a lunch table surrounded by 6 or 7 impressionable thirteen year olds who have endless possibilities for their bright, unwritten futures to truly realize how blessed you are to be where you are. That big scary world and fear of the unknown somewhere dissipates along the way when you realize you are living it. We don't often think about nor get the appropriate opportunity to revisit our pasts or retell our "stories;" our paths that got us to where we are today. There were many forks in the road, choices to be made along the way, but each decision, whether it seemed right or wrong at the time, got us to our current destinations. I've always tried to take what most would consider a mistake and turn it into a learning opportunity; life is so much about how we receive and respond to situations. I am proud of everything that got me to where I am today; my mistakes, my choices and my failures, but even more than that, I am proud to be in an environment every day that lifts my spirits, betters me professionally and personally and to be a part of a team I can call a family. PASSION is something we all have for one thing or another, I'm just blessed enough to use my passion in what I do every single day ❤️ "Love what you do & you never work a day in your life."

Congratulations on your success Amelia, and keep inspiring others to do what they love!

Amelia, after speaking at Lunch 'N Learn in Simsbury

We are so proud of all of our competitors who advanced to the Wella TrendVision Regionals in Boston, as well as all of our students who use their creativity and skills to submit entries to the competition. A big congratulations to our four Future Stylists who were selected to compete and bring their vision to the TrendVision Regionals. These trendsetters and their team and models rocked the stage.

Here are our students and competitors with their models: Lysett, Abigail, Myosha, and top three competition finalist, Lizamaree!

 

Future Stylists at International Institute of Cosmetology have a busy and creative season ahead of them with clients requesting up-dos and formal styles for proms, weddings, and special occasions. Students at the Wethersfield and Plainville campuses have been sharing some of their creative hair designs, and have recently been featured in the Plainville Observer for bridal hair and makeup looks that they styled on models. Below are some photos that IIC students have recently shared! Don't forget to tag us to be featured on our blog & social media: #STUDYHAIR


 
Thank you to @getglambykate , @hairbymerita , @hairbyhunterabell , and @linds_behind_the_chair for tagging us in your beautiful work.
 
Call or visit one of our student salons located in Plainville and Wethersefield, Connecticut.

"Fun Fridays" at International Institute of Cosmetology give students a chance to express creative themes through hairstyling and makeup artistry. Students have created looks on mannequins and classmates aligned with themes such as villains of film, Disney characters, international looks, and most recently, monsters. See IIC Plainville's Phase 1 class transformations below!

"Fun Friday is a chance for us to think outside of the box.. a great chance to release our creative side. It gives me a chance to be myself" - Rey Alicea, Phase 1

"I love Fun Friday! It allows up to express ourselves and our creativity in different ways. We not only styled and painted our mannequins, but also applied makeup and did hair designs on our classmates. The themes we chose were so much fun!" - Sam Newberry, Phase 1

"We get to showcase our creativity and bring our visions to life. I looked at a picture of a phoenix online for a minute or two and then closed it down and allowed my imagination to do the rest.

I don't think you should spend too much time looking at a picture trying to recreate someone's work. That's the best part about being in cosmetology school-- you let your creative side run wild and there's no wrong!" - Taylor Murphy, Phase 1

Finished looks on Amber, Rey, & Tori

A close-up of the amazing use of color and shade on Amber

Future Stylists Tori, Justin, Amber, Ashantee, Michelle, and Taylor of IIC Plainville's Phase 1 class

Thank you to all International Institute of Cosmetology students who participated in the Wella TrendVision Regional competition.

From Wella, The Wella professional annual TrendVision award offers a spectacular platform for true creativity where up-and-coming stylists, as well as the most masterful colorists in the industry, are fully recognized.

Future Stylists at IIC's Plainville and Wethersfield campuses created looks showing off their creative vision on a model, to be recognized as best-in-class overall look, for the student category of the TrendVision awards.

Four IIC students were selected as semi-finalists to advance to the regional TrendVision competition to be held in Boston on April 10th, 2016. Congratulations to Shaely Couture, Abigail Fenerty, Myosha Posey, and Lysett Cuervo for being recognized for your talent, creativity, and skill! We are excited to see you showcase your work at the regional competition next month!

International Institute of Cosmetology's students and educators gathered in the student salon to learn about the new products and see ways to create with them.

Visit IIC's student salons in Wethersfield and Plainville for all of your styling needs and hair, skin, and nail services! Call 860-571-0330 to book an appointment.

Teena and Martin Gugliotti, Dean of Students,  at the Sebastian What's Next Awards

From all of the IIC community, we would once again like to congratulate one of our own, Teena Gugliotti, on receiving Sebastian's Educator of the Year award in conjunction with their annual What's Next awards in Miami, Florida.


Teena is IIC's Director of Branding/ Culture for International Institute of Cosmetology's campuses in Plainville and Wethersfield. Before joining IIC as a student, and later as an educator, she worked directly with Laura Mercier and Philosphy's Cristina Carlino. Her background in makeup and clienteling motivated her to follow her passion. She also specializes in Great Length and Balmain hair extensions and color techniques, and has competed in Chicago.

Feeling honored, Teena adds,  “Lead a successful career by surrounding yourself with successful people.  Being mentored by Carmelo Gugliotti and sharing his success vision has provided the foundation to be part of the Sebastian Professional What’s Next Awards and be among industry greats.”

Bridal hair and makeup account for a significant part of today's beauty industry. Stylists and makeup artists create elegant, formal hair designs and flawless makeup looks for the bride, members of the bridal party, and family of the bride and groom. Timing, efficiency, and professional skills are also important elements for a stylist in this growing field, not to mention how fun and meaningful it is to be a critical part of such a special day of the bride's life!

Future Stylists honed these skills when styling models for a bridal-themed photo shoot that will appear in the Observer. Models were styled at International Institute of Cosmetology's Plainville student salon, and the shoot took place upstairs in the Makeup Academy.

Olivia and Bri add the finishing touches to the model's soft up-do and classic makeup



Future Stylists from Phases 2, 3, & 4 posing for the Observer with models and educator Teena

 Do you want to study hair and makeup? Visit Studyhair.com or call admissions at 860 571-0330 to chat with us about a career in cosmetology.

At IIC, we love to show off our work and our clients! Here are some of the posts we've been tagged in this month:
Thanks for submitting, @w.url @paulitaa17 @brookeleonephoto_ & @studyhair




Be sure to use our official hashtag #STUDYHAIR to be featured!