Canada’s Beauty Industry Turns on the Glitz at Glamourama:
The 17th Annual Contessa Awards

If bling is your thing, the place to have been on Nov. 13, 2005, was the 17th Annual Contessa Awards – held this year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The evening began with a Pussycat Dolls-inspired nod to Las Vegas glam.  With legs up to there and glitter everywhere else, the show-opener set the mood for a fresh, remixed celebration of all things glamour. 

With Glamourama as the theme, “The night had it all: legs, lips, lashes and piles of fabulous hair – and that was just the audience! Glamour is more than beauty,” said Bill Rowley, master of ceremonies. “Glamour is a way of life.”  With that, the stage was set for the main attraction: the 2006 Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards. 

As the excitement of the show escalated so did the anticipation to see who would take home the most coveted Contessa of all, the 2006 Canadian Hairstylist of the Year award.  From St. John’s to Nanaimo, the crowd came, to compete and support all the finalists.

The top honor of 2006 Canadian Hairstylist of the Year was awarded to first-time Contessa winner Rasa Jurenas from Eden Salon in London, Ont.  Her multitextured collection of schoolgirl-chic styles, accented by strategically placed bolts of electric colors, stood out from her peers – a significant achievement considering the exceptionally high caliber of the entries and that many of the finalists took home trophies in other categories. 

The only award for a group entry – the 2006 Canadian Salon Team of the Year went to Valentino’s Grande Salon in Whitby, Ont., for their high-octane collection of behind-the-wheel beauties.  The ethereal goddesses created by Suzanne Martin, of Three Small Rooms in Barrie, Ont., won her the Contessa for 2006 Elite Master Hairstylist of the Year, one of the evening’s most sought-after awards.

For the first time, the Contessas recognized the category of session stylist, those who create beauty for editorial or commercial uses.  The 2006 Session Hairstylist of the Year award went to Mario Verrilli, Onaré Salon in Mississauga, Ont., for work that graced such covers as Flare and glow magazines.

The evening featured many talented artists such as Adriana Balea, J.C. Salons, Toronto, who won 2006 Makeover Colourist; Cam Patey, Hair Factory, St. John’s, Nfld., who took home the award for 2006 Texture Hairstylist; Paul Pereira, Now Salon, Toronto, who won his first Contessa for 2006 Men’s Hairstylist.  The 2006 Avant Garde Hairstylist trophy went to Robert Cory, Cabello Hair, in Windsor, Ont., and Hollie Kendal, of J.C. Salons, Toronto, won the 2006 Multicultural Hairstylist title.

The 2006 Student/Apprentice Hairstylist award was won by Rudy Pignataro, of Avola College, Toronto, and Karen Melay, of Hair Factory, St. John’s, Nfld., won 2006 Newcomer Hairstylist.

Other winners included Sabrina Ferri, Salon Verve, Maple, Ont., for 2006 Makeup Artist; Jessica-Marie Ellison, Yorkville School of Makeup and Esthetics, Toronto, for 2006 Nail Art Technician; Rheanne Thackeray, Kenneth Blair Salon & Spa, Lloydminster, Alta., for 2006 Nail Enhancement Artist; Liz Colley, Richard Jeha Hair Company, Vancouver, for 2006 British Columbia Hairstylist; Jeff Louis, Elysium Hair Body Spirit, Edmonton, for 2006 Alberta Hairstylist; Kelly Hunter, Fazes Hair Studio, Winnipeg, for 2006 Saskatchewan/Manitoba Hairstylist; Adriana Balea, J.C. Salons, Toronto, for 2006 Ontario Hairstylist; Annie Boucher, Guylaine Martel Artistes Coiffeurs, St-Hilaire, for 2006 Quebec Hairstylist; Cindy Hudson, Hair Factory, St John’s, Nfld., for 2006 Atlantic Hairstylist.

The Contessa for the most stylish salon, 2006 Salon Interior Design, was awarded to Montreal’s Mood by Pure.  Axcess Salon + Spa, Richmond Hill, Ont., owner Rocco Campanaro, was recognized for raising $30,000 for Alzheimer’s research at the first annual Glamour Do and received the 2006 Community Service Award.

In all, 22 awards were presented to some of Canada’s most talented beauty professionals. From hundreds of submissions and 120 finalists, the best of the best were chosen to represent the talents and standards of the Canadian beauty industry. The Contessa Awards recognize Canadian beauty pros who achieve excellence in artistic composition, technical precision and inventiveness and enable them to share their ideas and inspirations with hairstylists, nail technicians and makeup artists across the country and around the world.

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