Junior Rises in Beauty School

By Kayla Cohen ’17

Junior Paris Holbrook is currently in beauty school and working to fulfill her dream of acquiring her cosmetology license. She goes to Montgomery County Beauty School in Silver Spring on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for four hours on weekdays and up to eight hours on Saturday.

Obtaining a cosmetology license includes training in styling hair, applying makeup, and making acrylic nails. The process is long, and requires up to 1,500 hours of training at beauty school before getting the license. Holbrook currently has approximately 430 hours and will likely finish beauty school between 2017 and 2018 by the age of 19 years.

Ever since she was a young child, Holbrook has been fascinated by different makeup and hairstyles. “I not only wanted to do my own [hair], but also other people’s so that they felt confident in their own skin,” she said. “Cosmetology gives me an opportunity to help others improve themselves in a beautiful way.” In the future, Holbrook plans to open her own salon in New York for men and women so that she can bring out their inner beauty and make them feel more confident about themselves.

This past year, Holbrook participated in the Miss Maryland Teen USA pageant, where she did her own hair and makeup. Pursuing a profession as a cosmetologist helped Holbrook be more independent in putting together her look for the pageant rather than relying on the stylists there. “I also want to continue doing my own hair and makeup in Rock ‘n’ Roll this year, but this time with more knowledge and experience,” said Holbrook. “[If there is] anyone else who would like me to help with their look for the stage, [it’s] twenty dollars.”

Currently, Holbrook works at Symmetry Salon Studios in Bethesda twice a week. She does shampooing, clean-up and learns new techniques from a renowned woman who has styled hair for a variety of famous people and has helped with many local fashion shows. With this experience that Holbrook gains, she hopes to “help bring the beauty out in others mentally and physically, so that there is as much positivity in this world as possible.”