A WEYMOUTH hair stylist who has just returned from the trip of a lifetime is not resting on her laurels as her career goes from strength to strength.

The Echo reported earlier this summer that 21-year-old Evangeline Barrett, who works at Blondz in St Edmunds Street, had been selected as one of just two ambassadors in the country for the Wella and Unicef Making Waves programme.

The scheme offers vulnerable people in the emerging world mentoring and the chance to pick up life skills and Evangeline has just been on an eye opening trip to Vietnam, where she shared her knowledge at one of the programme's centres.

Evangeline said: "It was an incredible, the best experience I have ever had an it's rewarding to know I have made a difference."

As well as teaching a group of around 30 students, she also visited an orphanage and met with Vietnam government officials and Unicef officials to discuss the project and the disparity between rich and poor in the country.

Evangeline said: "Over there if you don't have money over there you have got no education, no healthcare, nothing.

"So that's why it was such a good thing what we went and did because the programme will provide them with a career and therefore a life.

"It definitely wasn't a holiday, it was hard work but it was great."

On her return Evangeline checked her emails to find she had been chosen as a finalists for the Denman Stage Star competition, which is bidding to find the next platform artist, capable of educating others with live stage demonstrations.

She will be heading up to the Salon International event in London on Sunday (Oct 11) and if she is successful could be presenting on the Denman stage at the International Beauty Show in New York next year.

What is more, Evangeline has also been selected for a four-month online talent programme with hair icon Sam McKnight.

She was one of 500 stylists from around the world selected for the scheme and said that after the four-month scheme she would also be part of the Sam McKnight family and have access to networking and contact from others associated with the star.

Evangeline said that all her success was down to sheer hard work and her boss at Blondz Nikki Walker said she completely deserved it.

Nikki said: "She's doing really well, I'm so proud of her.

"She's got the drive and for a 21-year-old young lady I think she's done an amazing job."

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