Life is Beauty-ful for Holly in London!

When Holly Browne, 22, first entered the WorldSkills Australia Regional Competition, she never imagined the tremendous journey on which she was about to embark.

Just over two years on, her talent as one of Australia’s finest young beauty therapists has seen Holly trip between her family beachside base in New South Wales, up to the rainforests of Far North Queensland, across to Ireland, back to Australia, over to Japan, home again… before finally settling in the youthful city of London, United Kingdom. Marco Polo, eat your heart out!

When Holly Browne, 22, first entered the WorldSkills Australia Regional Competition, she never imagined the tremendous journey on which she was about to embark. Just over two years on, her talent as one of Australia’s finest young beauty therapists has seen Holly trip between her family beachside base in New South Wales, up to the rainforests of Far North Queensland, across to Ireland, back to Australia, over to Japan, home again… before finally settling in the youthful city of London, United Kingdom. Marco Polo, eat your heart out!

‘When I entered the Competition in the Hunter Valley, I had no idea just how far I was about to go – personally, professional and geographically. I never dreamed my skill would bring me here to London. It’s amazing.’

‘Living away from home, let alone traveling overseas, is something I’d never experienced before taking part in WorldSkills. Today I’m living in an exciting city, working and sharing a home with people from different countries and cultures, and I feel like a completely different person.’

Holly’s working for a Beauty Salon, ‘In Beauty Spa’, in Hampton Court, just a short stroll away from the spectacular palace where King Henry VIII and his six wives lived 500 years ago – long before her home country, Australia, had been discovered by England’s settlers. She lives above the salon with 3 other beauty therapists from South Africa and is relishing in learning more about foreign products, as well as the work ethic and styles of different cultures.

‘The great thing about Beauty is techniques are transportable between different countries – a facial’s a facial anywhere in the world, but I’m learning about products I’d never heard of, seeing variations of technique and witnessing different styles of customer service. But above all I’m enjoying meeting new people, seeing new places and doing different things socially.’

It seems Holly’s leading the charge for Australian WorldSkillers exchanging abroad. She’s looking forward to the imminent arrival of fellow Australian WorldSkills’ Champions, and friends, Candice Faranda (Hairdressing) and Courtney Barton (Floristry) in the Northern Hemisphere.

Candice will be heading to London in May where she’ll work with a Hairdressing Salon she trained with in the lead-up to the WorldSkills Competition in Japan. At the same time teammate, Courtney, is bound for Switzerland to work with Swiss Expert and Florist, Adrian Hertig.