L’Oréal Professionnel Paris celebrates hair artists across the globe

L’Oréal Professionnel Paris will be hosting the grand finale of its pro hair competition, the International Style and Color Trophy in Paris. L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has always been at the forefront of celebrating hair artistry and the brand is thrilled to announce that Raju Rajak, winner of the latest edition of the Indian Hairdressing Awards, represented India on the international stage and made it to the global semifinals.

Held every year in Paris, the International Style and Color Trophy is the world’s first and largest pro hair competition. In 2021, it became the first online contest celebrating hair pros. In this contest, the hair pros showcased their talent around French Balayage, the hair trend of the year. That year, the contest saw a whopping 22,500 participants who created diverse looks from shy to bold French Balayages on hair of different lengths and styles. 

This year, the competition returned with the theme French Edito, where the hair pros had to create a look for a premium magazine cover by giving the models a French Balayage or French Glossing service. French Balayage is a hairdressing trend much spoken about on social media. This freehand hair painting technique allows for natural-looking, blended hair color.

The contest began in the month of April and the national finales were held in the participating countries in August. Raju Rajak, from Geetanjali Salon, was chosen as the finalist who will be participating in the global competition representing India. 

Commenting on the occasion, Shweta Sahni, National Education Head, L’Oréal India said, “We are ecstatic to have Raju Rajak represent the country on the global level at the International Style and Color Trophy 2022. With competitions like the Style and Color Trophy, it is our aim at L’Oréal Professionnel Paris to celebrate the artistic vision of hairstylists and the business of hairdressing. This is a moment of pride for us, and we wish Raju Rajak all the very best.”

Earlier this year in March, Raju Rajak had created a seamlessly blended French Balayage at the Indian Hairdressing Awards, which led him to bag the title of the national winner. 

Expressing his views on the competition, Raju Rajak said, “I am honored to have received this opportunity to represent my nation on an international platform. My association with L’Oréal Professionnel Paris has helped me evolve as an artist. My journey from the first round of the Indian Hairdressing Awards to the finale of the International Style and Color Trophy has been truly enriching. Kudos to the brand for leading the way to create a space to celebrate hair professionals and their talent.”