Cambridge Bay (Dec 04/06) - Cambridge Bay might be a long way from the fashion meccas of New York, Paris or Milan but Niki Greeley says that doesn't matter: what's important is feeling good about yourself.

The Yellowknife cosmetologist who grew up in Rankin Inlet just wrapped a week-long trades course in the field at Kiilinik high school that ran the gamut from pedicures to makeup.

And Greeley says the course, which is part of a wider Career Technology Studies pilot project at the school, has students interested.

"From what I see, it's positive," she said. "I've got girls coming to school who haven't been to school in months."

Greeley started with the basics of skin and body care and physical fitness before getting into the finer points of makeup and body wraps. Then she let the students have at it.

"Right now they're pretty much hands and feet deep into whatever makeup they can get their hands on," she said.

Grade 10 student Vanessa Otokiak said she picked up style tips that were new to her.

"I learned some stuff about your skin, like what kind of skin you have, and how to do your nails and your makeup," she said.

Otokiak said she's thinking about pursuing cosmetology as a career. "You get to meet a whole bunch of people and it's really so much fun."

Kiilinik principal Paul Theriault said the cosmetology course is part of a wider effort to expand trades education for Cambridge Bay students.

The project has benefitted from the support of local business and one of the Northern airlines, which offered a cut-rate ticket for Greeley to come from Yellowknife.

Greeley has benefitted from the course too, providing facials, manicures and the like to local customers.

"I've got clients... right until I go to the airport," she said.