How many women can honestly say they've ever watched the Miss America or Miss USA pageant on TV and dreamed of their own "crowning moment"? For some of us, that might just be a fleeting daydream, but for others, pageants might be a great venture...if we just knew where to get started.
The first thing to consider is whether you want to do "Glitz" or "Natural" pageants. Miss America would be an example of a natural pageant- judges are looking for a polished version of a real woman. Although Miss USA is a bit more intense, it would also be considered a natural pageant. Glitz pageants are a different story- if you've ever watched the reality show, "Toddlers and Tiaras," you're seeing glitz in action. Think gobs of makeup, hair extensions, expensive nail and tanning packages, and a wardrobe that you'll wear once and then never have use for again. Okay, I admit, I am waaaaaay biased towards natural pageants over glitz. In my humble opinion, natural pageants can help a woman learn important life skills (poise, public speaking, etc), whereas glitz pageants are just a chance to play dress up and spend big money doing it. I won't come out and say glitz pageants are bad, but I will say that if that's the route you're looking to go, you'll want to go somewhere else for advice. I'm talking about natural pageants!
Next thing to consider: what is it you're wanting to get out of pageantry? Scholarships for college? Cash prizes? A chance at a modeling contract or a scholarship to acting school? Different pageants offer different things in their prize packages.
Finally, ask yourself if you can really handle pageants. Pageantry is no Cinderella story- no fairy godmother is going to appear before you and make a crown appear on your head. Pageant winners work hard on community service, physical fitness, knowledge of current events, opinions on politics, selecting a wardrobe, and practicing their talent. And, the magic crowning moment isn't just a happily-ever after. Holding even a local title may mean several appearances and appointments every week. Make sure you know what you are committing yourself to if you do win! Of course, if you don't win, can you handle it with maturity? Many girls enter the pageant to have fun and make friends- no one wants to listen to you gripe about how the winner didn't deserve the crown as much as you did. Enter a pageant with the understanding that there is only one crown, but there are plenty of other opportunities to have fun, make friends, and learn!
That said, here are a few great pageant systems with some information:
Miss America: www.missamerica.org
Ages 17-24
Main Prize: Educational Scholarships
Cost to Enter: No pageant entry fee, but contestants must raise funds for the Children's Miracle Network to be eligible to compete ($100 for local pageant, $250 for state pageant, $500 for national pageant)
Areas of Competition: Private Interview (25%), Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit (10%), Talent (35%), Poise and Presence in Eveningwear (15%), and Onstage Question (5%).
What else you should know: Miss America contestants start at the local level- if you don't see a pageant for your city or region, check for other pageants in your state that are "Open"- meaning anyone who lives in, attends school in, or works full-time in that state can enter, even if they don't live in the city the pageant represents. The national platform of Miss America is The Children's Miracle Network, plus every contestant chooses their own individual platform, which can be any topic the contestant is passionate about and wants to stand for during her reign. Be prepared for a busy year if you do win a title, and know that if you capture a state or national crown, you will be expected to take a year off of school in order to fulfill your obligations! There is LOTS of scholarship money available, even if you never take home a crown!
Miss USA and Miss Universe: www.missuniverse.com
Ages: 17-26
Main Prize: Some scholarship money to specific schools, including New York Film Academy. As a general rule, Miss USA and Miss Universe are seen as gateways to careers in modeling and acting.
Cost to Enter: $800 for state pageant....??
Areas of Competition: Interview, Swimwear, Eveningwear
What you should know: Miss USA contestants start at the state level- applications for state pageants are available online. Miss USA is NOT the same as Miss America, contrary to popular belief. The platform of the Miss USA pageant is Breast/Ovarian Cancer Awarness
Miss America's Outstanding Teen: www.maoteen.org
Ages: 13-17
This is the official "Little Sister" pageant to Miss America, so expect similarities (except that the teen pageant has a lifestyle and fitness in sportswear- shorts and a tank top- instead of swimwear). Also, you are NOT expected to take time off of school at any level, but winners are in for a busy year nonetheless!
Miss Teen USA: www.missuniverse.com/missteenusa
Ages: 14-18...??
This is the official little sister to Miss USA and Miss Universe, basically the same structure.
Miss International: www.miss-international.us
Ages: 19-29
Cost to Enter: State pageant $350
Areas of Competition: Interview (40%), Evening Gown (20%), Fitnesswear (20%) and Fun Fashion Wear (20%)
What you should know: Miss International contestants all choose their own platform to promote during their reign. This system also includes the little sister Miss Teen International and the Mrs. International pageant for married women.
National American Miss: www.namiss.com
Ages: Princess 4-6; Junior Pre-Teen 7-9; Pre-teen 10-12; Junior Teen 13-15; Teen 16-18, Miss 19-20
Prizes: Scholarships, Cash prizes, trophy
Entry Fee: $440 for state fee
Areas of Competition: Formal wear (30%), Personal Introduction (30%), Interview (30%), Community Involvement (10%)
What you should know: One of my favorite parts of NAM is that each area is judged by different people- you don't have to worry about the judges being so charmed by one contestant's opening act that they favor her for the rest of the pageant. It's also great that you can start in this system at a young age if you want to.
Miss American Co-Ed Pageants: www.gocoed.com
Ages: 3-22, various divisions
Okay, so I can't find a whole lot of information on the website, but I do know girls who have competed in this system and said it was great. Go ahead and apply if it interests you!
America's Perfect: www.americasperfectteen.com
Ages: Little Miss Perfect (Birth-11 years); Junior Teen (12-15 years); Teen (16-19 years); Miss (20-29 years); Woman (30 and beyond)
Main Prizes: Cash and modeling opportunities
Entry Fee: $895
Areas of Competition: Swimwear, Evening Gown, Interview- all equally scored.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
How To: Easy Homemade Hair Protein Treatment
Protein treatments are a great way to maintain healthy, shiny hair, and you can do them yourself in the comfort of your home! I learned this method from a fellow pageant-contestant; people notice the improvement in my hair whenever I do it!
Step 1) Mix three eggs and one tsp. of lemon juice together in a bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to mix well.
Step 2) Shampoo and condition your hair as usual. Once it is rinsed, apply the egg mixture generously from roots to tips of your hair. (I find the easiest way to do this is to just tilt your head back and pour the mixture directly from the bowl). Be sure to rinse any egg-spatters off of your skin. Wrap your hair in a towel and wait 30 minutes. (Start disinfecting any surfaces the raw eggs have touched while you are waiting! Don't let it sit!)
Step 3) Remove the towel, rinse your hair (make sure to get ALL of the egg mixture out!), and dry and style your hair as usual. Put the towel in the wash IMMEDIATELY- throwing it somewhere will guarentee a permanent rotten egg smell to it and anything else it touches.
I usually did this treatment once a month- depending on your hairtype and lifestyle, you might need to do it more or less often. Experiment and see what works best for you!
A few quick warnings: 1) NEVER try a new beauty treatment the day before or of a big event; everyone has different beauty needs, and we all make mistakes! Do a practice run well in advance to make sure you know what results you'll get. 2) Make sure to wash everything that the raw eggs touch with soap and hot water- 1 in every 20,000 eggs contains salmonella poisoning, and, once eggs rot, the smell can quickly become so bad that professional cleaning is required and 3) Warn your roommates or family that the bathroom might not smell so great for a few hours after this process. Try to do it in a well-ventilated bathroom. If you live in a dormitory setting, don't attempt this process in a community- bathroom!
Have fun!!
Step 1) Mix three eggs and one tsp. of lemon juice together in a bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to mix well.
Step 2) Shampoo and condition your hair as usual. Once it is rinsed, apply the egg mixture generously from roots to tips of your hair. (I find the easiest way to do this is to just tilt your head back and pour the mixture directly from the bowl). Be sure to rinse any egg-spatters off of your skin. Wrap your hair in a towel and wait 30 minutes. (Start disinfecting any surfaces the raw eggs have touched while you are waiting! Don't let it sit!)
Step 3) Remove the towel, rinse your hair (make sure to get ALL of the egg mixture out!), and dry and style your hair as usual. Put the towel in the wash IMMEDIATELY- throwing it somewhere will guarentee a permanent rotten egg smell to it and anything else it touches.
I usually did this treatment once a month- depending on your hairtype and lifestyle, you might need to do it more or less often. Experiment and see what works best for you!
A few quick warnings: 1) NEVER try a new beauty treatment the day before or of a big event; everyone has different beauty needs, and we all make mistakes! Do a practice run well in advance to make sure you know what results you'll get. 2) Make sure to wash everything that the raw eggs touch with soap and hot water- 1 in every 20,000 eggs contains salmonella poisoning, and, once eggs rot, the smell can quickly become so bad that professional cleaning is required and 3) Warn your roommates or family that the bathroom might not smell so great for a few hours after this process. Try to do it in a well-ventilated bathroom. If you live in a dormitory setting, don't attempt this process in a community- bathroom!
Have fun!!
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