Pageant Body Ready
Written By Audrey Powell
You’ve done the hard part and prepped for your pageant interview, now its time to focus on the important details that can move you from runner-up to title holder. Being on stage makes your body look entirely different. In this post, I will share with you all of the information I gleaned the hard way through my pageant endeavors!
Fingernails- Keep it neutral and light. You don’t want your nails to distract the judges from the content of your answer when you are speaking. French tip nails are always a safe bet
Toes- your toenails should look nicely kept. They need to have a neutral polish color. If you have a light color on your nails, your toes can be a little darker. If you choose to have color, make sure it goes nicely with your shoes and all of your looks for the pageant and the pageant interview. When you are on stage, the judges are very close to your feet and you don’t want to waste any stage time with them looking at your toenail polish. The goal here is that they never notice your toes. Keep that in mind and you will be good to go.
Eyebrows- I debated placing these within the “body hair” category but figure they are important enough that they deserve their own section. Many makeup artists will tell you that your eyebrows frame your face and especially your eyes. Please, for the love of the eyebrow gods, please make sure your eyebrows look kept. Having unkempt, messy, bushy eyebrows will make you seem more juvenile- something you surely do not want to do once you reach the teen category. Go to a professional and get them waxed. I promise you it doesn’t hurt that bad, and when it does hurt, it is only for a second. And as they say, beauty is pain. Plus, the pain of having perfect eyebrows is so worth it! Do it and I promise you will not regret it.
Body Hair- make sure your legs and armpits are shaved. Not only does this look nicer, but it also helps your tan go on better. Plus, when your legs are shaved it creates a slimmer look. Some contestants also choose to shave their arms- that one is up to you. Also, some girls have their hair waxed. If you choose to wax, test it a few months before your pageant date to make sure your body reacts with it fine. If the results are positive, get waxed a few days prior to your pageant and not the day before- you do not need any puffiness nor redness. When your body is shaved, it makes your tan look better which brings us to the next point… the tan.
Tan- Ah, the infamous tan. Most contestants will opt for a spray tan. I’ve learned (the hard way, I might add) that it is much better to have someone spray you rather than going to a booth. When you go to a booth, it ends up uneven, there is always a streak, and it tends to be darker in places than in others (this normally isn’t noticeable on stage but can be in your pageant interview. I found a great lady who charges only fifteen dollars and will customize your tan to you. Unlike the booths which are supposed to make you the same tone from head to toe, having someone tan you gives you the ability to make certain areas darker (like legs!) and leave others light (like your face!). Personally, I know I feel and perform so much better when I feel confident about how I look. Ensuring that I have a good tan is one of the best ways to ensure that.
However, if you do not like spray tans, there is always the option to go to tanning beds. I’ve also gone this route and would advise using an accelerator when you tan. Also, plan to start tanning a few months before your event to give your skin plenty of time to heal in the process. I found tanning beds usually end up being a much more expensive route and are certainly less healthy.
Skin- treat your skin right! Pageant time always brings a lot of stress so ensuring you are drinking enough water and getting plenty of rest is a step in the right direction for healthy skin. For skincare tips, check out the Pinterest board!
Hair- If you color your hair, get it colored about a week before the pageant. Similarly, if you are planning on cutting it before pageant day, especially if it is a dramatic change, get it done with plenty of time to spare so you can get accustomed to styling your hair. Don’t save your haircut for last minute. Besides, what if something awful happens at your haircut? You will not have the time to fix it!
Keep your hair looking sleek. There are lots of different types of oils and products that work great for this. Again, we have some great Pinterest boards so take a look at our one on hair!
Please do not hesitate to comment any questions- especially those pertaining to your look in your interview. I have competed enough that if I do not have personal experience, I have a good pageant friend who probably does! Either way, your questions will be answered.