Tips and Tidbits from the Pageant World

As I have mentioned in other blogs, I come from a very large family. And although my parents were able to give us so many things (a wonderful loving environment to come home to every day, confidence & belief in ourselves, etc) there was one thing they weren’t able to give us: money for college. I realized very early on that if I was going to go to college I would need to find a way to pay for it on my own.

I was an athlete so I was able to get substantial athletic scholarships. I also had high grades and test scores so I was eligible for many academic scholarships. However, I went to a private liberal arts college and there was still a remainder of my tuition that wasn’t covered by scholarships and grants. So, in my search for additional scholarship funds I found one great way for me to pay for my education – compete in pageants. Over my four-year undergraduate education I was able to earn over $30,000 in scholarships, speak and make presentations to the State Senate, and address numerous audiences throughout the state of Idaho on a monthly basis.

Now, I could probably dedicate an entire blog just to the “world” of pageants. However, the purpose of this blog isn’t to justify or defend the program. This is a blog to let the every-day person in on five of the tips and tricks that you learn in the pageant world!

1. Whether it be from a late night studying, or a fun night out on the town…we have all had mornings where your eyes are puffy, swollen, or show dark circle. The Solution: Put preparation H (hemorrhoid cream) under your eyes!! The ointment will relieve the puffiness and swelling!

2. Duct tape isn’t just for DIY fixes throughout the house! If you ever need a little “perk” for the ladies upstairs and are wearing a backless dress…duct tape is the answer! You can lean over with the roll of duct tape in your hand and tape from one side of your chest to the other (usually it takes about three strips of tape) while “pushing up” at the same time you are taping. It creates miraculous results. Warning: This usually takes the help of another person and is actually quite painful when you are taking the tape off. One helpful tip: Bandaids over the sensitive areas.

3. If you are one of a series of people being interviewed for the same position there is a placement strategy. Typically people tend give the best score to the person who is close to the end of your interviewees. For example, let’s say there are 20 people applying for the same position. Interviewers tend to be harder on the first bunch of the applicants because they don’t necessarily have a medium to compare. Towards the end of the interview process, they are usually tired/exhausted/bored from interviewing. We’ve found that usually if you are numbers 15-18 (out of 20) you have the best chance of being selected. Keep in mind, this isn’t fool-proof. If you are an excellent interviewer you can get a high score regardless of your “position”. However, if competition is tough….keep this in mind. You may think about this strategy also when you are making a presentation in class…the same concept applies.

4. Don’t worry, preparation H isn’t just for swollen eyes!! Ever had to wear a bathing suit in public? I have…and it is not too fun if you aren’t in your best shape. Take Preparation H ointment and rub it on your legs. It will reduce the appearance of cellulite and tighten up your skin, reducing the “jiggle” effect! Crazy, I know, but it works.

5. Speaking of swimsuits….hate when you are in a swimsuit and the swimsuit material starts to ride? There is a secret: Butt Glue. It is actually "wig glue" that women use to keep their wigs on their heads, but you can also use it on your swimsuit to keep it in place. You can use this same application to keep straps or pieces of dresses in place. Keep in mind, however, that the glue isn’t incredibly strong so if you are planning on actively moving around this isn’t the best plan of attack.

So there you have it. The secret world of a beauty queen.

This was kind of a silly post and I touched on the “stereotypical” areas of a pageant. Although I do believe that stereotypes start for a reason, and there are some girls who compete that are competing for the wrong reasons, I don’t have enough gratitude for the growth I received from competing in this program. As I mentioned earlier, I was able to pay for a huge portion of my education, I learned how to command attention to both large and small audiences, and got many connections throughout the state of Idaho along the way. I had the opportunity to speak regularly at Chamber of Commerce meetings in communities throughout Idaho to teach business owners how to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. I convinced multiple school boards in Idaho and Oregon to pilot a student-based peer tutoring program, enabling the participation of over 500 elementary and junior-high students. I was awarded the “Overall Interview Award” two years in a row, an achievement which I was most proud of.

Maybe one of these days in a blog I will feel like defending the program to people who criticize it, or explaining the differences between the Miss America Organization and the Miss USA program (very different programs with very different types of girls who compete, different entry qualifications, judging criteria, etc) but in the meantime I am happy knowing that I have shared some of my “secret tips” that I learned while competing as a pageant winner.