How to Be a Beauty Queen

Co-authored by Ivy Boyd

Last Updated: January 13, 2023 References

Beauty queens are glamorous and widely admired and envied. If you'd like to become a beauty queen but aren't sure how, there are things you can do to be more like one. Always remember that confidence is everything! Whether you want to actually join a pageant or just look like a beauty queen, there are things you need to know about the look and vibe.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Looking Like a Beauty Queen

1
Wear makeup that enhances your natural beauty. You should keep your makeup pretty natural, so that your beauty shines through. That being said, beauty queens always wear some makeup. Learn how to apply makeup too. You could just go to a cosmetics counter at the mall, and ask to be shown a few tips.
- Always wear lipstick at the pageant. You can go for a subtle look – say nude liner and a non tinted gloss – but beauty queens don’t let their lips stay bare. For a more vibrant look, line your lips with color, like pink or red, and then fill them in with matching lipstick.
- It’s good to take care of your brows. Make them look natural, not overly exaggerated, but well groomed and arched. Get this done at a salon. Don’t try to do it yourself. Save the heavy makeup for the actual pageant or you could end up clogging your pores, which leads to acne.
- Other makeup that is commonly worn by beauty queens includes, primer, foundation, concealer, powder, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. Buy high-quality makeup. With a little research, you should be able to find quality makeup that doesn't break the bank. You want highly pigmented eyeliner that doesn't smear. Look for a translucent face powder that is triple milled so it doesn't become chalky.
2
Consider a spray tan to give your skin a pretty glow. Most people look better with a little color to their skin. However, using tanning beds is really risky. It can lead to melanoma and premature wrinkling. So if you’re naturally really pale, try a spray tan instead. They look pretty natural these days.
- Test out the spray tan a few weeks before the actual pageant so you can make sure it looks good on your skin, and figure out the amount you want.
- A good bronzing powder can also give you a glowing tan look. You want a bronzer that's not too dark. You should also invest in a bronzing brush so it applies evenly. ^{[1]
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3
Make sure you have pageant hair and nails. Pageant hair follows a certain look. You don’t want your hair too short, for example, and you want it to look elegant and to have some volume.
- Pageant hair should have some style to it. It shouldn’t just hang there limply. To get volume in your hair, use a round brush. Divide the hair into sections. Work a section at a time. Try spraying a little dry shampoo into your roots. Then, use large Velcro rollers before you style your hair. Put hair spray on them, and leave them in for 20 minutes.
- You also may need a hairpiece. Choose one that isn’t too over-the-top. You could also add a few hair extensions if you want fuller hair. Make sure they don’t look obvious. Hairpieces can be a good idea when your hair needs some length or volume. Make sure they match your hair color and texture. They can also make your updo look better.
- For nails, you want to make sure they are not chipped or with peeling paint. Instead, go for an elegant look at a nail salon, like a French manicure. Don’t forget your toes! Get a pedicure.
4
Wear elegant jewelry every day to perfect your look. Beauty queens are not low maintenance. They accessorize, and they usually do so with fine jewelry. You want to go for an elegant look.
- A thin necklace with crystal or a layered necklace give you a beauty queen look. A choker will too.
- Bracelets and earrings will complete the look. Choose jewelry with small gem stones. Earrings should not be too big or gaudy. The rule is to not wear jewelry that attracts more attention than your face. ^{[2]
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5
Stick with pastels, white or bright colors to stand out on stage. Beauty queens are positive and vibrant, and so you aren’t going to see them wearing darker colors much, like black, brown or gray. Instead, wear clothing in pastels.
- Wear clothes in lilac and pale blue or soft neutral shades with rose undertones. In the winter, when pastels don’t work as well, wear clothes with white, navy blue, tomato red, and green.
- Think bright. It looks good on camera. Pink, red, orange and blue are colors that work well in pageants. The most common winning pageant gown color is white. ^{[3]
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6
Buy the right wardrobe to complete the pageant look. You need to go to the pageant with the right stuff in your suitcase. You will need a bling-covered dress, for example. Think quality over super trendy; try a nice department store.
- Make sure your clothing matches your age. If you’re a teenager, for example, you wouldn’t want to do a too-cute routine in a cupcake dress. If the pageant participant is your young toddler, you don’t want to cake on makeup or put them in too mature of a dress because judges won’t like it, and you child is too young for that anyway.
- Try to pick an evening gown that matches your personality but is not too eye popping, trashy, or bubbly. For example, a gown that is too low cut or too short or has too much bling might be seen as trashy by some judges. Gowns that are too bubbly would include those with excessive feathers or tulle. You want an elegant look. For a swimsuit, pick a solid color two-piece bikini. Don’t make it too low cut.
- For an interview, you should choose a classic dress with a belt, a sheath, or a skirt suit. Don’t show cleavage. ^{[4]
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7
Get the right heels to ensure your legs look longer and sleeker. Don’t forget the shoes to go with the dress! And you definitely need heels, not flats. Heels will make your legs look better. Pageant heels are usually 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 cm) high.
- For your evening gown, choose any length of heel you want, but make sure it matches the color of your dress or is black. Usually, pageant shoes are brightly colored.
- For the swimming suit, wear heels on the lower side that match the color of the suit. For the interview, you also want to choose lower heels.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing For a Pageant

1
Pick a talent that plays to your strengths. It needs to be a talent that is appropriate, and it needs to be something you are comfortable doing. Choose something you're good at, not something you think they want.
- Good choices include tap dancing, playing an instrument, baton twirling, or singing. Whatever you pick, you need to know your routines perfectly so you can let your personality shine through instead of just trying to remember the moves.^{[5]
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- Avoid anything that seems at all vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. Practice your talent. Some beauty queens say they train for two hours a day at dance. You’re not going to be good at your routine if you don’t practice it.
- Unless you’re really, really good at it, stay away from the usual routines in things like dance or gymnastics. There will be a lot of competition, and if you’re not advanced at it, you might look poor in comparison and score low. Write a list of things you’re great at and things you’re not to help you settle on a talent.
2
Get ready for the interview so you ace it. Usually pageants require an interview with the judges, often off-stage first and maybe a question on stage during the pageant. Sometimes these are one-on-one interviews, and sometimes a panel of judges will interview you.
- You should write down common questions, such as “if you had one wish for the world, what would it be?” and plan your answers in advance. Practice with a friend or parent, so you get used to having an audience.
- You can also purchase books that list common pageant questions to prepare in advance. ^{[6]
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3
Get a modeling or pageant coach to improve your chances. It doesn’t matter how pretty you are if you don’t have the correct training. A good coach can help you understand the ins and outs of competing in a pageant. Be aware that there are a lot of scam agencies out there. Be very wary of modeling agencies that try to make you pay them, for example. As for coaches, do your homework. Ask competitors and check professional pageant directories for references.
- A coach will help you learn what to wear, what to expect, what not to do, what to pack and so on. If you've never done this before, choosing a pageant coach could give you an edge.
- A good coach will help you research pageants. You want to choose a pageant that fits well with you and that you will qualify in, too. If you don't place the first time, try again. Getting pageant experience can make all of the difference.
- Joining a reputable modeling agency will help you in a number of areas, including poise and confidence.
4
Commission a personal portfolio. You should hire a professional photographer to do a variety of shots for a professional photo shoot.
- You want to wear your pageant wardrobe for this shoot. This won’t come cheaply, though. It's worth it. You don't want photos taken by a friend. They need to look professional.
- Make sure the photographer takes headshots. These are common in pageant portfolios.
5
Get in shape to better your chances. You need to be in good shape to succeed as a beauty queen. But never starve yourself or engage in harmful dieting. Not only is it not worth it, but you won’t look healthy, and it will harm your chances.
- Instead, join a gym or start attending yoga classes. Any exercise routine will work, although you want to avoid workouts that build too much muscle. Beauty queens look athletic and healthy, but they also look feminine.
- Eat a sensible diet. That means drinking a lot of water, eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, keeping your portion size in control, and avoiding junk food. It’s a good idea to drink a lot of water throughout the day to get a natural glow.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Succeeding in the Pageant

1
Make eye contact with the judges to show them confidence. If that’s too intimidating, try staring at their forehead or nose. It will look like you’re looking them in the eye without the pressure of eye contact.
- Establishing brief eye contact with the judges will draw them in and show them you are a good performer. It conveys confidence, which is so important in beauty queens.
- Don’t maintain eye contact for longer than a few seconds, though, or it could come across as intentional or even creepy.
2
Smile (a lot). No one wants to choose a grouchy beauty queen or one who seems inaccessible, arrogant, or who lacks confidence. Smile! It will immediately give people a good impression of you.
- Show your teeth when you smile. This brings out the best in you. Get your teeth whitened before the pageant so that your smile dazzles as much as possible.
- If you put petroleum jelly on your teeth at home as practice, you won’t be able to stop smiling.
3
Have excellent posture to walk like a queen. Beauty queens have great posture. This is absolutely crucial. You need to walk regally, with your shoulders back and head straight (never looking down).
- Show confidence at all times. You can walk with confidence, too. If you show any awkwardness or nervousness, you’re unlikely to get a great score.
- Don't crunch your back. Stand up straight! Not only will you feel more confident and beautiful, standing up straight helps improve your mood, memory, and boosts creative thinking.
4
Be a good role model at all times. You don’t want to come across like a robot. You need to be confident enough to show your personality. Hopefully it’s sassy and fun. You need to come across like a good role model.
- People get in trouble when they go negative. Stay positive at all times. Become a happy person, and show that in all you do. Be nice to the other contestants. Don’t act like a snob.
- Think about the personality trait you want to showcase before the pageant. Maybe do some volunteer work before the pageant. If you win, you will be representing the pageant organization.^{[7]
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5
Ace the interview to increase your chances of placing. The interview is something you should take very seriously. Beauty queens need to be more than beautiful; they need to be poised, smart, and good communicators.
- If you don’t know much about the question, don’t say nothing. Find something to say even if it's not the best answer. Just do your best, and perhaps repeat part of the question at the beginning of your answer to give yourself more time. As in, "The best way to achieve world peace is to.... etc."
- Answer honestly and from the heart. You want to be genuine. Avoid clichéd answers like “world peace.” It's helpful to get some public speaking experience first.
- If you get asked a really controversial question be as diplomatic and tactful as possible - try to stay positive - but still answer honestly.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you stop the hot stage lights from making your makeup run off?

Ivy Boyd
Makeup Artist
Ivy Boyd is a Makeup Artist and the Creator of the beauty blog, Ivy Boyd Makeup. With nearly a decade of makeup experience, Ivy specializes in makeup services for weddings, special events, and editorial photoshoots. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from The University of Northern Iowa. Ivy was a finalist in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards and has been featured in numerous media publications such as People Magazine and Brides Magazine.

Ivy Boyd

Makeup Artist

Expert Answer

Apply a setting spray after you apply your makeup to help it stay in place throughout the pageant.
Question

Can a Muslim girl or fat girl participate in the pageant?

Community Answer

Yes! There are no rules about religion or faith, and personality is often more important than looks. Don't let anything stop you from pursuing your dream to be a beauty queen.
Question

What do I do if I have a gap in my teeth?

Community Answer

Don't worry about it! It's great to have something unique like this, don't think of it as a flaw. There are supermodels with gaps in their teeth.

Warnings

Don't get obsessed with beauty - it isn't everything. You cannot be attractive with a horrible personality, no matter how pretty you are. Always stay humble, nice, friendly and kind. Most importantly, don't let your beauty regime get in the way of work or school.

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Being pretty is certainly fine, but being vain about it is not. Don't be vain and stand in front of a mirror for hours, that does nothing but make you look unfriendly and conceited to people who would've been your friend.

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