The differences between Glitz and Natural beauty pageants

This week I received the same question from two different mothers whose daughters want to be Miss America one day.

What is the difference between flashy and natural beauty pageants and which one do I recommend?

Both flash and natural pageants can help young women develop confidence and stage presence in a fun environment; but there are great differences between ostentation and the natural worlds of pageantry. To understand where my point of view is coming from, let me first point out that the two young ladies want to compete in the Miss America system. Secondly, I am a specialist natural competition coach with my background in resume writing, interview/communication skills and developing a positive self-image.

Natural Contests

Pageant systems that fall into this category are National American Miss (NAM), American Coed Pageant (COED), International Junior Miss (IJM), America’s National Teenager (ANTSO), Cinderella, America’s Outstanding Teen, Miss America, Teen-World , Miss USA, Mrs. America, Mrs. USA and Mrs. International. There are many more, but this is a sampling of systems familiar to people in the world of pageants.

• Generally speaking, the makeup guideline for children under the age of 12 is zero. Some will only allow mascara and lip gloss on stage under bright light. Makeup worn on teens and women is meant to enhance natural beauty, not to become the focal point or make them look like someone they are not. The same goes for the hairstyle. Always be sure to check with your director about the details of your contest.
• The clothes are tasteful and shiny; but it is not too ornate. The wardrobe is usually purchased in a store and subtly embellished or customized by the contestant to reflect her sense of personality and style. The wardrobe should always draw attention to the girl who wears it. Not the other way.
• The modeling style for the dress is elegant and smooth. The arms and hands are close to your body moving in natural opposition (when you step forward with your right foot, your left arm moves forward, and so on).
• The facial expressions are natural with the energy of the eyes and smile to match.
• Communication skills are developed through a stage presentation, a personal interview, and a stage question.

Who does well in natural pageants? Contestants who enjoy talking, are proficient in an artistic talent, get good grades, have a passionate cause for charity, and are well-rounded people who tend to excel in natural pageants. These skills can easily transfer to life off the pageant stage.

glitter contests

There are many glitz pageants across the country. If your child is hurt with facial beauty, this may be the place to start. Glitz contests offer the opportunity for young children to get used to being on stage before they can speak.

• In glitz pageants, you’ll see the use of hairpieces, heavy makeup, deep tans, false teeth (called fins), false eyelashes, and colored contact lenses worn by most of the contestants.
• The clothing for the glitz pageant is usually the short dress with cupcake skirt.. A cupcake dress is a dress that is several inches above the knee, has multiple layers of lace, and is heavily stoned and bedazzled. Most of the dresses you see on the Toddlers and Tiaras TV show are cupcake dresses and are filmed in glitz pageants.
• Glitz pageants have their own style of modeling. Due to the full cupcake skirt, contestants learn to walk with their hands away from the body with their fingertips gently curving around the outer ruffle of their dress. When they walk, their arms do not move in the opposite natural way. Instead, they move in the same direction (if you take a step with your right foot, your right arm moves slightly with it).
• Facial expressions tend to be exaggerated with a lot of eyelash movement, tilting the head from side to side, and blowing kisses.
• The opportunity to develop oral communication skills is limited in flash contests.. If the contestant speaks, is it brief or just to say her name, age, and where she is from. This may be because most of the contestants are babies and young children whose speech is not yet developed. Once again, the focus is on outer beauty.

Who does well in flash contests? Contestants who really enjoy dressing up to create new characters on stage will love flash contests. The crowns are bigger than the boy’s head and the trophies are twice his height. Usually there are also many prizes.

Just make sure your child can tolerate having her hair combed, her eyelashes glued on, and wearing lots of makeup. Glitz pageants are high maintenance and expensive. They are very popular and easy to find for children under 5 years of age.

Because the show environment is all about creating an illusion, it is difficult, but not impossible, for children who have only participated in showy pageants to successfully transition to natural pageants as they get older. Modeling style, limited speaking experience, and facial expressions learned at a young age are hard habits to break.

So, to answer the second part of the question about what type of pageant would you recommend, given that these two girls want to be Miss America one day (and what 10 year old doesn’t want to be), I would say stick with the pageant system. natural.