I simply love pageants, if it could be my full-time job you
bet your bottom dollar I would live in my gowns and crowns til the cows come
home. I’ve been very lucky to be part of the UK pageant scene for 8 years now,
going to internationals twice and finally being able to represent Europe in
AMERICA THIS YEAR!! In Texas, where pageantry was born!! When I first started
competing there was little on the internet and in books about pageants, not
much advice available and in order to learn about what a queen should do or
act, you had to experience it yourself. A lot of girls when they enter pageants
do not know what they are getting themselves in for, or what to expect. Some
would see it as a modelling contest, others a chance to get their platform
across, others see a big tiara and have childhood dreams of being a princess
whereas overs see the opportunity for travel. We are so lucky now there is a
big pageant scene here in the UK where you can find past and current queens on
social media through their like pages and scroll through what they have been up
to, so you can see how active you want to be as a beauty queen.
This is why I started Sparkles and Rhinestones, a blog page
where pageant girls just starting or maybe competed and not placed, could get
tips on appearance outfits, interview techniques, how to act on social media,
pageant shoes and outfits, and anything else pageant related I could think of.
I wanted the page to be a celebration of the different pageants in the UK.
Through this page people can nominate their favourite queen, talk about their
platforms and promote themselves and their system, as well as reading up on pageant
information. I started the page last year but just as I started, work got
extremely busy, so I couldn’t dedicate enough time to it but 2018 is the year! Hopefully
more beauty queens would like to help, and we can keep it running, for free,
and help as many girls as we can!!!
It’s not just Sparkles and Rhinestones that offer advice,
there are other pageant outlets. Of course, everyone will know Pageant Planet,
which is all around the globe. We have Pageant Gossip here in the UK who I
write for which includes loads of different tips for pageants girls in the UK
and beyond, from dress styles for different shapes, make up and fitness, this
online outlet gives you the whole package. There is also Natural Sparkle
Magazine which comes out every month or so and who I have written for in the
past, who do different interviews with different pageants queens. You tube is
also amazing for finding pageant vlogs! Miss Teen Galaxy Misha Grimes is of
course very well known on Youtube and includes different vlogs about pageants
but also her daily life, clothes, trips etc and recently Miss Divine UK Megan
has joined the Youtube community vlogging on her appearances. I will hopefully
join youtube once I can save up for a decent camera as I know when Penelope is born,
my phone is not going to have any storage left so you’ll have to just read my
blogs instead (plus I can wear my pj’s and no make up and you can’t see
anything!)
Blogs in pageants are a great way of getting your message
across, from what you’ve been up to as a
queen from appearances, what you believe in and even general day to day things
that you may find boring but others may think its exciting! I also believe that
writing blogs and doing videos for social media greatly help you as a
titleholder because it helps with your interview techniques, how you are in
front of a camera and how you get your words across. In YEMI, a lot of my
points were won behind the scenes through my interview and appearances, it’s
not just your beauty that will win you the crown! Pageants want a spokesperson,
someone who will represent them in a good light (no social media nightmares and
bad pr!) and most importantly a smiling face! That’s the only reason I won
(plus my pregnancy glow must of helped me right?!!)
You never know who reads your posts or your blogs on your
public pages, you could be inspiring the next generation, or girls that have
“retired” from pageantry because they feel they are not good enough or life
gets in the way, but after seeing what you do, are ready to get back in. You
wear the crown, the crown doesn’t wear you!
So I hope you all check out the Sparkles and Rhinestones
page, if you have any requests of what to write about next then let me know! I
am more than happy to advice!
Lots of love
Hannah x <3 x
Young European International Ms 2017/18
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