Confessions of a beauty queen

Lately, I've been getting tons of questions about my pageant years. Ready for the answers? Let's go.

• Is it hard to do a pageant/How time consuming is it/What's it like to be a pageant girl?

On a typical  local pageant day, you wake up around six to start getting ready. You'll head to the performance area and start orientation and rehearsals. Around noon you'll break for lunch and start getting ready for interview. Interview starts about one, then you have the afternoon for talent rehearsals and time to start getting ready for one stage.

At the state level, it's a little different because the pageants typically are either a weekend or a whole week long. So you'll have different competitions on different days, based on your contestant group.

• How long have you been competing?

I've been competing since I was twelve. My very first pageant was the summer before I started eighth grade. My senior year of high school I switched circuits, though.

My very first pageant ever.

• What are the age ranges/Are there certain rules you have to follow?

Each pageant has their own rules. My first circuit had different divisions for different age groups. I went to state twice as a Pre-Teen (and got top ten) and then twice as a Jr. Teen (and got top ten). In my second circuit, teens are ages 13-17 and Miss are 18-24. It just depends on the organization to decide who they want to let compete.

As far as rules, there are unwritten and written rules. No panty hose during swim suit, no mentioning former experience in pageants, no talking to judges and no changing your physical appearance without director's consent are all rules that are in the book. You also have to provide proof that you're a natural born female. As far as unwritten, any time you're in public is a chance for a judge to see you, so you have to look put together at any moment. You have to be on at all times.

• What are the work outs like?

Work outs aren't required or mandated, but if you have a swimsuit competition, obviously you're going to want to look your best. I'm lucky that I have a naturally fast metabolism, so I don't have to work out tons. What I usually would do is pop in my ten minutes Pilates DVD, or my Pussy Cat dolls dance DVD (so lame, I know) and some Wii Fit. It's more about muscle tone for me then a weight issue. You don't want to look too skinny, or too big and you don't want to look too toned, or too anti-gym. It's a thin line.

• Is it like the movies?

One of my favorite pageant girls

I'm assuming this is talking about the drama they portray. The thing about stereotypes is that for every person there is that fits it, is a person who doesn't. There are some girls who go by trickery, manipulation and fear tactics to intimidate the other girls and there are some who the nicest girls you will ever meet. There are rules in place in most organizations to prevent things like dress shredding, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I've known girls who have tricked other girls into using the bathroom without washing their butt glue off and they got stuck to the toilet, and girls who would sit outside the interview room telling all the girls who hadn't gone yet that they knew all the judges so to give up. But there have also been girls who have surrounded me when I was bawling my eyes out about something a judge said, putting on my butt glue for me (TMI...?) and cheering me on no matter what. It really just depends on the group of girls. And the moms. From what I've heard from my mom, and other moms of girls, some of the moms can be worse than the girls. 

• What is butt glue and what are cutlets?

Okay, so you're on stage in front of hundreds of people in a bikini, and all of a sudden your suit rides up and everyone is getting a nice view of all your behind business. Not going to win you points. So butt glue is glue that you put on your skin and the edges of your bathing suit that keeps in on your booty while you're walking.

Only smiling because I know I have butt glue as insurance.

Okay, not really.

Cutlets are little gel inserts that you stick in your top to enhance your assets. Most girls use butt glue, but not every girl uses cutlets. Some opt for fake boobs, some use duct tape and some just stuff. 

If you have any more questions, let me know! I'm going to try to do a beauty post later this week. :)