Pageant contestants always have a slew of beauty secrets up their sparkly sleeves, from using Scotch tape to remove unwanted eye shadow to applying butt glue to "pull up your behind." But the most surprising secret of all? The Miss America contestants hopefuls do their own hair and makeup.
We talked to Kelly Richardson, a professional spray tanner for pageant queens, professional cheerleaders and celebs, about what really goes on behind-the-scenes at the Miss America pageant, which will take place this Sunday night. Kelly has been backstage with contestants for the preliminaries this week, touching up their spray tans and helping with hairstyling.
Before each preliminary, the contestants get worked on by their respective hair and makeup people, as Kelly explained to us: "Some contestants show up with a clean canvas, some have done their own hair and makeup and just need touch ups and some contestants do everything themselves."
But on the day of the big show itself, Kelly says, the contestants must fend for themselves:
"Little known fact: Miss America is required to do her own hair and makeup during her reign, so for the televised show on Sunday, no contestant may use a hair or makeup artist backstage. They are on their own."
That's when the butt glue, Scotch tape and even duct tape come into play, we presume.
Having the contestants learn how to do their own beauty routines is actually rather important. The reigning Miss America 2013, Mallory Hagan, said that since winning the crown, she's had to adapt her own daily habits to represent the Miss America organization.
"Normally, my regimen would be about 45 minutes, just between shower, hair and makeup," Hagan told BeautyBlitz.com, "but now I take a little longer just to make sure I am put together as the Miss America brand would like for me to look." And since she had to do it herself at the pageant, she knows exactly how to nail the look.
You can see the contestants put their beauty know-how to good use on Sunday night, September 15, when the 2014 Miss American pageant airs at 8pm ET on ABC.
