How to get to the Miss Universe competition? International beauty contest "Miss Universe". Juliana's help: what do you think about Trump?

These days, for the first time in the history of the competition, Russia is hosting Miss Universe, where the country is represented by 19-year-old Elmira Abdrazakova. The girl’s biography on her website gives the impression of a story about the magical transformation of Cinderella from Kemerovo into a princess: she was raised by her mother, her father left the family, she studied at an Orthodox school, worked as a waitress in a restaurant in Mezhdurechensk, where people from the fashion world found her. Experts from the beauty industry do not undertake to assess Abdrazakova’s chances for Miss Universe, bookmakers predict her to take 15th place, and former rivals in Miss Russia say that she got the crown of beauty queen dishonestly.

“She is a protégé of her father, who is on her Forbes Kazakhstan list. And everywhere they write that she is a poor waitress, worked three jobs and her mother is a teacher. And no one says a word about dad,” a Miss Russia participant, who lost to Abdrazakova and wished to remain anonymous, told Medialeaks.

Indeed, in the list of the 50 richest people in Kazakhstan, compiled by the local edition of Forbes magazine, the name of Eldar Abdrazakov is in 33rd place. He is involved in investments, owns brokerage firms and venture funds. At the same time, Kazakh Forbes does not provide data on the condition of the 40-year-old businessman.

Elmira was born in Kazakhstan in 1994, after some time her parents divorced and she and her mother moved to the Kemerovo region - this is information from open sources.

On Abdrazakova’s official website, in an article from the “Biography” section, it is said that the girl “practically does not communicate” with her father. In general, Elmira says little about who her father is and what he does, answering all questions the same way: we have not communicated with him for the last three years. There seem to be many coincidences, but Wikipedia writes Elmira’s middle name as “Rafailovna” and not “Eldarovna”.

Elmira does not talk about her father so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion among people, suggests Medialeaks’ interlocutor. “Why talk about your father? This will already be too obvious... About Elmira Abdrazakova, I’m 90% sure (that her victory was dishonest - note by Medialeaks), because she didn’t pass the test according to any parameters,” says the Miss Russia participant, who works in the famous modeling agency.

Various sites on the Internet write about the winner’s parameters; the Medialeaks correspondent was unable to find this information on Abdrazakova’s official page. Elmira Abdrazakova’s height is 173 centimeters and her weight is 56 kg. (Data from open sources). At the same time, on the website of the Miss Universe competition it is said that the girl’s height is 5.9 feet, that is, almost 176 centimeters, and there are no details about other parameters there.

“She's very short. In principle, in terms of width parameters, it is also not very suitable. No one bet on her, no one could even think about it...Girls over 175 cm tall are allowed to participate in the competition, but she doesn’t have those 175 cm,” says Medialeaks’ interlocutor.

"MISS UNIVERSE" BY DONALD TRUMP

Officially, the requirements for contestants have not changed over the past years. The minimum age of a Miss Universe contestant must be 18 years and the maximum age must be 23 years. Girls at least 175 cm tall, with thick hair and feminine figures are allowed to participate in the competition. “They have a requirement that the girls don’t have anything done. Breasts, lips, noses and everything else. In general, there should be no tuning, everything should be natural,” Elena Ermolaeva, director of the modeling agencies I-Model and New Face, told Medialeaks.

At stake for Miss Universe is a cash prize and gifts worth a quarter of a million dollars, a precious tiara encrusted with diamonds, a luxurious apartment in New York in the Trump Tower apartments for a 1-year lease and a guaranteed career in the beauty industry. After winning the competition, the girl receives a contract for a year, during which she travels around the world with various advertising campaigns.

On Tuesday, the semi-final of the competition took place in Moscow's Crocus City Hall. The organizers of the competition decided to keep the results of the round secret: the names of the finalists will be announced on November 9. It is on this day that the winner of “Miss Universe” will be determined. The NBC television company will broadcast live from Crocus City Hall to the whole world, and in Russia the event will be shown by Channel One.

The price for a ticket in a VIP partner for the final of the competition reaches 70 thousand rubles, the cheapest seats on the balcony cost from 1.5 thousand rubles. The concert hall's website also sells invitations to a party that will take place after the jury announces the name of the winner. There are 300 tickets on sale ranging in price from 10 to 450 thousand rubles. And it’s clear: all 90 beauties, the king of American real estate Donald Trump himself, and Russian celebrities will be at the party. He is the organizer of this beauty contest.

$100 THOUSAND FOR THE CROWN

Scandals related to corruption in beauty pageants occur almost every year. In 2012, Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin renounced her crown, saying she learned of bribery of judges. She reported that the list of winners was known before the competition ended. In response to the accusations, Donald Trump promised to sue Sheena. In 2011, Miss Dominican Republic finalist Evi Sixos demanded an investigation into the competition, claiming that the winner paid $100,000 for her crown, and in 2002, corruption was caught on camera at the Miss Spain pageant. Then it became known that the winner Gema Garcia Marcos paid 27 thousand euros for first place.

“It seems to me that the very system of a beauty contest, as such, namely “choose the most beautiful, talented, smart”, is very flawed, because such parameters can only be assessed very subjectively.. Therefore, doubts involuntarily creep in as to whether everything is fair or not. the victory was bought. For beauty contests, a bribe, it seems to me, is part of the system,” said model and manager of the Z’S Models agency Ekaterina Romashkina in an interview with Medialeaks.

Among the interlocutors of Medialeaks there was not a single expert from the beauty industry who would not doubt the fairness of such competitions.

The results of the Miss Russia competition, perhaps, have never before caused such heated discussion as this year, when Abdrazakova won it. After the victory, Elmira’s VKontakte page was attacked by people dissatisfied with her insufficiently Slavic appearance. Even the world's media wrote about the racist insults, and Abdrazakova herself, in an interview with the American Sky News, stated that she was surprised by what happened.

“The national question - I really don’t understand it. I don’t understand why men write insults to a young girl because of her nationality,” she said.

Elmira’s nationality was discussed on social networks for several months, and it was even hinted that the Tatar diaspora lobbied for it. Part of the public in the comments under articles about “Miss Russia” simply assured that “everything has been bought.” In any case, both girls did not believe in an honest victory - either the money helped, or “their own”. Two Medialeaks interlocutors also admitted that they were rooting for other candidates at Miss Russia.

“Well, yes, it happens that they buy seats. A man who possesses a girl simply gives her a gift. This is what I heard,” says Elena Ermolaeva. “Sometimes the choice falls on very strange girls, and as a professional, I sometimes look at this and think, why?” she adds.

CHANCES OF WINNING

Medialeaks’ interlocutors cannot predict what will happen to Elmira Abdrazakova at Miss Universe.

“She’s a decent girl and now she looks even more wonderful,” says Philip Sharov, casting manager of the Point modeling agency.

In his opinion, Elmira’s chances are increased by the fact that she is a brunette.

“In Russia, for example, for every three blondes in the competition there are 23 brunettes. 90% of the time the brunette will win,” he says.

Bookmakers do not predict the crown of “Miss Universe” for Abrazakova. Ladbrokes believes that the winner will be 22-year-old Miss Brazil Sanclair Franz. The Russian contestant is still promised 15th place.

However, Abdrazakova will not be left out in any case. The gifts given to the most beautiful girl in Russia for winning a local competition were impressive. Immediately after the competition, the governor of the Kemerovo region, Aman Tuleyev, handed Elmira the keys to an apartment in Kemerovo; she will also be paid for her studies at any university in the world. In addition, she won a Hyundai car and 100 thousand dollars. It’s interesting that the “girl from a simple family” gave all the money to the needs of her native Mezhdurechensk.

“You don’t have to believe in miracles. I don't know how fair the Miss Universe competition is. “I’m already more or less convinced with Miss Russia,” sums up Medialeaks’ interlocutor who took part in the competition.

Don't hide your light, or How to become Miss Universe

© Anna Ray, 2016

ISBN 978-5-4483-2048-4

Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero

Introduction

If I decide to be happy, no one can stop me, not even the fear of the unknown and inevitable changes...

Desires are given to us from above. If there is a desire, there is also the strength to make it come true. Everything is potential! In our inner potential. Now I know this for sure.

The Universe, with a generous hand, has prepared an extensive catalog for us, and we make our choice. Whether consciously or not, often blindly, we paint a picture of our lives every day.

History provides us with many examples of happy and fulfilled people. Their experience is extremely inspiring, but many still think that it happened “by chance,” “they were just lucky,” “they had other opportunities, but here I am...”

We often ask ourselves: “Why not me?” “What can I personally do right now to make my dream come true, to make this possible?” “What do I know about myself?” "Who I am?"

If we are honest with ourselves, we are very erudite and informed people, we live in such an era, everyone is very busy with something. Where are these classes taking us? Where is life? Where I am? What goes unnoticed and passes by?

This book is not for everyone. If you are a theoretical philosopher who knows everything, but has not yet made a single bold decision in life, you can immediately put it on the shelf. She is unlikely to be of interest to you.

This book is for those who are not afraid to honestly answer important questions for themselves, who feel that life is preparing something more for them, who know and accept themselves, who see meaning in everything around and inside.

It is for those who are able to look at themselves with different eyes and with trust in Life, love in the heart, peace in the soul, go their own way and become a gift to people.

I want to help you “throw off the shackles” of doubts, fears and disappointments that have left a mark on your heart, so that you can hear your real, strong, interesting, passionate, happy, loving self.

We will go part of the way together, the book is written in an interactive form, we need your participation, full involvement, because this is your life.

Live now, act from scratch.

An unexpected find

“To change your life, you need to change your own idea of ​​yourself” Anna Grein

"Who am I?" "Where am I from?" “Where am I now and where am I going?” How often have I asked myself these questions, and not finding an answer, I wandered in the fog of my thoughts and feelings. Immersed in daily important matters, I saw my life in serving loved ones and loved ones.

I know exactly what they want; what can I do for them now and even in the future, because I love and am so proud of them. They are a source of joy, love, strength, inspiration. My dears, my good ones, my beautiful ones, what a blessing it is to have you!

And I also have...I...Yes! I have ME! What do I want? How unexpected, how unusual and frightening - do I have an “I”? Who is this “I”? “I don’t know, I discovered it completely by accident. When the “Pause” button stopped the “squirrel race” of everyday life.

- “Well, how are you living?” – asked “I”

- Yes, I’m just living, I’m not used to asking questions, I live like everyone else - study, work, home, family...

– What next? What will happen in 5, 10, 20 years? Are you interested? Are you interested in LIVING? What makes you happy, what makes you sad? What do you dream about at night? Do you know Who You Are? “A person, a woman, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a specialist...” I answer.

“I know more about you,” said “I.” Maybe you’ll finally stop not noticing Me? Go to the mirror. And I came up...

Immediately I felt a delightful and somehow liberating flow of warmth, a new, very pleasant feeling... a feeling of love... for myself...

For the first time, as an adult, I realize and feel here and now, I LOVE myself! Life over the past 15-20 years flashed before my eyes.

There were so many achievements and victories, “mistakes” and disappointments, how many good deeds, how much satisfaction and joy there were and are in life.

What good things have happened in life over the years that you are proud of? Helping loved ones, supporting a friend, caring for an unhealthy person, paying attention to someone else’s child, and simply participating in the life of a person who is now feeling unwell—everything is worthy of attention, you just have to think about it, and facts pour in as if from a “horn of plenty.”

This year:______________________________

Let's rewind the “movie” of our life, 5 years: __________________________________________

10 years ago: _______________________________

15 years: ____________________________________

20 years____________________________________

Review your list carefully. Surely, this is just what you remember now, and if you wish, you can supplement it. However, even these memories pleasantly stirred the warmth of your soul.

Look through the list again, you did it, gratitude is now sent to you, it is because of you that the world has become a little better and brighter.

Tell yourself: “Still, I’m great! Yes, I have something to be proud of! Lord, I have something to be proud of! Have I always been on the right path - yes, after all, this is a path, not a parking lot, where we grow, learn, stumble, gain new experiences, and most importantly, keep going!

Only now I understood what “self-love” is. Thank you, my “I,” for this discovery. Now I know that loving yourself is important, understanding yourself is necessary and useful, taking care of yourself is wonderful. Loving yourself means:

– appreciate your achievements – past and present, rejoice at them and say “thank you” to yourself;

– feel satisfaction from all the good things you have done in life;

– believe in yourself and your dreams;

- support yourself;

– protect yourself from negative thoughts, feelings and people, just as we protect our children and loved ones;

– believe in your potential and capabilities,

– don’t “break” your heart if you can’t change the situation;

– understand and trust the Laws of the Universe;

– in times of confusion, do not give up and do not lose strength of spirit, trust your inner guide more than your surroundings;

– giving yourself gifts and joining good deeds, this gives rise to the inertia of love;

– respect your feelings, be able to protect yourself spiritually;

– have the courage to hear yourself;

– not holding back self-realization for fear of being judged by someone, not being understood, for fear of defeat – this is a dead end;

- give yourself a chance every day - who, if not yourself, who should live a happy and fulfilling life, if not you?

– allow yourself to live in prosperity and abundance, to experience more pleasure, more happiness, more love, more gratitude;

– love your “cons” no less than your “pros”;

– know 100% that everything is in your hands, this is YOUR life, live without regard to anyone’s opinion;

– regularly recharge with positive energy: music, theater, cinema, books, loved ones, walks, travel, learning, relaxation, any hobbies;

– do pleasant things for yourself, enjoy life;

- allow yourself to experience a truly happy, fulfilling life, hear yourself and act! Create your dream project - your life and build it every day.

First step

Sometimes I hear “You look at the world through rose-colored glasses.” And I answer: “It’s just that everyone’s world is different and so is their path!” In the same circumstances, two people will see something different - each will focus on what is now in their head and heart. This is a filter through which reality is sifted.

So we all have “glasses”, but each one has his own.

We don't believe what we see, we see what we believe. We see what we believe in - everything else is hidden from our attention, although it is present in reality.

Our fears and doubts create the possibility of negative situations and negative people appearing in life. Maybe our vision of the world filters everything around us and distorts our perception of reality in accordance with what is in our minds?

What if my picture of the world is very far from reality, from the present, the true? What if my “filter” is clogged with stupid and aggressive programs and views of my teachers, relatives, and friends. After all, a person’s beliefs are a product or the arithmetic mean of his entire environment at each current moment in time.

Let’s say: “What if this is so...? Does everything depend only on me? Is it all in me? How scary it is to take responsibility, 100% responsibility. My faith, my idea of ​​myself, about people, about the world, about all aspects of life, my intentions and actions create my reality? No, it can not be! It’s just scary to believe and accept absolute responsibility!” "No! This is too much!"

I understand that not everyone will continue reading after such a statement... I love you.

To believe that you are the reason and source of everything in your and not only your life is really scary. But not everyone can accept and dissolve in it with all their hearts so that they can see themselves in any manifestation of this world.

The Miss Universe pageant is now 63 years old, and it can tell a lot about how ideas about female beauty have changed over the years. Recently, the British resource Superdrug Online Doctor decided to explore the evolution of the physique of Miss Universe winners since the beginning of the competition's history in 1952. To do this, he collected all publicly available information about the height and weight of the contestants and their photographs and compared the data with the average height and weight of American women aged 20 to 29 years.

The company chose the Miss Universe competition for research because it has been running for quite a long time and many countries participate in it. The results showed that while the average American woman was getting fatter, Miss Universe was only getting slimmer and taller. In recent years, discussions about body image have intensified and important debates have arisen about how unrealistic current beauty standards are.

(Total 29 photos)

The history of Miss Universe began in 1952. The winner of the Miss America pageant refused to wear clothes from the Californian brand Pacific Knitting Mills, and the manufacturer decided to make a marketing move. Then only 30 girls competed for the crown.

At first, the competition was held jointly with Miss USA (not to be confused with Miss America). Television broadcasts began only in 1955. Photo shows several 1956 contestants in a clothing store during the swimsuit tour.

In those years, Miss USA was essentially a preliminary stage of the Miss Universe competition. Pictured is 1957 Miss USA winner Leona Gage (center), who lost to Peru's Gladys Sender in the Miss Universe pageant.

In 1959, Japanese Akiko Kojima became the new Miss Universe. With her height of 167.6 cm, she was one of the shortest competitors, but still 5 cm taller than the average American woman.

In 1965, the pageant split from Miss USA. In addition, semi-finalists began to be announced on the same evening as the main event. The lucky ones then competed, parading in evening dresses and swimsuits. By the way, on the right in the photo is Mohammed Ali.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the competition lasted more than a month, including rehearsals and qualifying rounds. In the photo - the 1971 contestants are waiting for the start of the fashion show.

All girls in the early years of the competition had typical beauty and slimness, but in the 1970s the height of the participants began to increase. The height of the 1974 winner, Spaniard Amparo Muñoz, was 172.7 cm.

The way the competition was in the 1960s and 1970s determined its future appearance. In the photo, presenter Bob Barker announces Rina Messinger from Israel as the winner of Miss Universe 1976.

The finalists always stood on stage together when the winner was announced. In 1978, she was crowned Miss South Africa, Margaret Gardiner, who stands on the right.

The 1980s brought a new type of beauty with a healthy, athletic physique. This year's winner was Miss USA Shawn Weatherly (pictured left).

In 1983, hair became fuller and dresses became more fashionable. In the photo - Miss New Zealand Lorraine Downes, her height is more than 172 cm.

Most pageant winners in the 1980s weighed less than 54.5 kg, while the average American woman weighed 59-63.5 kg.

In the 1990s, the stakes got really high, especially when it came to swimsuit fashion shows. In the photo, the 1996 Miss Universe contestants in the qualifying round recreate the atmosphere of the popular series “Baywatch.” Meanwhile, the average weight of American girls has exceeded 64 kg.

Miss Venezuela Alicia Machado (left) was crowned Miss Universe in 1996.

In 1996, Donald Trump bought part of the company that organized the competition. In the photo, he poses with the 1998 Miss Universe contestants.

In 1998, Miss Trinidad and Tobago Wendy Fitzwilliam won the competition. She was 182.9 cm tall, a full 20.3 cm taller than the average American girl.

In 2000, the interview round was removed from the competition and only the fashion show in swimsuits and evening dresses was left. The photo shows the finalists of 2001. Then Miss Puerto Rico Denise Quiñones (center) won.

Although appearing in national costumes does not belong to the competitive part of the competition, since its establishment it has become much brighter and more impressive. Pictured is Miss Honduras Erika Liset Ramirez in 2002.

But some points remained unchanged: “Miss Universe” is, first of all, a demonstration of girls in swimsuits. If you don't believe me, ask these 2004 contestants.

The scenery and performances only became more complex and grandiose. In the photo, participants in the 2004 competition dance during a performance on stage.

Why not combine dancing and swimsuits? This is what they did in 2008. By that time, the average American girl already weighed more than 72.6 kg.

Although pageant organizers claim that winners must have the intelligence and charm to cope with the demands of their title, which include charity work and extensive travel, a former Miss Universe jury member told Forbes in 2011 that the winner is chosen solely on based on her external data.

At the competition, the most important thing is to be beautiful, slim and tall. Pictured is Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete, who won in 2010.

The winners are also quite young. Miss Angola Leila Lopez, crowned in 2011 at the age of 25, became one of the oldest winners ever. Older than her is only American Brooke Lee, who won the Miss Universe title in 1997 at the age of 26.

The average age of Miss Universe is 20.4 years old, but contestants can range from 18 to 27 years old. Pictured is the 2012 winner, Miss USA Olivia Culpo (second from left), who was 20 years old at the time.

In 2015, Donald Trump completely bought out the Miss Universe organization and sold it when a scandal erupted over his comments about illegal migrants from Mexico. Pictured is Trump with Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler from Venezuela.

All this had no effect on the competition itself. Pictured is 22-year-old Miss Colombia Paulina Vega, 175.3 cm tall, who won in 2014.

In 2015, there was an embarrassment at Miss Universe when host Steve Harvey mistakenly announced that the winner was Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, when in fact the winner was Miss Philippines Pia Alonso Wurtzbach. Some believe that the presenter's mistake was actually a PR stunt.

In the first competition, which was held by the famous swimsuit manufacturer, Catalina Swimwear, girls from 29 countries competed for the title of Miss Universe.

The winner was 18-year-old schoolgirl from Finland Armi Kuusela. The winner's head was adorned with a real crown that once belonged to the Russian Imperial Court, adorned with 1,529 diamonds weighing a total of 300 carats.

Today, the winner of the Miss Universe title receives temporary use of a tiara, as well as an apartment in New York. The Miss Universe crown is a piece of jewelry worth over 120 thousand dollars. The crown, made of white and yellow gold, is encrusted with more than 1000 precious stones. In addition to the tiara, the winner will receive numerous gifts and cash prizes totaling a quarter of a million dollars.

To represent her country at the Miss Universe pageant, a girl must go through tough competition and become the winner of the national qualifying round. All over the world, this process follows a familiar and established pattern - with the help of a jury. However, in 2004 and 2005, Russia decided to conduct an experiment - the winner of the Miss Universe Russia contest was chosen not with the help of an authoritative jury, but by Internet voting. To participate, you just had to register on the official website of the competition, fill out a form and post several photographs of yourself there: in an evening dress, in a swimsuit, and also a close-up portrait. The interactive competition caused a mixed reaction: choosing the best girl from photographs turned out to be quite difficult.

According to the rules of the Miss Universe competition, an extraordinary girl who embodies the best qualities can get there. Girls applying for this title must demonstrate intelligence, a broad cultural outlook and good manners. The competition program of the competition consists of several stages: defile in swimsuits, performance in evening dresses and national costumes and communication with the participants.
In 1957, a rule was introduced according to which only unmarried girls could participate in the competition.

In addition, girls who have ever been photographed in an indecent manner are not allowed to participate in the competition; were brought to criminal liability; have ever taken drugs; have ever been married; who had children and/or were pregnant.

Contestants in the Miss Universe pageant are usually selected from the national beauty pageants of the participating countries.
Until 1972, the competition took place within the United States. Satellite television, which became widespread in the 1970s, allowed the organizers of the competition to go beyond the United States. In 1973, the girls went to Greece to compete for the title of Miss Universe, and from that time on the competition became truly international.

After Oksana relinquished the title of Miss Universe, her name was removed from the registry of winners and the title of Miss Universe 2002 went to Justine Pasek, a 22-year-old girl from Panama. In 2005, the Miss Universe competition, which was held in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, was won by a Russian girl, a native of Tuapse, and now a Canadian citizen, Natalya Glebova.

The winner of the final international Miss Universe competition enters into an exclusive contract with the Miss Universe Organization. She must perform Miss Universe duties for a year, which include the following:
- traveling around the world, during which she will represent the interests of the Miss Universe Organization;
- presence at all events, performances and other activities specified in the contract;
- Fully paid accommodation for one year in New York. All living expenses for the winner of the final international Miss Universe pageant in New York for one year will be paid by the Miss Universe Organization.

In return, she receives “excellent career development opportunities,” an annual salary, a scholarship to continue her studies and all sorts of prizes.

The competition also announces winners in various categories: “Miss Congeniality”, “Miss Photogenic”, “Best National Costume”.

Today, the Miss Universe competition is a springboard on the path to real success: many girls, along with the title, receive worldwide fame, offers from the world's leading modeling agencies and the opportunity to make a brilliant career in any field. For example, Margaret Gardiner, Miss Universe 1978, gained fame as the author of two non-fiction books and countless articles. Irene Saez, winner of the Miss Universe 1981 pageant, was elected mayor of one of the wealthiest suburbs of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, in 1992. Lorraine Downes, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1983, opened a modeling agency in her homeland of New Zealand and published the book Truth About Fashion, Beauty and Image.

As of 2011, the first place in the number of victories in the competition is occupied by the United States of America (1954, 1956, 1960, 1967, 1980, 1995, 1997), followed by Venezuela (1979, 1981, 1986, 1996, 2009) and Puerto Rico (1970). , 1985, 1993, 2001, 2006).
In 2010, Ximena Navarete became Miss Mexico at the 2010 Miss Universe contest held in Las Vegas (USA). 83 girls from different countries of the world took part in the competition.

The final of the competition will take place on September 12, 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2011, representatives from more than 80 countries of the world participate in the competition. Russia is represented by 20-year-old student Natalya Gantimurova, winner of the Miss Russia 2011 title.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

You need to start thinking about how to amaze the world with your beauty from a young age. Girls have a real chance to be officially considered one of the first beauties of the world at the age of 14. The famous top model Linda Evangelista dreamed of her profession from the age of ten, and began her career by winning the Miss Niagara competition among teenagers. Our Diana Kovalchuk and Natasha Semanova won the hearts of all sorts of French couturiers who had seen in their lifetime less than 15 years old.

Even the most recognized beauty, unanimously recognized as “the cutest in the yard,” is unlikely to be able to immediately get into an international competition. Purposeful contenders for the world crown first participate in dozens of castings and qualifying competitions, trying to get as many titles as “Queen of Gas Station No. 8” or “Miss Vasyuki” before the worthy finale.

You also need to start torturing yourself with diets and exercise as early as possible. There are countless secrets of professional beauty.

For example, to maintain excellent skin and look good, many magazine cover girls follow these rules:

• Do not smoke, do not drink alcohol.
• Play sports, because there is no limit to perfection.
• Drink at least two liters of water, juice, tea per day.
• Get a good night's sleep.
• Drinking carrot and apple juice regularly is the best remedy for your complexion.
• Include a lot of vegetables and fruits, fish, and some meat in your diet.
• Eliminate sweets and chocolate from your diet.

One of the first beauty contests took place on Olympus of Greek mythology, when Paris had to choose from three beautiful goddesses - Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. The apple, which became the main prize, was given to the most beautiful Aphrodite, although her parameters according to the current canons of beauty looked by no means ideal: with a height of 164 cm, her parameters turned out to be 86-69-93, in contrast to the modern ideal - 90-60-90.

In modern history, the first beauty contest took place on September 19, 1888 at the Belgian resort of Spa. 21 girls took part in its final, each of whom competed for the title of beauty queen.

Today, strict juries of international competitions impose rather strict requirements on the appearance of contestants. Languid Scandinavian blondes with blue eyes have long gone out of fashion. The Slavic type, which excited the whole of Europe, gave way to the burning brunettes with dark skin. World agencies are increasingly ordering modern Venuses from South America.

However, beauty cannot be hidden. Therefore, if your angelic face consists of big eyes, a not too large but straight nose and plump lips, the main trump card is obvious. Height and figure are relative things; little tricks are possible here.

Norwegian Annette Stay, for example, took first place in the world supermodel competition in 1980, urgently losing 14 kg and mastering a “swinging” gait to hide a “small” flaw - one leg was slightly shorter than the other.

And Juliet Lancelot was slightly short of 178 centimeters - she was only 175. And yet she managed to become third at the world competition in 1992. The jury members affectionately nicknamed her “the little Frenchwoman.”

17-year-old Polish Malwina Zilinska took second place at the same competition in 1994 solely due to her graceful forms - 85-59-90.

For many famous women, participation in a beauty contest became the starting point of their career in cinema and show business.

Sofia Villani Cicolone, known to everyone under the name Sophia Loren, participated in the Miss Italy competition, after which she became a fashion model, and in 1952 she met the man of her life - the famous producer Carlo Ponti, who opened the doors to big cinema for her.

Movie star and supermodel Halle Berry gained attention when she won the Miss Ohio and Miss USA titles at age 17, and represented the States at the Miss World pageant in London. Her work as a model and her contract with Revlon made her famous throughout the world, and her work in films brought her the highest award for an actress - an Oscar.

Finally, one piece of advice from top model and Hollywood star Monica Bellucci: “To be beautiful, it’s not enough to just be pretty, you need to radiate something magical, some special energy...”