The Miss USA Competition is the place where the most beautiful, intelligent, and driven women in the country all come together to compete for the title of Miss USA and the chance to compete at Miss Universe. Every summer, 51 women come together to compete in the evening gown, swimsuit, and interview competitions. To get to this point, these women have to do some serious preparation. Who better to give out beauty advice than women who have competed for the most coveted pageant title in the country? Lucky for you, I’ve talked to some of these incredible women and compiled a list of some of their top beauty tips*.
Alyssa London: Miss Alaska USA 2017 (Top 10 at Miss USA)
Miss Alaska recommends that you drink green tea! She said, “I usually get the largest one from Starbucks and refill it at least once with hot water, as there’s still more stuff left in the tea bags.” Her favorite way to drink it is with a little bit of almond milk and a “splash of agave or vanilla.” She says that drinking green tea “boosts metabolism (helps you stay lean), energizes without the crash of caffeine” and that it helps her to stay hydrated, which is key to being lean. She says that green tea is also important for good skin because it’s an antioxidant and it keeps her hydrated. In addition, she recommends that you make sure to add exfoliating and moisturizing to your skincare routine.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @alyssaklondon
Linette De Los Santos: Miss Florida USA 2017
Miss Florida’s best beauty tip is: “Beauty sleep is best to be a beauty queen!!”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @missflusa
Allee-Sutton Hethcoat: Miss Tennessee USA 2017 (Top 10 at Miss USA)
Miss Tennessee says, “Self-care is so important. Sticking to a heavily regulated sleep schedule is one of my biggest beauty tips. Getting plenty of sleep keeps you glowing! I also like keeping a regimented workout and meditation schedule!” In addition, she told me that drinking water was very important. She says this is “the oldest beauty tip in the book, but it really is a game changer.” Allee says that she is someone who struggles to drink enough water, and recommends that others like her set alarms every half an hour to remind them to drink water. She also recommends flavoring your water with different herbs and fruits to keep it interesting. She says, “I love orange, lemon, and mint water!” For skincare, Allee recommends that you find a great dermatologist and create a skincare routine. She says to, “always wear sunscreen, stay away from tanning beds, and have great products to use day and night to keep your skin healthy.” For her personally, she says that Aczone changed her life. Miss Tennessee’s final tip is the one that she says is the most important, and that is to “BE KIND. Kindness is the beauty of one’s spirit, which is always perceptible. It’s also free.”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @asuttonhethcoat
Jacqueline Carroll: Miss Virginia USA 2017
Miss Virginia’s favorite beauty tip is to use make-up for multiple different purposes! She says, “I use my bronzer as a crease eyeshadow, contour, and bronzer for my face. My eyeshadow primer can also double as concealer and highlight.” This not only cuts down on the amount of makeup you have to carry around but will also save you some money! Jacqueline also recommends that you keep your face hydrated and protected with an SPF moisturizer during the day.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @missvausa
Kelsey Weier: Miss Iowa USA 2017
Miss Iowa says, “I always start my day with some kind of herbal tea and add cayenne pepper with lemon!”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @kelsey_weier
Hannah Lopa: Miss New York USA 2017 (Top 10 at Miss USA)
Miss New York says that one of her favorite beauty products to use is a facial spray for rehydrating the skin and refreshing her makeup. She says, “I have been using the Kiehl’s Cactus Flower & Tibetian Ginseng facial spray. A less expensive alternative that I also love is the Mario Badescu facial spray. These are great for travel and refreshing foundation that may have settled from extended wear.”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @hannahlopa
Bethany Trahan: Miss Louisiana USA 2017
Miss Louisiana is an expert when it comes to makeup. If you’re thinking of competing in a pageant, listen up! To start off your pageant makeup look, Bethany says, “Always use a beauty blender to blend foundation. It’ll give you an airbrushed look.” She also warns against using a foundation with SPF in it when you are on stage because it will give you a white cast. To highlight under her eyes, she uses a concealer that’s just two shades lighter than her foundation. She says that you have to make sure you don’t go too light, or “on stage it will look like you tanned outside with sunglasses on,” and you definitely don’t want that! For the eyes, Bethany suggests that you be more dramatic with your eyeshadow than you would for everyday wear. You want to make sure that your makeup is a bit darker so that the audience will be able to tell you’re wearing makeup. To finish the look, Miss Louisiana likes to do her lips by lining them with a darker color and topping that with a lighter shade to make her lips appear bigger. If you plan on competing in a pageant or being on stage for anything else, make sure to keep these tips in mind! Even if you’re not competing in a pageant, some of these tips would be awesome to try for everyday wear.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @beth_trahan
Brooke Harris: Miss Maine USA 2017
Miss Maine is an aesthetic nurse, so she always tells her patients that they should “invest in medical-grade skincare products, and always make sure to apply SPF 50 or greater to their face to prevent sun damage!” A good skincare routine is very important for beautiful skin. As for her face makeup, Brooke says, “I also swear by BECCA’s That Flight Primer, and then I mix a pump of BECCA’s opal liquid highlighter into my foundation for the perfect dewy look.”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @brookelindsayharris
Madelynne Myers: Miss Kentucky USA 2017
Miss Kentucky recommends that you make sure you sleep and hydrate enough! She says, “I’m a huge coffee drinker, so that means I’m often dehydrated. Dehydration leads to low energy, older looking skin, (large pores, etc), and it also makes you crave really unhealthy food.” As for a pageant tip, she says to try using Epsom salt baths after rehearsals! Madelynne says, “It’s absolutely imperative that you take care of your feet. Blisters/bruises/aches can affect your walk and onstage presence, so that keeps your mind distracted from being your most confident self.”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @madelynnemyers
Adrianna David: Miss Maryland USA 2017
Miss Maryland says that she loves eyelash extensions! She says, “Even though it isn’t cheap, now I don’t have to wear makeup everyday (because I normally just throw on mascara) and now I don’t have to!” Adrianna gets hers done at Lash Moi in Gambrills, Maryland. She also recommends that you make sure to take off all of your makeup before bed, every night! Adrianna says that she likes to use the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes to accomplish this.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @adriannacdavid
Tessa Dee: Miss South Dakota USA 2017
Miss South Dakota recommends that you drink a lot of water! She says, “I would say my overall best beauty tip is drinking a gallon of water each day. Not only does it keep you satiated and hydrated, which is crucial to good health, but being hydrated helps your overall complexion, helps you to not retain water weight (that dreaded puffiness!), and can help if you’re trying to get in shape.” As for skincare, Tessa swears by Vitamin C Serum. She uses it on her face and neck in the morning and before bed to get glowing skin. She says, “It helps to brighten skin, stimulate collagen production, and is a light exfoliant.” She also warns that “light and air can hurt these serums, so make sure you find one in an opaque and airtight container.”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @thetessadee
Cassie Lewis: Miss Idaho USA 2017
Miss Idaho says that her best beauty tip is: “Never sleep with your makeup on!! IT Cosmetics has an amazing makeup remover called Bye Bye Makeup that I swear by. I used it every night when I was at Miss USA! Along with that, I try to find one day a week to not wear makeup and let my skin breathe.” Another important party of her skincare is face masks! She says, “My favorites are by Astara skincare, but you can also find really good inexpensive ones at Walgreens or other drug stores.” Cassie also says that training to compete in pageants has taught her a lot about how diet and exercise make a difference in the way she feels. She says, “I feel so much more confident and beautiful when I’m taking care of my body.”
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @stylebycassie
Brittany Winchester: Miss Indiana USA 2017
Miss Indiana says that she can’t live (or do her makeup) without her Simple Human mirror. She says, “It’s great for traveling and for competing because it is small and portable, and it doesn’t need to be plugged in if it’s charged. Never have to worry about fighting for a mirror with good lighting!” As for hair, Brittany says that her go-to is big, bouncy, curly hair! She tells us how she achieves this look: “Start with pin curls. When you take the pin curls out, flip your head over and with your fingers go through your hair. Then, with your hair still flipped over, take hairspray (I love Kenra #25) all over, shake your head around, flip back over and you’ll have some crazy large hair. You’ll have to comb and fix some areas but it will look amazing!” Check out her signature curls, below.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @brittany_winchester
Raquel Wellentin: Miss North Dakota USA
Miss North Dakota says that she loves doTERRA essential oils. She says her two favorites to bring with her when she travels are lavender to keep her calm and relaxed, and melaleuca (tea tree oil) to use for scars and acne. Raquel also swears by Vaseline! She says, “It’s great to keep you smiling on stage, [for] lip moisturizer, makeup removal” and to help put earrings on and prevent pain from wearing large earrings.
Photo Courtesy of Instagram: @missndusa
To see more from these wonderful ladies, follow them on Instagram! If you want to see more of the glitz and glamour of pageantry, watch our Miss USA Kára McCullough compete at the Miss Universe 2017 pageant on November 26th on FOX. The famous Steve Harvey is coming back once again to host, so it should be a good show!
*I interviewed each Miss USA contestant through Instagram Direct Message. You can find a link to each contestant’s Instragram account below her photo.