I was gonna write a post like this after returning from my escapade with 78 other beauties in the Philippines, but havent had time to because work just came charging at me the moment I touched down. The kids had their school concert just this Wednesday and both my clinic meetings fell on the day after. That meant having to prepare 2 reports one after the other in between managing rehearsals after rehearsals and preparation of costumes and props. This weekend’s gonna just a good time for me to chill and have some breathing space.

But anyway, like I said, I was gonna write about this after witnessing how a beauty pageant in the international circuit is. Despite beauty pageants dating back into the 70s and 80s, no body really talks about the things that go on behind the scenes. What is it that makes a beauty pageant tick? What makes a winner? Call me curious. But when I went to compete internationally, it wasnt just about winning or making my mark, I genuinely wanted to see WHO would win and HOW people won.

Looking back into the history books of past pageants, it wasnt always the prettiest girls who won. And for this recent Miss Earth 2009, neither was it the girls who dressed the best, had the most luggages, stood out the most or had the prettiest, most perfect faces. We had girls who carried 11 luggages while others carried 2. Both, however, still made it to Top 16.

Why? What? Where? Who? How?

They say you should never judge a book by its cover. We are, however, IN a beauty pageant and beauty is probably only skin deep. Sure you can talk about inner beauty. But what’s the first thing that strikes you when you meet a person?

How he/she looks.

All those photos that are plastered on the Internet, in forums, in print of the various contestants. What do you look at when your eye catches a glimpse of a visual?

How white the teeth are. Whether they’re crooked or not. How big the eyes and nose are. How smooth the skin is.

All that boils down to?

How a person looks.

And guys, dont deny it. You look at how big the boobs are, regardless of whether you’re a butt or legs person.

You might not know it. But your brain actually has an in-built calculator that tells you if a person is attractive or not. Beauty happens to be a mathematical formula. Sometimes, however, the beauty goes beyond skin surface. We’re not just about someone’s personality. We’re talking just a tiny little bit below the epidermis to the dermis where collagen and elastic tissue are. Knowing the formula of beauty gives you the power to change it.

If I were to speak the truth, I would tell you that we ALL had things done to enhance our beauty during the entire pageant.

It was only a matter of how permanent these changes were.

Hair extensions, nail extensions, fake eyelashes and in particular, silicon bras were staples in our beauty arsenal. Especially when it came to the big shows. During bikini rounds, we’d all STILL lament at our lack of cleavage even with the help of the silicon bra. Even makeup was used to dramatically change one’s look; both body and face contours. We’d highlight our nose bridges, bronze our bodies, contour our abs and spray-on stockings so legs looked smooth and flawless. And what about that voluminious hair? You didnt honestly think it would be without hairspray and extensions did you?

You’d be surprised at how different some girls looked without makeup. Seriously, they were unrecognisable. Thus, clearly demonstrating the power of makeup. Probably a good reason why they had prejudging without makeup. Fake tans, spray-on stockings, coloured contacts, teeth whitening kits littered the bathrooms of our residences and makeup counters backstage. And this was on top of already some permanent changes for some girls.

You could TELL just by looking which girls had had plastic surgery. But there were those who openly came clean about it. Honestly, I wasnt surprised that girls in an international pageant circuit have had plastic surgery. Breast implants, Botox and nose jobs, you name it, they’ve had it. Some girls had the entire works done.

You know what’s the best part?

They were all sponsored by their organisers.

How to fight lidat?! THAT’S why they all look so gorgeous.

I’m in no way saying I’m pro changing one’s appearance. Neither am I against it. We do it all the time, anyway, with our dressing, with our hair and with makeup. Even exercising helps to keep your body looking a certain way. So, thinking about it, if you come from a country where the changing of one’s external appearance is looked upon as a no-no, then how is possible for one to compete with countries where plastic surgery cases are a dime a dozen, particularly in a beauty pageant. If you say you’re sending the most beautiful representative from your country, would you then forbid the delegate to do their very best in representing his/her own country even if it meant resorting to “alternative methods”?

Compare this to if one were to compete in a sport where the athletes have had training since they were born, a competitor who’s only had training since 15 would have missed out on crucial time that could be spent honing skills. See the similarities?

I’m not about to stretch my hand out and ask for any part of me to be augmented (although I’ll admit I would very much like proper double eyelids) because there WERE girls in the Top 16 who were completely genuine and real. They worked out, took good care of their skin and hair. Basically they took care of themselves from top to toe. These are true and genuine beauties. I think I was lucky to be one of them. HAHAHAHA.

But on a more serious note, we could tell right from the very start.

The Top 15 girls for swimsuit comprised of a good mix of both plastic girls and real girls. Here’s a little inside info: a lot of us were rooting for the real girls to win.

It takes a LOT of hard work maintaining one’s appearance I must say. After all that scrubbing, buffing, running, exercising and eating right, I WOULD know. But not everyone has the time and energy to lead such a lifestyle. They thus opt for the fastest, least time consuming method.

I’m not insinuating that this year’s Miss Earth 2009 winner had anything changed. But, despite already having gone under the knife, if we can honour and crown these girls in various other international beauty pageants because they epitomise the beauty of women around the world, what does that say about us and our standards of beauty?