Critical Beauty

Olivia Jordan , who was 1st runner-up in Miss California USA 2013, has been selected as the U.S. representative to Miss World 2013 pageant to be held in Indonesia on September 28. Elite Modeling Agency, which owns the U.S. franchise, handpicked Jordan from a bevy of applicants. Jordan will attempt to follow the footsteps of Alexandria Mills who won the Miss World crown for the U.S. in 2010.

The new Miss World Macedonia (FYR) 2013 is Kristina Spasenoska , a  21-year-old beauty from Kičevo  who was crowned August 22nd at the  Summer Club Paradiso in Skopje. She will represent the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in Miss World 2013 pageant to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 28.   The first runner-up was Mihaela Ivanova, 21,  from Skopje and the second runner-up was   Sava Grachanin, 22,  from Valandovo.

Here's a great video gem - the full broadcast of the Miss Universe 1965 pageant held at the  Miami Beach Auditorium in  Miami Beach, Florida on July 24, 1965. I have never seen this video before and I am just simply amazed by the sheer elegance and classiness of the entire production - something that has been missing since former MUO president Harold Glasser stepped down in 1986.  APASRA HONGSAKULA FLASHES HER WINNING SMILE The video is fascinating for several reasons. First, we see how stage projection, runway walk and posing have evolved since then. Every girl looked so "stiff" on stage, but what we think as stiff today was actually the standard for grace and elegance in those days. Second, the eventual winner,  Apasra Hongsakula  of Thailand, expected for Miss USA  Sue Ann Downey  to win (notice Apasra's puzzled look after USA was called as second runner-up). Her reaction changes from puzzlement to total surprise when she was declared the winner, and s

Malene Riis Sørensen   (20, 5'11", Jylland) was crowned Miss World Denmark 2013 during the Miss World Denmark 2013 National Final held on August 3rd, 2013 at First Hotel Copenhagen. Malene also won "Miss Popularity" award at Miss World Denmark 2013 Final. She is a journalism and psychology student and currently works as a model. She will represent Denmark at the Miss World 2013 pageant in Indonesia on September 28.  Critical Beauty is grateful to Malene and to her national director, Lisa Lents, for allowing this e-mail interview. What was going through your mind after you were judged as the winner?      I was extremely happy and tried to enjoyed the moment, because it’s a once in a life chance experience! I felt very lucky, honored and surprised! It was a big chow in Denmark this year and it was an amazing feeling winning in front of a huge crown including celebs, press, former beauty queens, friends & family! In your bio, you mentioned tha

FEYI SODIPO      Were it not for providence, the 2011 winner of Miss Nigeria beauty pageant, Feyi Sodipo , would have been a missing person by now after an attempt by some suspected kidnappers to forcefully whisk her away in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital failed.       The three suspects which included two men and a lady, it was gathered posed as security operatives working for the organisers of the Miss Nigeria beauty pageant. The trio were said to have taken Sodipo from Lagos to Abeokuta, and had forcefully tried to snatched her Hyundai car which she won after the contest, when her mother raised an alarm which drew the attention of the security details attached to the Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun.       The security operatives were said to have accosted the suspects and asked them to identify themselves but they were unable to provide a convincing answer. The development brought about the suspicion that they were not sent by the organisers of the pageant and the

The Miss Universe Organization has  released a statement  condemning Russia’s laws banning “gay propaganda.” This year’s competition is being held in Moscow, but over 27,000 people have signed a  Change.org petition  calling on the organization to move it. The pageant isn’t moving, but the statement suggests contestants will not be prohibited from speaking out against it: The Miss Universe Organization believes in equality for all individuals and is deeply concerned by the laws recently enacted in Russia and currently in place in several other countries. Both the law, as well as the violence experienced by the LGBT community in Russia, are diametrically opposed to the core values of our company. Our organization has always embodied a spirit of inclusion and is a celebration of people from all countries and walks of life. It is our hope this year’s Miss Universe contest in Moscow will help foster a common understanding and appreciation of the rights of all individuals, regar

IRIS TELMA JONSDOTTIR is the new national director of Miss Iceland ( Ungfrú Ísland). She was Miss Iceland 2012 and competed in Miss World 2012 in Ordos, China. A national pageant to select the Icelandic representative to Miss World 2014 will take place on September 14, 2013 in Reykjavik. What prompted you to be interested in pageants, and how did your interest in pageants prompt you to acquire the Icelandic franchise of Miss World?       My mother participated in Miss Iceland 1987 and I found it exciting when I was young. Then when I grew older in 2010, I was asked to participate in Miss Reykjavík. After that I got through to Miss Iceland and ended up as a 1st runne-up. After that experience at Miss Iceland my interest in pageants only got stronger. I got really lucky in 2012 when I was chosen to go to Miss World 2012 in China to represent my country. In China I got to know more about pageants, how differently they are organized in some countries and I learnt a lot f

The new   Miss World Philippines 2013   is  Megan Lynne Young  who was crowned  at the Grand Ballroom of the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque on August 18th, 2013. The 23-year-old actress, model and spokesperson will represent the Philippines in Miss World 2013  pageant scheduled for September 28th, 2013 in Indonesia. Her court includes 1st runner-up Janicel Lubina , 2nd runner-up Zahra Bianca Saldua , 3rd runner-up Maria Paula Bianca Paz and 4th runner-up Omarie Linn Osuna . Miss World is the only major crown that the Philippines has never won, and Filipino fans feel strongly optimistic that Megan could bring its first Miss World crown to her country. Watch the Top 5 Q & A portion and coronation here

The new  Miss Cape Verde 2013 is  Christina Spencer who was crowned August 17 in the capital city of Praia. She will compete in Miss World 2013  in Jakarta, Indonesia  on September 28.  The first runner-up is Ailine Fortes (left) and the second runner-up is Selene Silva (right).

The new Miss Bulgaria 2013 is Nansi Nikolayeva Karaboycheva , 20,  from Pazardzhik, who was crowned in Sofia on August 18th. She will represent Bulgaria in Miss World 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 28. The 1st runner-up is  Daniyela Dinkova Nedelcheva and the 2nd runner-up is Dzhuliya Danailova Stoyanova .

The new  Miss Universe Kosovo 2013 is  Mirjeta Shala,  19, who was crowned  at the Square 21 in Pristina on August 16th, 2013. She will represent Kosovo in the  Miss Universe 2013  pageant, scheduled for November 9th  in Moscow, Russia.  This is the first Miss Universe Kosovo pageant under a joint partnership between former Miss Albania Agnese Vuthaj , Miss Universe renowned photographer Fadil Berisha , Labinot Gashi and Radio Television 21 after the Miss Kosova Organization headed by Agron Selimi and Art Motion relinquished the Miss Universe license earlier this year.

The new Miss Guatemala Universe 2013 is Andrea Paulette Samalyoa Muy, 23, who was crowned August 14th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Guatemala City. She will represent her country in Miss Universe 2013 pageant in Moscow on November 9th. 

The new Miss Lithuania 2013 (Mis Lietuva 2013) is Rūta Elžbieta Mazurevičiūtė , 22, from Garliava, who was crowned August 15th. She will represent Lithuania in Miss World 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 28.  The first runner-up is  Simona Burbaitė who will represent Lithuania in Miss Universe 2013 to be held in Moscow on November 9.