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| 07.26.2010 | Monday
The pageant was hosted by former Miss USA Crystle Stewart
and Seth Goldman of NBC's "Entertainment Buzz." Outgoing Miss Teen USA 2009, Stormi Henley, debuted her
anticipated single "Quite Like Me" during this year's show, marking the beauty's first worldwide musical performance.
Special awards were given to Chelsea Morgensen of Texas who won Miss Photogenic and Hosanna Kabakoro of
Idaho who was selected Miss Congeniality. Minutes after the pageant, Kabakoro tweeted that "mean girls won" and that "Illinois
should have won" - for which she was lambasted on the message boards. She had since then deleted the remarks and apologized.
Crawford impressed the judges with her winning poise, personality and
eloquence. When asked during the final question round what her biggest contribution to society has been so
far, she replied that she has been taking to girls about self-esteem and "showing what they've got and not
being afraid to do it." I watched the pageant at home during the live streaming. This is the second year the pageant
has been webcast ever since NBC dropped it in 2008, and I can tell you that I prefer a live TV broadcast over a webcast
anytime. A webcast is simply not as eye-catching or entertaining as a broadcast, and this explains why hardly any media outlet
reported the event the following day. On the other hand, a live webcast is preferable to Facebook or Twitter updates. My only
major critique of the production is that it gave Stormi too much airtime, and it was not nice to torture us with
her awful singing and silly blog antics. Hopefully, Kamie will make teen sophistication fashionable again since Shelly Hennig
in 2004.
• THE NEW MISS U.S. INTERNATIONAL is 2year-old Cassandra Tressler, of Maryland who was crowned July 23rd at Lake Fenton
High School in Linden, Michigan. Tressler was a former Miss Maryland USA (2008). She will now represent the U.S. in
2010 Miss International pageant to be held in China later this year.
• THE NEW MISS GHANA UNIVERSE is Awurama Simpson, a 22-year-old college student majoring in health sciences, who was
crowned during a special selection event in Accra on July 12th. An aspiring model and television presenter, Simpson
hopes to equal or to surpass the achievement of Akuba Cudjoe who represented Ghana in Miss Universe 1999 and became
a semifinalist.
• THE NEW MISS WORLD MALTA is Francesca Gaspar, a geography teacher from Iklin who was crowned during an
exciting evening held at the Grandmasters Suites Hilton Malta on July 17th. The 1st runner-up is
Debbie Mallia and the 2nd runner-up is Nicol Cremona. Gaspar will now compete in 2010 Miss World pageant
to be held in Sanya, China in October.
• PRETTY DANISH : Ena Sandra Causevic of Sønderborg has been appointed Miss Denmark Universe 2010 or
“Pretty Danish 2010?. Ena is 20 year old and stands 1.73 m. She is a professional model and will now represent Denmark
at the upcoming Miss Universe pageant to be held at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino in Las Vegas, on August 23rd.
• TRAGEDY : Welves Alexandre Diniz, who was supposed to represent the state of Paraíba in Mister Brasil Tur
contest this October, was killed in an automobile accident last July 17th on a highway near the city of Esperança.
Diniz was returning home when he lost control of the car, colliding with a tree and hitting a protective barrier.
(Paraiba1.com.br, 7/18/2010)
• COSTUME SCANDAL : The Miss Universe Puerto Rico Organization (MUPRO) has been rocked by a scandal when a designer named
Rey Ortiz denounced Elier Aubret, the designer of the national costume of Mariana Vicente,
the current Miss Universe Puerto Rico. Ortiz claims that Mariana's costume - reflecting Puerto Rico's national rain forest,
El Yunque - is based on his own sketch which he had shown to Aubret four months earlier. Ortiz did the sketch in November 2009.
Ortiz is demanding that MUPRO credit him for his design and pay him. "What I want is that they give me the recognition that I deserve, since the design had been plagiarized and modified to reflect
the taste of Aubret and that of Desirée Lowry." Lowry is the national director. As evidence, Ortiz had forwarded screen
shots of his sketch and text messages between him and Aubret to WAPA-TV which then leaked out the story.
Critical Beauty received an e-mail from Aubret that included a scanned copy of
an article published in El Vocero newspaper on March 5, 20003. The article included a sketch by Aubret that
clearly reflected natural elements of El Yunque, such as flora and fauna, a parrot, a mountain and waterfalls. Aubret
said that he called Ortiz last Thursday to come to an agreement, but nothing has been resolved. Lowry stated this scandal
will in no way affect Mariana's performance in Miss Universe 2010 pageant. Critics of Ortiz claim that he only wants to ride
Aubret's coattails to get more exposure. (Primera Hora, 7/24/2010)
• "TRUE BEAUTY" WINNER : ABC's reality show "True Beauty" has crowned its second season winner on Monday, July 19. Shining with his
inner beauty is Taylor Bills, a 24-year-old former Arizona League Seattle Mariners professional baseball player from Irvine, California.
The show conceals the true objective in looking for a winner by telling the contestants that they want the beautiful ones to win
while in fact they judge them by their inner beauty. This was revealed to the shocked final three which included Bills, Erika Othen
and Craig Francyzk. They were given a key to the judges' spy room and were played a footage of their bad behavior in the last eight weeks.
In the discussion among the judges, Carson Kressley said Bills is with temper while Othen is catty. After the debate, the judges agreed
on letting go Craig as the third-placer and Othen as the runner-up. Bills, as a winner, got to go home with $100,000 and a photo
in People magazine.
Speaking of the nature of the show which exposes someone's garbage, host Vanessa Minnillo
said, "It's tough. No matter how much you see us giggling and having a good time, it is heartbreaking when we expose them. I have seen
these people crying their eyes out backstage, they are so mortified by what they've done."
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, August 2nd, 2010
PHOTO CREDITS: Miss Universe Organization, Bob Varela, Rey Ortiz, Primera Hora
| 07.19.2010 | Monday
• PARAGUAY QUEENS : Three new Paraguayan representatives to international pageants were crowned Friday night. The new Miss Universe Paraguay
is Johana Benitez Olmedo, 23. The new Miss World Paraguay is Egni Eckert, 22. The new Miss International Paraguay is
María José Paredes. Watch their coronation on YouTube.
• ALBANIAN REP : Anxhela Martini, a 24-year old professional model, was chosen Miss Universe Albania 2010 during an event held
July 11. She will now represent Albania at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant to be held in Las Vegas, USA, August 23rd. The Miss Albania pageant
is co-sponsored by Fadil Berisha, the official photographer of the Miss Universe Organization.
• GUADELOUPE QUEENS : The new Miss World Guadeloupe is 20-year old Ericka Aly, a secretary from Petit Bourg, who was crowned during the finals held
at the Karibea Salako Beach resort in Gosier. She will represent Guadeloupe in 2010 Miss World to be held in Sanya, China on October 20th.
The 1st runner-up was Amandine Coowar, who will travel to Chengdu, China, to compete in the 50th anniversary of the Miss
International contest, in November.Chosen as the 2nd runner-up was Venise Taret, who will compete at the Miss Earth 2010 pageant
to take place in Nha Trang, Vietnam, December 4th. Info courtesy of People Bo Kay.
• REPLACED : Alexandra Catalina Filip, who was crowned on July 9th Romania's representative at Miss Universe 2010, has been replaced
by her first runner-up Oana Paveluc as the new Miss Universe Romania. Filip, a professional dancer, resigned because her upcoming
dance competition to be held in South Korea will take place during the same week of the Miss Universe finals. She will also be unable to
fulfill her responsiblities as Miss Universe Romania which include a lot of traveling. Paveluc is 18 years old.
• SPECIAL EDITION OF MISS SPAIN : Two days after the celebrations that took the place all over the country to celebrate the victory at
the 2010 FIFA World Cup, a special casting call to select Spain's representative to the 2010 Miss Universe pageant took place in Madrid
on July 13th. 14 former participants, most of them with experience competing internationally, were invited to take part.
The winner is Adriana Reveron, Miss Tenerife 2006 and 1st runner-up in the Miss Spain 2007 contest, as well as a finalist in
Miss Earth 2008 pageant. Chosen as 1st runner-up, was Tania Ladeiro (Miss Las Palmas 2005) and the 2nd runner-up as Alejandra Echevarria, Miss Jaen 2008 and actual runner-up
of Miss Spain 2009. This special selection took place due to a change in the date of the Miss Spain 2010 contest: It is expected to
take place in Toledo on September 25th, so the need of choosing a delegate for Miss Universe took place. Information courtesy of
Sergio Platero and Jose Carlos Tore of Miss Spain Organization.
• ROAD TO MISS AMERICA 2010 : Alyse Eady, 22, who wowed the judges with her ventriloquist act, was crowned Miss Arkansas
Saturday night at Hot Springs' Summit Arena.
• THE NEW MR. GAY WORLD PHILIPPINES is Sherwin Limon Abuel, 34-year-old Filipino-Arabian fashion designer from Mandaluyong City, who
was crowned during the coronation night held Saturday, July 17, at the Metro Bar in Quezon City. Abuel will now compete in Mr. Gay World
2010 competition to be held in Manila in March 2011.
• FUNDING MISS AUSTRALIA'S COSTUME : It is one of the most extravagant and attention-seeking elements of the Miss Universe competition,
but Australia is chasing grassroots funds to finish Jesinta Campbell's national costume. A Sydney designer, Natasha Dwyer,
32, was approached by Miss Universe Australia's national director to make the dress, but has to fund the entire project herself,
including an $11,000 contribution to expenses. ''It's scary, to be honest,'' Dwyer said. 'Maybe I should feel a little bit like they're
giving me a compliment. They think maybe I'm much bigger than what I am.''
The single mother sells her label, Arthur Ave, at the markets at The Rocks and several boutique stores.
''I'm kind of just trying to find my feet,'' she said. Dwyer initially said no because of the money but decided it was a great opportunity.
She is using a website called FundBreak to raise money towards the cost of making the dress and flying to Melbourne for the launch.
She thinks she will spend between $14,000 and $15,000 altogether. ''That's not being excessive; that's being extremely tight.''
Dwyer has signed a contract saying the dress will be ready by next Monday. ''I feel 100 per cent up to it,'' she said.
The assistant director of Miss Universe Australia, Paris Ogden, said it was standard that
the whole experience was sponsored. ''We arrange everything for [Jesinta Campbell]. We arrange for all fashion sponsors and product sponsors
to provide her with outfits while she's there - she basically focuses on herself and basically performing as good as she can to represent
Australia.'' Last year's design for Rachael Finch was an Opera House-inspired dress by Ruth Tarvydas that drew both praise and criticism.
A version of the dress has been worn by Kimberly Wyatt of the band the Pussycat Dolls and on America's Next Top Model. Tarvydas said the
project cost $25,000. ''I think it [was] well worth it, [but] maybe there should be a fund that can help young designers.'' (Sydney
Morning Herald, 7/19/2010)
• OFFICIAL SWIMWEAR : Dar Be Dar Is The Official Swimwear Sponsor Of 2010 Miss Universe Pageant. Iranian-American fashion designer
Tala Raassi, owner and designer of Dar Be Dar swimwear, will design the swimwear worn by the contestants at the 2010 Miss Universe
pageant. Persecuted almost 10 years ago for once wearing a miniskirt in Iran, Rasssi celebrates freedom and the female body
through her designs. “I am so thrilled to be involved with an organization that really empowers women all over the world.
I strive for my designs to embody the soul of the woman, and my aim is nothing short of putting the female body on the pedestal
where it belongs, setting women around the world free to express beauty, style, and equality while being true to themselves”.
For Raassi, her Dar Be Dar is more than a swimwear line – she seeks to promote freedom of
expression for women through sensual apparel that accentuates and rejoices the female body. To Raassi, fashion equals freedom,
and having her suits worn by the contestants of the Miss Universe Pageant is an honor for her. “Knowing Tala’s incredible personal
story, Dar Be Dar and the Miss Universe Organization are the perfect combination of fashion, social awareness and relevance,”
said Paula M. Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization. “These swimsuits and the ladies who compete in our pageant
represent everything that it means to be an accomplished woman!” (Miss Universe Organization).
• THE LATIN EVE : Mariana Vicente, Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2010, decided to pose topless for the lens of photographer
Daniel Figueroa, with the intention of promoting El Yunque internationally and so getting people to vote for this national
forest becoming one of the seven world natural wonders. The costume of the queen will be alluding to El Yunque, so it was more
convinced of the natural show to promote her dress, made by designers and Elier Aubret Carlota Alfaro. The idea of the photos
came from Mariana and staff of the Queen, specifically Desirée Lowry, who is the holder of the local franchise with
Luisito Vigoreaux.
“Originally we were going to do the photos in bathing suits and I appeared as part of nature,
but started looking for photographs of international magazines and saw some pictures of Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen who
was naked in the middle of the leaves and I loved I saw that it was something elegant, artistic, and from there arose the idea of
the photos, which look like I’m naked, “the beauty. Mariana said the images were taken in one of the waterfalls of the
National Forest, and was not completely naked, but had a panty cream.
• BEAUTY APPS FOR YOUR iPHONE : "You can have your own entourage of beauty experts at your fingertips... from makeup artists to stylists
to colorists... thanks to beauty apps that are redefining modern style right on your smartphone. Beauty apps for the Apple iPhone and Apple
iPad are taking style to a whole new level, putting your very own stylist right at your fingertips." Read more.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, July 26, 2010
PHOTO CREDITS: Miss Universe Organization, Tampa Bay Online, Primera Hora
| 07.12.2010 | Monday
Fakih spoke to the crowd about the importance of being strong and thinking positive.
"Anything you put your mind to, you can achieve," she said. Fakih also talked about taking pride in coming from Dearborn,
and being the first Arab American and Muslim to win the Miss USA contest. Fakih partied with family and friends late into
the night Friday at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in Detroit at an event that helped raise money for the Pink Fund,
a Beverly Hills group that helps breast cancer survivors and patients. At the Dearborn event Saturday morning, the
importance of education was stressed. "This is a smart, young lady," said state Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman, D-Detroit,
while paying tribute to Fakih. "She's got brains." During her talk, Fakih said: "My secret weapon is education."
(Free Press, 7/11/2010)
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE IRELAND is Rozanna Purcell who was crowned in the finale held at the Wright Venue in Dublin
last Saturday. Purcell is 19 year old and stands 5'9”.
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE ROMANIA is Alexandra Catalina Filip, 19, who was crowned Saturday in Bucharest.
• THE NEW MISS LEBANON is Rahaf Abdallah, 22, who was crowned Saturday in Beirut. She will compete in Miss Universe
2010 and Miss World 2010. The first runner-up was Nabilah Awad, second runner-up was Jessica Gahwati,
the third runner-up was Nour Mehanna and the fourth runner-up was Daniela Bogarios.
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE GERMANY is Kristiana Rohder, 26, who was crowned Saturday. At six feet tall, Rohder is
one of the tallest contestants in this year's Miss Universe.
• THE NEW MISS EGYPT is Donia Hamed, 22, who was crowned Saturday in Cairo. She will now compete in Miss Universe 2010.
Sara Elkhouly is the new Miss Egypt World and will compete in Miss World 2010.
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE HONDURAS is Kenia Martinez, 26, who was crowned Saturday in Tegucigalpa. She is the second
black woman to win the national title. The 1st runner-up is Karen Sabillón and will compete in Miss Continente
Americano. The 2nd runner-up is Karla Garcia who will compete in Miss Ambar Mundial. The 3rd runner-up is
Jissela Jackeline Morales and will compete in Miss Mundo Empresarial. The 4th runner-up is Elke Valladares.
• THE NEW MISS PANAMA is Ányoli Ábrego Sanjur, 23, who was crowned July 8th in Panama City. The 1st runner-up
was Katherine Dolande who is expected to compete at the Miss Continente Americano 2010 pageant in Ecuador next
September. The 2nd runner-up was Ana Mabel Miranda.
• THE NEW MR. PANAMA is Carlos Rodriguez who was crowned Saturday. He will compete in the next Manhunt International contest.
• THE SINGING QUEEN : Arianna Afsar, a San Diego semi-finalist on " American Idol 8" and winner of other beauty pageants
was crowned the title of Miss California 2010 Saturday night and will compete for the title of Miss America in January 2011. Afsar is currently a freshman at University of California,
Los Angeles. She has won various awards including a 25,000-U.S.-dollar cash prize in the junior teen Miss America competition
and won the "Del Mar TV Idol" contest held in May 2007. Born in October 1991, Afsar has been singing since she was seven years
old when she discovered karaoke, then quickly moved to theater work. She was in the top 36 contestants on FOX's "American Idol 8."
After failing to advance through her semi-final round, Afsar was given the opportunity to compete in the Wildcard competition
but was eliminated. Afsar was Miss California's Outstanding Teen and placed first runner-up in 2006 when she was 16 years old.
(The Examiner, San Diego, 7/11/2010). Watch her American Idol audition.
• BEAUTY QUEENS PRODUCE A FILM : A film focusing on the environment and produced by beauty queens has made it to the Cinemalaya
festival this month. The film, “Project Noel,” is included in the festival’s list for “Best Shorts” in the category Nature, Man and
Environment. It is a project of the 2009 Miss Philippines-Earth titleholders led by Sandra Seifert, who was also proclaimed
Miss Earth-Air during the international competition held last November in Boracay Island, Philippines. Since 2006, the Miss Philippines-Earth
titleholders come up with their own legacy projects. Seifert said her batch thought of producing a film because they wanted something
“more tangible, something that will reach a lot of people.” Seifert hopes to enter the film in other film festivals abroad. She also
plans to distribute copies of the film to franchise holders of the Miss Earth pageant around the world, to further spread the
message of environmental protection. Project Noel” is directed by Jon Steffan “Jobin” Ballesteros, who also helmed
the multi-awarded film “Colorum.” Supported by Manila Water and Marcus Phoenix Media Productions, “Project Noel” will be screened
on July 15, 12:45 p.m. at the Tanghalang Manuel Conde (CCP Dream Theater). (The Inquirer, Manila, 7/11/2010)
• STEPPING DOWN : The long-time leaders of The Miss South Carolina Pageant are stepping down. Friday, The Miss America Organization
announced that Joe Sanders III and his wife, Gail Sanders, are retiring. A written statement by Sharon Pearce and
Teddie O'Keefe, who handle media and public relations for the national organization said the following: "'The Miss America
Organization announced the retirement of the President and CEO of the Miss South Carolina Organization, Joe Sanders III, along
with his wife Gail Sanders, who served as the organization’s comptroller. The Sanders, who have managed the organization for
the past fifty years, will be retiring from one of the largest organizations in the country, which they have helped to build
through the decades. Joe and Gail Sanders are turning over the reins of a successful organization to the next generation
of pageant leaders,' stated Art McMaster, CEO of the Miss America Organization. 'We hope to find a new group that will
share the same dedication that both Joe and Gail had for fifty years. We are very confident that this group of volunteers
and talented local directors throughout the state of South Carolina will be invaluable in successfully transitioning
the Miss South Carolina Organization.'"
The retirement announcement follows complaints from contestants, parents and a judge.
Judge Carl Chu said Joe Sanders "reprimanded" the judges about their scoring during the preliminary competition and
later gave "inappropriate input" on the top ten finalists. Chu said Sanders' comments focused on contestants' family
connections and wealth. Sanders also emphasized the number of ad pages sold by the contestants, Chu told WYFF.
O'Keefe told WYFF that ad sales are not part of the judging criteria. The national organization was also made aware of numerous
claims that Joe Sanders asked contestants to write letters of encouragement to his son, Joey Sanders, in prison.
Joey Sanders was convicted of committing a lewd act on a 9-year-old girl on June 24. He is currently serving a 14-year sentence.
Parents showed WYFF a text message that went out to the teenage contestants, which made the same request. Joey Sanders was forced
to resign after two sex charges were filed against him in 2008 - including the lewd act charge and criminal sexual conduct with
a minor. He was acquitted of the latter charge. Numerous parents, pageant leaders and contestants reported that Sanders was
often present at the pageant office while he was awaiting trial. "That would not be something that the MAO would turn a blind
eye to," O'Keefe earlier told WYFF. The statement from the Miss America organization did not state whether the Sanders
were forced to resign or mention a reason for their departure. (WYFF4.com, 7/10/2010)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, July 19, 2010
PHOTO CREDITS: Free Press, AFP, Wire Image, Belga Picture
| 07.06.2010 | Tuesday
• THE NEW MISS JAMAICA UNIVERSE is Yendi Phillips, 24, who was crowned Saturday night in Kingston. She will now represent
Jamaica in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant. The first runner-up is Chantel Davis and the second runner-up Shari-Dee Barker.
Phillips was also Miss Jamaica World 2007 and a Miss World 2007 semi-finalist.
• THE NEW MISS NETHERLANDS is Desiree van den Berg, 23, who was crowned July 4th. She will compete in 2010 Miss Universe and
2010 Miss World pageants. The first runner-up is Jana Voyvodich, 23, and the second runner-up is Jana Voyvodich.
• THE NEW MISS GUAM UNIVERSE is Vanessa Siguenza Torres who was crowned last Wednesday. She will compete in 2010 Miss Universe.
Lalaine Mercado won first runner-up and will represent Guam in 2010 Miss International pageant to be held in China.
• THE NEW MISS SRI LANKA is Ishanka Madurasinghe, 23, from Colombo who was crowned Sunday night. She will compete in 2010 Miss
Universe.
• MOROCCAN PRINCESS : 19 year-old Samah Ammar from Marrakech has won Morocco's only premiere beauty pageant, Miss Lalati.
Lamia Ighidi and Houda Touzani were elected 1st and 2nd runner-ups respectively. Twenty finalists from all
over Morocco competed for the title. To view the twenty finalists and photos from the final night, please visit the
official website. Thanks to Zara Sabeen for this info.
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE CHINA is 19 year-old Wen Tang. The New Silk Road organization, new franchise holders for
Miss Universe in China, appointed Tang as the People’s Republic of China representative to the 2010 Miss Universe pageant.
• ROAD TO MISS AMERICA 2011 : New state winners were crowned last week. After two preliminary wins earlier this week, Desiree Puglia, Miss Pendleton, was crowned Miss South Carolina 2010 Saturday
night at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. First runner-up was Deja Frederick, Miss Laurens County, 20, of Lexington.
Second runner-up was Lindley Mayer, Miss Upstate, 21, of Greenville. Third runner-up was Courtney Cisson, Miss Columbia, 19,
from Greenville. And fourth runner-up was Morgan Smoak, Miss Darlington, 23, of Casey.
Miss Fort Worth Ashley Melnick was crowned the 75th Miss Texas late Friday after a nostalgic
pageant that featured dozens of former titleholders. The first runner-up was Miss Irving, Jordan Johanssen. The second runner up was
Miss Frisco DaNae Couch, third runner up was Miss White Settlement Kendall Morris, and fourth runner up was Miss Arlington
Cristie Kibler.
The new Miss Colorado is Melaina Shipwash, 24, who was crowned June 28th. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
graduate student is studying diet and nutrition. A recovering anorexic, she hopes to help others with eating disorders. (The Gazette, 6/29/2010)
• MISS AGED OUT : A beauty queen was stripped of her title in Britain after she was found to have "put her age as 22 in 2006,
again in 2007, in 2008, and in 2010". Laura Anness, who is actually 27, was about to compete in Miss England after being
crowned Miss Cornwall. The competitors had to be aged between 17 and 24 and had to be living, working or studying in the county.
Anness, a teacher from Plymouth in Devon, told organisers she was 22 and lived in the Cornish town of Saltash. Daily Express quoted
organizer Becky Chapman as saying: "I didn't think she looked older than 24. But when I was cleaning my office I came across
Miss Cornwall entry forms completed by Laura. "She had put her age as 22 in 2006, again in 2007, in 2008, and in 2010.
It's all rather sad." (Ibnlive.in.com, 6/29/2010)
“I hope to show people that beauty comes in all different kinds of packages,” she said.
“No beauty queen should fit into a box and look like a Barbie every time they wake up and none of us do, as you know.
So I hope to show people that you are beautiful and whatever makes you different, you should embrace it.” But Martell adds that
she does not want to be judged only for her disease. “I think every contestant just wants to be judged on their character and judged
by the ability to perform the duties of the job of Miss America,” she said. “And I hope that the judges can focus on what I have
to offer for the program and what I can bring to the table for Miss America.” (FoxNews, 6/29/2010)
• THE CULPRIT : An investigative report by Colombian magazine Semana suggests that the assailants responsible for an acid attack
on beauty pageant entrant Maria Fernanda Nuñez have links to one of her competitors. The special report, released Saturday, explains
that Nuñez was attacked with hydrochloric acid thrown at her face from soda bottles and that this type of acid can only be bought at
certain places around the beauty queen's hometown of Cucuta. Investigators visited each of these sites and found that one salesman had
sold hydrochloric acid to a man wishing to carry it in plastic bottles. The man had said he would be using the acid to dye hair in
his salon, despite warnings by the shop owner that it should not be used for such purposes. Reporters were able to identify the man
as Fabian Saez Ibañez, from information that he had provided when purchasing the acid. Saez's romantic partner Yesid Ramon Gomez
is the cousin of beauty pageant contestant Carolina Gomez Gomez - a rival of the victim for the title of Miss Norte del Valle.
When questioned about her suspected role in the attack, Gomez said "I'm overwhelmed with this
information, all I can say is that I am not suspicious of my cousin or his boyfriend," he says. Authorities in Cucuta say they know the
identity of the person who ordered an acid attack on Nuñez, but that they are unable to order the person's arrest. According to Colombian law,
an attack suspect can only be arrested if the victim spends over thirty days in recovery. Although Nuñez suffered burns to the face and body,
she was given just twenty days official recovery time by her doctor. Police say they are awaiting evidence from forensics agency Medicina
Legal in order to build a case against the suspected mastermind, so that they may be detained. Nuñez, a beauty pageant contestant and
Miss Colombia hopeful, was attacked by an unknown assailant three weeks ago. The 22-year-old had hydrochloric acid thrown at her face
and suffered burns to the nose, lips, cheek, chest and right eye's cornea. (Colombia Reports, 6/28/2010)
• CARRIED AWAY : Controversial beauty queen Carrie Prejean has tied the knot. The former Miss California USA, 23, wed Oakland Raiders
quarterback Kyle Boller, 28, Friday at The Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego, California, her hometown. The 25-minute ceremony
was "beautiful," a witness tells E! News. "They had cocktails on the lawn right after. Everyone seemed really happy."
Prejean wore a gorgeous one-shoulder mermaid-style gown, according to E!, while Boller and his fellow groomsmen donned black tuxedos.
After bidding farewell to her six bridesmaids, she and Boller were whisked away in a white Rolls Royce Phantom, E! reports.
The two got engaged this past February. (US Magazine, 7/3/2010)
• STEFANIA THE ACTRESS : The current Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez made her debut as an actress when she performed
in the comedy, "El insólito caso de Miss Piña Colada" which was presented at Repertorio Español in New York City. The play, which
parodies beauty pageants and criticizes the obsession that they could provoke in a lot of people, didn't displease the beauty queen.
"We Venezuelans are famous for our sense of humor, and I never take things very seriously," Stefania said while laughing. Although her
part was limited to just one line - which was added to the play as a surprise for the audience - Stefania admitted that she was nervous.
"It was a last minute thing. I was nervous because a new challenge for me." Stefania didn't say if she's going to do it again.
(El Panamá América, 07/03/2010)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, July 12, 2010
PHOTO CREDITS: Global Beauties, FoxNews
JUNE 2010
• THE NEW MISS TEEN USA is Kamie Crawford, 17, of Maryland who was crowned Saturday night
in the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The Miss Teen USA pageant was streamed online
to a worldwide audience at www.missteenusa.com and at www.seventeen.com. Crawford is currently a senior at Winston Churchill High School
in Potomac, Maryland. Crawford's court includes 1st runner-up Lexi Atkins of
Illinois, 2nd runner-up Emma Baker of California, 3rd runner-up Angelia Nichola Layton of Utah, and
4th runner-up Haley Brook Sowers of Mississippi. The remaining top fifteen were the delegates from
Arkansas, Alabama, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Virginia and Washington. This
is the first time that Maryland has won the title. 
• IN MEMORIAM : Harold L. Glasser, (photo) died peacefully on July 11, in his home in Highland Beach, Florida.
The cause of death was bladder cancer. From 1959 to 1986, Mr. Glasser enjoyed a career as president of
the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA Pageants. He also served as General Counsel of the Kayser-Roth Corporation,
President of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, and Mayor of the incorporated Village of Saddle Rock, NY.
He is survived by his loving wife Marny and his son Kerry. Under Glasser's tutelage, the Miss Universe, Miss USA and
Miss Teen USA pageants enjoyed much class, honor and prestige. Glasser was buried yesterday. View his complete
obituary in the
Miami Herald.
The top five winners in the 14th annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant, shown on Spike TV last week, included,
from the left, Susan Murray of Katy, Texas, third place runner up; Rachel Mortenson of Phoenix, first runner up;
LeAngela Davis of Columbus, Ohio, winner; Ashleigh Dunn, Newnan, Geogia, second runner up; and Janet Layug of Lakeland,
Florida, fourth runner-up.
• HOMECOMING : Bedecked in a sparkling short dress and her crown, Miss USA Rima Fakih received the key to
the City of Dearborn on Saturday in a celebration that was part of a hectic four-day homecoming last week for the
24-year-old beauty queen. "I'll sleep when this year is over," a hoarse-voiced Fakih said jokingly inside the Ford
Community & Performing Arts Center after elected officials and others paid tribute to her success.
Declaring it Rima Fakih Day, Mayor Jack O'Reilly Jr. unveiled a new street sign where "Hometown of Rima Fakih
Miss USA 2010" will be printed underneath "Welcome to Dearborn."
• FIRST EVER : Mayte Brito Medina, 19, of the Dominican Republic was crowned the first Miss Global Teen
on July 3rd at the Rubens Gil de Camilo Convention Center in Campo Grande, Brazil. Her court includes first runner-up
Tara Emad of Egypt, second runner-up Chelsae Durocher of Canada, third runner-up Kathleen Luyts of
Belgium, fourth runner-up Rossana Medina of Venezuela, and fifth runner-up Mariana dos Santos of Portugal.
Completing the fourteen semi-finalists round were the representatives of the United States, Guatemala, Peru, Poland,
South Africa, Colombia, Philippines and Netherlands. Brito also won the Teen Queen of the Caribbean award. To see more
information from the finals, see Global Beauties's coverage of the pageant.
• BALD BEAUTY : A Miss America contestant who suffers from a disease that led to complete baldness is out to prove that beauty
comes in many packages. Kayla Martell, (photo) who recently won the title of Miss Delaware 2010, suffers from Alopecia Areata, an
autoimmune disease that led to complete hair loss when she was a child. Martell, now 21, was diagnosed with the disease in the
fifth grade. But in spite of her disease, Martell went on to compete in the Miss Delaware pageant four times before taking the
title home in 2010. While she has previously competed both with a wig and without, this year she decided to wear a blond wig.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she told Gretchen Carlson in an appearance on “Fox and Friends” Tuesday.
“As you know, Miss America needs to be someone who’s relatable and approachable and I think that helped me to fit the needs of the job.”
Martell plans to use her platform to raise awareness for Alopecia Areata, which afflicts more than four million Americans and
two percent of the world’s population.