Planet Hollywood - Las Vegas

The moment you step foot onto the McCarran Airport, the rattling sounds of the slot machines are a clear indication that you have entered the exciting world of Las Vegas. This was Kryolan’s second pageant after completing the Miss Universe® Pageant in the Bahamas 2009.  There is a difference working on 84 contestants from 84 countries compared with 51 contestants within the continental United States, but the contestants are just as excited.
 
Eight make-up artists represented Kryolan along with three artists hired by the Miss Universe® organization. We were scheduled to work on the contestants as they prepared for the first week of preliminaries of swim suits, evening gowns and greenroom interviews.

The pageant was televised in High Definition and featured Kryolan’s HD collection throughout the event. The make-up look for this year’s Miss USA® utilized clean and neutral colors to enhance each contestant. Just like applications used with any HD camera, it was essential to maintain a clean and crisp look.

One of the most important parts of working with HD is to make sure the skin is in “perfect” condition, meaning that the skin must have a balance, neither dry nor oily. Once the skin is cleansed, a light application of Kryolan’s Day Moisturizer and Eye Cream is applied, followed by a light application of Ultra Under Base (primer) which plays a key part of the prep work required before any make-up is applied. 

Each make-up artist was given a make-up kit consisting of a complete collection of Kryolan’s HD make-up.  The collection was made up of cream, liquid and air brush foundation made of micronized pigments suitable for HD cameras.

The night of the pageant was filled with excitement and anticipation. Each of the artists worked with approximately five contestants, but all of the artists pitched in where needed or when a contestant asked for assistance. The two hour pageant was shown on live television so we had to be prepared for anything. After the fifteen finalists were selected, many of the contestants were emotional. The artists touched up more than a few wet lashes.

One of my contestants was Rima Fakih, Miss Michigan. She was beautiful, poised, and determined. We chatted a bit about her background and she said to me, “I’m going to win.” I was so happy for her when indeed she did win Miss USA®. 

The artists at this year’s pageant were amazing and I was so impressed by their professional manner and grace under pressure. I want to thank Mark, Anabel, Eurika, Aimee, Koren, Wendi and Jake. Many thanks to the Miss Universe® organization for having us. I also want to give a special thanks to Shawn, Roston and Linda for being very supportive throughout the event. And finally I want to give notable mention to our CEO, Claudia Longo, who organized all the artists and supplies in my absence and greatly contributed to the success of this pageant, THANK YOU!

Click here to see the winner.