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 Alice Panikian competed and won in last year's Miss Universe Canada pageant. |
This past week the world watched as Riyo Mori of Japan was crowned Miss Universe 2007 defeating 76 other beautiful and talented women. Miss Universe Canada 2006, Alice Panikian will never forget the feeling of being on stage herself competing in the most watched beauty pageant in the world.
“Competing at the Miss Universe competition was truly a dream come true for me because I have been watching the Miss Universe competition since I was a little girl. It was unlike any experience I have had in my life. To know there are hundreds of millions of viewers watching you is a strange yet exhilarating feeling.”
Despite this, Panikian says she wasn’t nervous. “For some odd reason I wasn't nervous on the final night. I only started to become nervous when I was called into the top ten. It's definitely an overwhelming moment. Backstage there was a lot of tension; none of the girls were talking to each other because we were all focusing on the competition and the task at hand. It is really important to focus and maintain your composure in such a high-stress situation. However, the contestants were (for the most part) very supportive and kind girls. I made many friends during the three weeks we were competing.”
Curious to know if the striking brunette has any hidden beauty secrets, I asked her to divulge her personal skin, makeup and hair tips. She graciously agreed.
Q: What did you do to ensure you had good-looking skin before the competition?
A: I was fortunate enough to have a dermatologist at my disposal in my
preparations for Miss Universe and he told me that the best way to ensure
your skin looks great is to wear lots of sun block on your face, exfoliate
your skin once a week and moisturize!
In the morning I only rinse my face with water because it is important not to strip your skin of its natural oils. Then I moisturize my face with a sun block/moisturizer. After my face dries, I apply my makeup. At the end of the day, I use a makeup wipe to remove my eye makeup and a cleanser to remove all other makeup. After I dry my face I apply moisturizer and eye moisturizer. It is always a good idea to have a separate moisturizer for the eye area as the skin in that area is sensitive.
Q: Do you have any makeup secrets to share?
A: Oily skin can be tricky…I've never had oily skin but if you start to see shine after applying your makeup, pressed powder will do the trick. Try not to over-apply because you'll end up looking cakey. A great way to keep your concealer and foundation looking fresh is to apply loose powder (either translucent or the colour of your foundation) over the face with a brush.
If you want your lipstick to stay on as long as possible, line the lips with a lip pencil of either the same colour as your lipstick or one shade darker. Fill in the lips but leave the middle natural (this will accentuate the pout). Apply pressed powder over the lips. Repeat the liner on the lip line then fill in the lips with lipstick. Using a light coloured gloss, dab a little in the centre of your lips. I find that this technique works well when you need your lipstick to last longer. When you reapply lipstick, be sure to apply pressed powder on the lip area before you apply your lip pencil and lipstick again; this will ensure a fresh look.
Q: What are your hair secrets, how do you keep your hair looking smooth and shiny?
A: Eating protein is important for hair and nails because they are made from proteins. Flax seed oil is also something that can improve the look and body of hair and the strength of nails. Personally I think all shampoos and conditioners are the same, but if you have colour treated hair, go with a shampoo and conditioner made specifically for permed and coloured hair. Avoid washing your hair more than once every two days because this strips the hair of its natural oils, which is what creates the beautiful shine we all long to have.
Q: What do you think makes a woman most beautiful?
A: Confidence is the most important ingredient to making a woman beautiful. If you feel beautiful on the inside, it will come through on the outside. Positive thoughts will lead to positive outcomes.
Q: Would you ever consider competing in another pageant, if so which one?
A: I don't think I would like to compete in any more pageants because I have reached the best of the best; anything else would be a step down in my opinion. My goal was to make it and compete at Miss Universe and it was surpassed when I not only competed but also made the top ten.