sexiest download

Well, fellow Pageant Fanatics, in my last post HERE I've discussed my Top 20 BEST GOWNS from last night's 2013 Miss Universe Preliminary Competition so naturally, you know what comes next...THE "UH OH!!/Oh Dear!/What Was She Thinking?" List. Every time one of these girls came on stage, I yelled a loud "OOOOOHHHHHH!!!" and then smiled and remembered why I LOVE watching beauty pageants, especially the Miss Universe Preliminaries. So, let's get to it...in reverse order from "Uh Oh" to "OH NO SHE DIDN'T" Worst, here's my "Top 13" List--Enjoy and I welcome any and all of your comments and thoughts of course!



First I want to start with my two BIGGEST GOWN DISAPPOINTMENTS...


Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Reyes (left) and Miss Israel Yitaish Aynaw (right)--were two big disappointments for me, when it came to the evening gowns they wore at the 2013 Miss Universe Preliminary Competition. Yaritza and Yityish are two of the most beautiful contestants in the pageant and they succeeded in looking less-than outstanding...

Miss Dominican Republic's gown choice was dowdy and Mother-of-the-Bride unflattering and then THAT HAIRSTYLE!!! Whoever ill-advised her to do this should be fired!

And Miss Israel's gown choice wasn't bad but it was so bland, too tight on the hips and well, I expected SOOO much more from this Supermodel gorgeous beauty. At least from the neck up, she was PERFECTION!



And now the "Uh Oh!" Top 13:



No. 13 Miss Azerbaijan Aysel Manafova: Aysel wore this same gown for her Evening Gown Portraits on the Miss Universe website. I didn't like it then and I don't like now. It featured a strapless sequined bustier with (I think) attached panties and a see-though chiffon skirt section. Overall, it's tacky and something straight out of a Prom-&-Pageant shop.




No. 12 Miss Turkey Berrin Keklikler: In the photos above, the gown doesn't look so bad (she also wore the same gown for her Miss Universe website Evening Gown Portrait). But during the Preliminaries, you get to see that not only is this a white floaty chiffon gown but...it also includes a sequined hot pants jumpsuit! Yes kids, those are crystal-encrusted booty shorts under all that. It's a HOT MESS. Someone needs to tell her that this is OK for a Eurovision/Las Vegas After Party, but not for "Miss Universe".




No. 11 Miss Bulgaria Veneta Krasteva: Veneta wore this same sparkly gown for the Evening Gown Portrait and I wasn't a fan.




She looks like Adrienne Maloof's (former cast member from "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills") twin sister! The gown is Vegas tacky, her hair is from 1988 and she just looks much older than she probably is.






No. 10 Miss Poland Paulina Krupinska: NOOOOOO Paulina! I told you I didn't like this dress when you wore it in the Miss Universe Website Evening gown Portraits. Why didn't you read my blog and wear something else? Paulina is supermodel gorgeous and I'm sure she'll still make it into the Top 15/16 but this gown is store bought, too short and garish in its color-and-sequins combination. This is cute for a "Sweet Sixteen" party but NOT for a world stage such as the Miss Universe Pageant.




No. 9 Miss Romania Roxana Andrei: Another contestant wearing the same tacky gown she wore in the Evening Gown Portraits. When will these girls ever learn? This gown looks too much like a National Costume and less like a gown one wears for Miss Universe. And imagine if an actress or TV personality wore this at an awards show/red carpet event? They would be INSTANTLY on the "NO!" section.




No. 8 Miss Turks & Caicos Snwazna Adams: On a positive note, I give her "At-a-Gurl!" points for being so bold as to actually wear an apple green chiffon strapless gown over matching poly-satin "cigarette"/Capri pants! And yes, kids, this a Gown-and-Capri pant combo. And that leads me to also put her in my "Uh Oh" list because...SHE IS WEARING A GOWN-&-CAPRI PANTS ensemble!! These girls have lost their style minds.




No. 7 Miss Austria Doris Hofmann: Doris is stunning--one of the prettiest contestants from Europe in fact. But this gown...It is a perfect example of the need for EDITING! The gown featured a white charmeuse satin strapless corset and fitted skirt, falling light blue chiffon pieces that came from the neckline of the bustier(?), oversized blue and silver sequins (on a positive note: the sequins looked expensive), and if that wasn't enough, a matching bejeweled neck-piece! Too Mucheey.




No. 6 Miss Aruba Stefanie Evangelista: I didn't like this gown that she also wore for her Evening Gown Portrait on the Miss Universe website. It is Scheherazade Belly Dancer-at-a-Questionable Bar-in-Marrakesh BAD! Another gown choice in need of serious editing; there's just TOO MUCHEEY going on.




No. 5 Miss Serbia Ana Vrcelj: When Miss Serbia came out in this white satin and chiffon gown , I thought "OK, this is not good", and then I focused on the ruffled "rosette" appliques on the hips and thought "Oh, this is really BAAAD!". Two questions: A) why would any designer place these tacky-looking things on a dress, and B) why place them on the hips? 





They look like those "Prize Ribbon things" one gives at dog shows...without the satin ribbon/tape.




No. 4 Miss Great Britain Amy Willerton: I was really looking forward to what Amy would be wearing for the Preliminary Evening Gown Competition. She's very beautiful, looks amazing in her "Glamour" photo and swimsuit and therefore, is one of the top favorites, but...this was an absolute MESS! Let me try and describe this crazy gown: it's a strapless SUPER Mermaid-shaped gown with ombre-like shadings of various lilac, purple and white colors in what looks like a bunch of hair scrunchies. I am all about DRAMA and I get that but, this was a DRAMA miss. And on top of everything, did she really need that diamante necklace and earrings??? Let me answer that: No!




No. 3 Miss Lithuania Simona Burbaite: I have two words: HEFTY BAG. I cannot believe she would wear a gown made of a fabrication that looks very much like a garbage bag. Why didn't a  (closeted) Russian Gay backstage working in the hair and makeup department didn't warn her, is beyond me.




No. 2 Miss Belgium Noemi Happart: Noemi's gown choice was so Tacky-licious and bad, that yes, she made it to "No. 2" in my "Oh No She Didn't!" List. This strapless golden colored gown featured a fitted bustier and multi-ruffled hi-lo "Can-Can" attached skirt. Under any circumstances, this is a NO. How anyone would see this on a hanger--or a sketch of it--and say "Oui! I want that!" makes me seriously question her taste level. And I didn't even begin to mention those super-tacky gold stacked pumps!



And My No. 1 "Oh No She Didn't!" Evening Gown form the 2013 Miss Universe Preliminaries Is...


Miss El Salvador Alba Delgado: There were so many contenders for the Top "Uh Oh!" Evening Gown Prize but when Miss El Salvador came out in this canary yellow chiffon and applique gown...and the camera gave a close-up on her...um..."Sistahs", I was like "Done and Done!"...Take a look at what I am talking about:





There are silver jeweled crystals ON HER NIPPLES!!! Seriously, what was Alba thinking?  When she picked this gown? Why didn't anyone tell her???!!! It drives me so LOCO, that yes, she deserves the Top Prize in the "Oh No You Didn't!" List for the 2013 Miss Universe Preliminary Evening Gown Competition.



So...what did you guys think? Any gowns in this group that you think shouldn't have been her? And why? I'd love to read your comments below!! Until then---stay tuned for my Post-Miss Universe 2013 Final Telecast Evening Gown Review this weekend!!!

Hinarami is absolutely STUNNING, as you can see from these photos; very exotic, statuesque and has the perfect blend of Model/Beauty Pageant Girl quality to go far in the "Miss Universe" competition. Bonne Chance, as the French say. I think she's "one of the ones to watch" for this year's "Miss Universe" pageant.

Viva Feathers, Incan, Aztecan Empresses, UBER Sequins, a Fab Jumpsuit and yes, a Lady with a Torch...







Last Friday was the Miss Universe 2012 "National Costume Presentation Show". It was held at the same stage the "Miss Universe 2012" Finals will be this Wednesday--at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas. The Miss Universe pageant is famous for it's traditional "Parade of Nations" and frankly, I miss the good ol' days when the actual LIVE telecasts would begin with the girls introducing themselves in their national costumes, as host Bob Barker read their names and countries (I miss Bob Barker!). But alas, those days are waaaayyyy gone. Now, we have this "Presentation Show". I 'm just happy that at the very least, we--the fans--still get to see the costumes.







As a little boy, I would sketch all the Miss Universe contestants in their national costumes and it became a way for me to express my design and sketching talent--and keep myself busy (yes, kids, this was waaayyy before Facebook!). So you see, Miss Universe can help little boys--and also help as a Geography Lesson! But (as usual) I digress...let's discuss the Miss Universe 2012 National Costume Show--and my Top Favorites:



No. 1:


Miss China Ji Dan Xu: Miss Universe China dazzled the audience--and ME (!) watching the LIVE Ustream feed---on
Friday night as she entered the stage in her "National Costume". It was a
stand-out of a gown inspired by the Ming Dynasty vases accessorized by a
"fan" headdress. Probably THE BEST of this year's "Miss Universe 2012"...




I recognized it a couple of weeks ago in this post HERE that this "National Costume" was actually a creation from Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei's "Arabian 1002th Night" Spring/Summer 2010 Haute Couture Collection (photo above).



No. 2:




Miss Mexico Karina Gonzalez: One word: WOW. Of all the Native
Feathered Incan/Aztec/Mayan Empress Goddess costumes that were seen on Friday night's Miss Universe 2012 National Costume Presentation Show, her's
was one of the most impressive. If not, the BEST of those styles. This costume was
supposed to represent all the silver that Mexico is famous for as well
as featured a back that highlighted the Mexican culture. Muy impresionante. To me, her costume came in a very close Second to China's.




No. 3:




Miss Nicaragua Farah Eslaquit: This was definitely one of THE BEST at the National Costume Presentation Show on Friday night and that is why she is here, at No. 3. The immense amount of sequins, crystals, paillettes, the colors, the applique sculptures. This was A WORK of Costume ART. It should be in a Museum. Like tomorrow. And I really, really hope whoever designed and created was payed A LOT of money for their work. And I hope they flew them First Class to Las Vegas to see their work on stage. It's the least the Miss Nicaragua Organization could have done.



No. 4:


Miss Netherlands Nathalie den Dekker: Nathalie delighted the audience in her sequined jumpsuit featuring blue, red and white (colors of the flag of the Netherlands) flowing chiffon and four moving mini "windmills" atop her shoulders. This was a fun, very creative way of displaying the wonder of the famous Dutch windmills. I loved how the mini windmills moved, the chiffon "blew" in the wind and her stacked platform heels matched her jumpsuit's sequin fabrication.Original, fun, well-made, stage-perfect and filled in the element of "Holland Pride". According to the script/notes that co-host Shanna Moakler read, it was designed by a Venezuelan designer.



No. 5:




Miss Israel Lina Makhuli: The "Star of David" Queen...or shall I say DIVA. This gown could be straight out of a Stephane Rolland Haute Couture runway show in Paris. I could easily see it in an awards show red carpet--sans the gold arm flaps, hood and Star of David, of course--but with all of those "bells and whistles", I applaud this and acknowledge it as a very COUTURE Runway-fabulous Miss Israel costume.



No. 6:


Miss Peru Nicole Faveron: This Peruvian QUEEN needs to be sitting on top of Machu Picchu ASAP! What a amazingly glorious costume: the corseted shorts-bodysuit, the wondrous and very elaborate cape, the crown with the Peruvian flag colored feathers...THOSE above-the-knee boots! Here's another costume that needs to be in a museum. One of the best I've ever seen!



No. 7:


Miss Panama Stephanie Vander Werf: I have NO IDEA how she got all them feathers through A) Customs and B) in some sort of a suitcase. I sure hope that Miss Panama Organization---or Government--somehow waived those luggage fees! This is a great Native Costume. It's perfect for the theme, dramatic, Miss Universe "Parade of Nations"-appropriate...and very Sexy Chica!



No. 8:


Miss Sri Lanka Sabrina Herft: Three words--She LIT UP! Notice in the photo how the sequins/crystals were actually lights that "lit" up. I LOVED this costume from Miss Universe Sri Lanka. The gold paillete column gown, the fan crystal-and-lights headdress...She looked like a Sri Lankan Goddess that I want to light incense in front of! For sure.



No. 9:


Miss Brazil Gabriela Markus: Gabriela's costume was not your typical "Rio Carnival Queen" costume. And I have to admit, that is part of the reason I am giving her "Nick Points". I absolutely love the mural of BRASIL that is displayed on her dress; it is SPECTACULAR! And the colors, the feathers, the cut of the ensemble...all add up to one of my Top Ten!



No. 10:


Miss Great Britain Holly Hale: In terms of Costume Campy...Miss Universe Great Britain gets my vote! I want to know where I can get this jumpsuit! She's like "Wonder Woman UK". The Queen should be proud.



No. 10 (Tied!):




Miss USA Olivia Culpo: Olivia wore this "Statue of Liberty" Fantasy costume for the Miss Universe National Costume Presentation Show. The ensemble was designed and created by Costume Designer Martin Izquierdo and his team--which included Project Runway Season 6 alumn Nicolas Putvinski. Miss USA's costume is on my list of Top Miss Universe 2012 Costumes because, I think it perfectly blends a "US National" element with theater, with a great modern impact. Love how the headdress resembles a sparkling show of fireworks via metallic and sequined stars of various shapes and colors. All of that, therefore, puts her in my Top Ten (in a tie with Great Britain).



Click below to watch the Behind-the-Scenes of Miss USA's Costume--with Martin Izquierdo and Nicolas Putvinski (of Project Runway Season 6) in the background:

Ayyyy Mija!!!











In my last posting, I talked about my Top 15 Favorites from the Miss Universe 2012 Preliminary Evening Gown Competition...so now, you all know what follows that: the "Oh Dear's!". These were the gowns that--for a lack of a better description--made me say "Oh Dear!" (or in Spanish "Ayyy MIJA!") as they appeared on my computer scream as I watched the LIVE feed of the Prelims via Ustream last Thursday evening. So, without further a do, let's get started:




Miss Finland Sara Chafak: Well, well, well, look what we have here: it's a bright orange high-low gown with a fitted bustier section featuring sequin detail and a plunging illusion neckline. How in the name of the EVENING GOWN GODS is this ever an appropriate gown to be wearing? Unless you are doing a "Sing For Your Life" in "RuPaul's Drag Race" reality TV show, or on top of a Carnival float in Rio Gay Pride! I give Sara points for having the gumption for wearing this and keeping a smiling gorgeous face throughout it!




Miss Guyana Ruqayyah Boyer: When Miss Universe Guyana walked out...with this...I thought "Dancing With The Stars is missing a Costume!" Boy, is this a gown. It's got a mock-neck (she's gotta be demure, I guess), cut-out side, sequined straps...and it's baby blue with white and silver crystals. I give her "Nick WURK" Points for being so fearless by wearing this and recovering after falling on the stage (the runway was wet for some reason, causing lots of the girls to slip) during her walk:








Miss Colombia Daniella Alvarez: Put this one on the "Ayy Mija!" section. The neon-yellow color certainly gets everyone's attention but then it all goes "Pageant Betty KRAZEE" after that: the too-high slit, the too-many feathers, the chiffon she's holding, and then--if it was even necessary--those gold crystal Stripper/Drag Queen pumps: Dios Mio!




Miss Honduras Jennifer Andrade: Speaking of Pageant Betty. Take a look at this gown--a white over-the-top mermaid shape gown featuring a very plunging sweetheart neckline fitted bustier with embroidered applique and a tulle and organza ruffled and feathered bottom skirt section. This is Quinceañera/Top-of-a-Wedding-Cake madness!




Miss Botswana Sheillah Molelekwa: Part of me loves this dress--it's unusual in its design and silhouette and the baby blue color works really well against Sheillah's skin color. She's SO cute too! However, the other part of me notices the wrinkled poly-satin fabrication and awkward top construction issues and almost home-made quality...










Miss Cyprus Ioanna Yiannakou: I spoke about this red high-low gown that Miss Universe Cyprus wore for her "Official Evening Gown Portrait" HERE in my other "Oh Dear!" posting. I wasn't a fan--not because of the high-low silhouette, I love this shape. I just think it was the combination of the bright lipstick-red color PLUS the fact that it's TOO HIGH in the front which threw all the proportions off. I was hoping she was going to wear a different dress for the Preliminaries. She didn't.




Miss Norway Sara Nicole Andersen: Sara Nicole also wore this same rose-pink high low gown for her Miss Universe Official Evening Gown Portrait. It's just too frou-frou and too MTV "My Super Sweet Sixteen" and it's too close of a copy of what Ivian Sarcos wore to win her "Miss World 2011" title. Even though, she's not Latina, I still had to say "Ayyy Mija!".




Miss Panama Stephanie Vander Werf: First off, I think Stephanie is sooo pretty! My mom is from Panama so I always have a tender spot for the panameñas guapas...I just didn't like this gown. I think the print looks a bit too Resort and not enough "Red Carpet Wow!". This is a gown you wear for Cocktail Hour during your fun Carnival Cruise to Nassau. Not so sure if it's the gown you wear for the "Miss Universe" pageant. She does get "Nick Points" for wearing a printed dress. Not many girls want to "go there" and she did. It was just the wrong print.



Here's a better choice for a more "Miss Universe"-worthy printed gown:









Miss Sri Lanka Sabrina Herft: Are those poinsettias on her boobies??? I don't get it. Well, it is very close to Xmas so...she was in the Holiday Season spirit--gown-wise. It's very Dancing With The Stars-Meets-Sexy Santa... OH DEAR!"



Lastly...



Miss USA Olivia Culpo: OK, this one might be controversial (or maybe not). When the gorgeous Olivia first walked out in this very full ball gown, it got my attention and I did say "Oh Dear!". Why? Well, one doesn't normally see this full ball gown shape in Miss Universe pageants; it's more about TIGHT, SEXY and you better have a too-high slit--so it was different. I just wasn't sure if it was Good Different.




The velvet top fabrication is a little disconcerting and the big heavy earring and up-do ages her just a little bit. On a good note: I applaud her risk in trying something new and the entire look does have a Grace Kelly/Dior element to it, which I appreciate. But the color, silhouette and fabrication were wrong. If she wanted to be daring and wear a ball gown--I might have rather seen her in something in the vein of these:











***Next Up: The "Most Improved" of the "Miss Universe 2012 Preliminary Evening Gown" ladies!!