You may remember the piece that I won the title of Miss Delaware 2010 in, colored and styled by Bobbi Russell, owner of Hair Therapy for Women in Tampa, FL.
That piece remains as my "signature piece," as we call it at Hairloss.com. But, when it came time to prepare for the Miss America Pageant, I met with Mario Rispoli, owner of Salon Rispoli in Newark, DE and we decided it was time for a change! Every girl dreams of how she would love to look on one of the most important days of her life and Mario made those dreams come true for me.
I have been a short-haired/bald girl for over half my life, and typically don't wear long, fussy hair on a day-to-day basis. It is just too much upkeep for a girl who didn't have hair after the age of eleven! But, once I selected my evening gown for the pageant, Mario and I both agreed longer hair would be the best partner. Why not glam it up to accessorize the most glamorous dress I may ever wear? So, we selected a piece that was down to my mid-back and Mario customized it for me by adding high and low lights and painting roots at the scalp to make it look natural- like it was growing out of my head! My largest priority was that it look natural and flow/move naturally, too. It was this piece that I wore almost the entire live telecast on ABC which included the opening number, introduction, announcement of "America's Choice', the swimsuit competition (@ 5:26), announcement of Top 12 and the evening gown competition. (Click there and fast forward to 1:03 to see my gown!)
We picked a very feminine and manageable style, the "Firenze", that would be able to last the entire telecast. Since the show is live, and very fast-pace; you don't have the opportunity, nor are you allowed, to meet again with your hair stylist. Mario styled my hair in loose curls with a curling iron, and about a gallon of hair spray.We chose to not cut many layers so that it was easier to pin up when necessary.
Another bit of inside scoop- most of the girls did their own makeup for the competition (including me!), and several even styled their own hair!
My team knew I would need to dance in a completely different wig, since there was no time for restyling. I danced to Micheal Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" in a custom fit version of my "signature style". I was terrified to dance on live television with a wig, so Mario shaved my head to remove any peach fuzz, and applied the wig with industrial strength tape to put my mind at ease! And sure enough, that wig didn't move a bit while I pranced around that slick stage! This hair piece had to be pulled back halfway so I could safely dance without hair flying into my face. But, we wanted it to still look natural and feminine. So, with about fifteen bobby pins, and another can of hair spray- the hair was styled perfectly!
Then, after the talent competition, I quickly put my original/longer/curly hair back on! How neat is it that I had the fortune of changing my hair almost every day? I was able to sleep in while my adorable roommate, Kylie Kofoed Bruneel, Miss Idaho, woke up early to wash her hair, blow dry and style it! After a quick shower, and some quality mirror time with my makeup case, I threw on my hair and was ready for the day in minutes!
The funniest part is how my hair traveled to Las Vegas, NV, where the pageant was held. I carried my competition evening gown and my signature hair piece on the plane with me. But, the rest of my hair (6 pieces in total) arrived a day later in a neatly arranged package! Mario put the hair on mannequins, covered them with hair nets, wrapped in a soft fabric and nestled between folds of tissue paper and packing filling. What a delightful package to receive!
Before the show, Mario was the best person I could have with me. He constantly lifted me up when I needed a boost of energy, he brought me food each day (which is truly the way to my heart), and had done all the legwork for my hair during the day time. So, when he and I were together before the preliminary competitions, we just sat around snacking and chatting while everyone else ran around like crazy to be sure their hair was styled in time! Then he put the wig on my head about a minute before call time and off I went! Who says wigs are inconvenient???
So you see, pageants don't have to be all kinds of crazy behind the scenes! If you are lucky, you can relax and enjoy those once in a lifetime moments and not worry about the little details- like hair! :)
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Have a great day!