One thing we learned about beauty queens for this upcoming 65th Miss Universe is that they pay an outrageous amount for excess baggage. All the queens flew in the country with trunks full of clothes and necessities fit for a queen. Carrying in multiple extra large suitcases, trunks for their gowns, and more, the pageant contestants aren’t fans of light packing.
It’s understandable. One gown can be made of reams upon reams of fabric and even a headdress, while their makeup kits can compete with professional makeup artists. I then posed a challenge to Miss Iceland Hindur Maria Leifsdottir, Miss Kenya Mary Esther Were, and Miss New Zealand Tania Dawson: What would they pack if they only had an overnight bag with them? The answers will give you a hint into what bare essentials mean for a queen.
Miss Iceland
Miss Iceland keeps it very practical and is concerned that packing light still means traveling a lot. “I would bring my Bose headphones, my phone, a powerbank, and comfortable socks to wear during the plane ride. I would have my makeup kit that has my powder and lip balm. For clothes, I would bring jeans, a shirt, and nude heels”
Miss Kenya
Mary’s concern is how her things would help her interact with people. “I will bring breath mints because I like to keep my breath fresh. I will have a lipstick, foundation powder to smooth everything over [even when] I don’t have time to prepare. Sometimes I will have mascara, but I will be okay with just those two.”
“For clothes, it depends where exactly [and] what I am doing. I always believe in bringing a jacket because you never know what the occasion [will be like] or even the weather. A jacket helps to [switch] your look quickly. You can always buy more clothes when you get to the place you’re visiting.”
Miss New Zealand
“I always take moisturizer because you always have to take care of your skin. My makeup bag would be with me, I will stuff it as much as I can,” says Tania. Her clothing essential would be a dress. “If I can just take an overnight bag, I would just bring as many dresses as I can. They are always good because you can just chuck it on and you can look glam with jewelry or even just wear it at the beach.”
Art by Yayie Motos