After becoming first runner-up to Miss California USA 2003 Candice Sanders, Stephanie Simons made a career out of writing about her beauty and style secrets for national magazines. She is also beauty director for virtual makeover site Taaz.com, and has appeared on FOX, ABC and CBS entertainment news as an industry insider.

A winning pageant look is ultra polished: your goal is to use makeup to bring out your features so they standout at a distance when you’re on stage—and to have your makeup last through several rounds of competition. Here are a few of her secrets for looking pageant polished:

Makeup Bag Essentials

Always stock your makeup bag with two of every essential product—mascara, eyelash glue, etc. Pageant directors aren’t likely to let you (or sometimes even your mom) out of sight to make a run to the drug store if you lose or run out of something.

Radiant Skin

Radiant skin will separate you from the pack. Prior to the personal judging interview, dunk a wash cloth in ice water and hold it on your face for a few minutes, or splash your face with cold tap water for instant radiance. This will put a natural flush in your cheeks before you apply your foundation.

Lipstick and Lip Gloss Tips

Lipstick is the first thing to fade during competition. Make it last by first applying foundation and translucent powder to bare lips, and create definition by drawing just outside the natural lip line with a flesh-toned lip pencil. A dab of gloss placed at the center of the lower lip offers a dewy, delectable finish. You can find the best lipsticks for your skin tone by uploading a photo to Taaz’s free virtual makeup studio. The highly accurate makeover tool is designed to help you try on real life makeup products before you buy them.

Body Makeup

Body makeup camouflages spider veins and bruises, but use it at your own risk. With all the backstage chaos and requisite wardrobe changes, the cosmetics could potentially rub off onto your clothing. If you do opt to wear body makeup, make sure your skin is well moisturized and apply the make-up at least an hour before the pageant to give it time to set. You can speed up this process by blotting it with tissue or spraying the areas with an Evian water mister (held about 12 inches from your make-up).

False Eyelashes

Full strips of false eyelashes can weigh down your eyelids. Instead, opt for individual lashes placed at the outer corners of each eye. Use waterproof glue and waterproof mascara to prevent your eye makeup from running down your cheeks if you cry when you win (or if you don’t).

Pageant Hair

Pageant hair isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days of the cotton candy coif, even in the big hair state of Texas. Most girls wisely choose to wear their hair down for evening gown and swimsuit competitions—make sure yours is somehow lifted off your face. Loose, cascading curls are no-fail. You can also try on winning pageant hairstyles at Taaz.